Nicolò Barella was destined to become one of Italy’s most promising midfielders right from the beginning of his career.
That, at least, is the view of Inter’s former defender Gianluca Festa, who spent a few months coaching him while at Como in 2016.
Barella spent the second half of the 2015-16 there and Festa had no doubts what sort of player he had on his hands.
“I was at the airport one day and I bumped into Cagliari’s first team by chance,” Festa recalled when speaking to FcInterNews.it earlier.
“I took the opportunity to speak to Barella and explained how I’d count upon him at Como, before telling him he could do with a spell in Serie B. The deal went through in the next few days and Nicolò really stood out while playing for us.
“That year was very important for him and everyone at the club understood he would go on to be a great player.
“The data we were recording from him in fitness tests was incredible, good enough for a top club. What dynamism…”
Festa believes Barella’s soft spot for Inter as a child will help him put even more into defending the Nerazzurri’s colours, having signed from Cagliari two weeks ago.
“He’s reached Inter at the ideal moment of his career, like the important player he is,” he continued.
“The Nerazzurri will expect a lot from him after paying such a high fee but I can assure you he won’t have trouble handling the pressure.
“Barella is a fighter, someone who always chucks himself into battle. Even as a child he was a little bold and arrogant, but I mean that in a positive sense.
“He knows his strengths and he believes in himself. He always gave everything under me, even in training. I actually had to tell him to run a little less eventually.”
Barella made his debut for Inter against Juventus on Wednesday and will hope to get his first start under Antonio Conte against Paris Saint-Germain this weekend.
