Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella could be the star player of this summer’s European Championships, at least in the opinion of Italian national team coach Roberto Mancini.
Barella, who was recently hailed as the best midfielder in Italy as well as one of the best in Europe by Italian media, has enjoyed a fantastic season thus far and is continuing to improve under Antonio Conte, impressing again in Sunday’s Derby d’Italia victory over Juventus.
Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, which appeared in Tuesday’s print edition, Mancini shared his belief that Barella can be a generational player.
“Barella can become the star of the European Championships,” the former Inter coach told the Milanese news outlet.
“He is a complete player.”
Mancini, who had two separate spells in charge of Inter, then spoke on Barella’s goal-scoring ability off the back of his goal against the Bianconeri last weekend.
“I told him right away that he could score more goals.
“He’s got good timing, he shoots well and he’s good in the air, as seen by his goal against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
“The goal against Juventus was beautiful, but strange.
“In today’s football it is difficult to see a team cut out like that by one pass.”
Barella joined Inter in the summer of 2019 from Cagliari and is under contract with the Nerazzurri through to the end of the 2023-24 season.
This season the 23-year-old, who has been capped by Italy 18 times, has made 25 appearances across all competitions to date, in which he has scored two goals and provided a total of eight assists for his teammates.
