Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt spoke about his relationship with Inter defender and compatriot Stefan de Vrij in an interview with Dutch media outlet De Telegraaf today.
“The clubs are rivals, not us. In Holland we are committed to the same thing, qualifying for the European championships and playing as well as possible. Obviously, we both want to play, but at the same time we love each other, and we hope to do well if one of us plays. Above all the media want to quarrel between me and Stefan. But that’s certainly not the case.”
The 20-year-old defender then touched on the distance between the two players and their friendship.
“Torino and Milan are an hour away, we recently had a bite to eat after a game. It’s nice to occasionally speak Dutch. We also give each other advice. Stefan helped me with many things and it’s very nice if you’re new to a country. He’s used to it in Italy, I’ve just arrived.”
Finally, De Ligt touched on the Derby d’Italia between the two sides earlier in the season.
“In the previous international break, I also had a good feeling with the national team. Of course, I didn’t play too well against Inter the day before, even though we won 2-1. But in the three previous games it went really well. I continued that trajectory. The fight with Inter is very exciting. We both want to win the most games.”
