Nicola Berti is obsessed with his midfield successor at Inter in Nicolo Barella.

Barella is regularly compared to the Nerazzurri’s legendary former midfielder and impressed again during Sunday’s 2-1 win at Torino on Sunday.

The 24-year-old has received plaudits from all over Italy’s media this season and took yet more praise from Berti in an interview today.

“We are a bit similar, I like Barella very much,” Berti confessed during a Twitch broadcast on the channel of Italian television personality Alessandro Cattelan.

“He is much more technical than I was, then he has competitive spirit, desire, intensity.

“He is my absolute idol.”

Berti then went on to discuss Juventus, who Inter appear close to overthrowing as champions of Italy after nine years of dominance in Serie A.

“Juve can no longer catch us,” Berti said.

“A couple more games are needed and then we will begin to get slightly closer to what we have been waiting for all this time.

“Let’s not get too excited, though.

“The fact we don’t play Juventus again until the penultimate week of the season is better, but I want the title race to end sooner, I don’t want to suffer until the end.”

Berti went on to share his thoughts about this Inter team.

“Apart from the first part of the season when the team was eliminated from the Champions League, I would say it has gone very well.”

The former Tottenham Hotspur player then went on to share who he thinks is the best player he has ever played alongside and he responded: “Ronie (Ronaldo), of course.”

Next, Berti spoke on the favourite goals that he scored for Inter during his 10-year spell with the club as well as the many Milan derbies that he participated in.

“Favourite goals? Those scored in the Milan derby.

“There is that goal in which I told the Rossoneri that I would score a goal and I did.

“Were the derbies the most beautiful fixtures? Back then we did not talk to each other for a week and then we would make peace with one another in the national team.

“During the league campaign there was a challenge before the matches: I remember we warmed up in the gyms, not on the pitch, and players would hit balls to the other side to annoy the others.

“With some other teams we also almost came to blows before the matches.”

Berti went on to reminisce about some of his former Inter teammates including Dennis Bergkamp, Ruben Sosa, Igor Shalimov, Darko Pancev and Youri Djorkaeff.

“Bergkamp? We won a UEFA Cup together, he provided some assists to me.

“He was phenomenal technically but did not fit in well.

“Ruben Sosa? He was very nice and technically very strong.

“Igor Shalimov? I often hear from him, he coaches in Russia.

“Darko Pancev? For me he was very strong, he came in the wrong year.

“He was misunderstood, he joined a team that didn’t do well, but for me he was stronger than Pippo Inzaghi.

“Djorkaeff? I still hear from him all the time.

“The other day I called him with some friends on his birthday and sang the song that the Nerazzurri fans used to sing to him.”

In conclusion, Berti was asked to name the best coach that he worked under during his playing career, which spanned between 1982 and 2002.

“Giovanni Trapattoni,” he responded.

“I had several years with him and won the record-breaking Scudetto under him (in 1989).

“Trapattoni was like a father, he knows how to talk and has great humour.”