Former Inter and Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastien Frey has given his thoughts ahead of the Serie A meeting between his two former teams today.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, the 41-year-old suggested that the two teams’ respective strikers Lautaro Martinez and Dusan Vlahovic could have key roles to play in the match.
He believes that Vlahovic’s finishing and play in front of goal has marked him out as a top player, but sees Inter man Martinez as the better overall player.
Martinez has scored in all three of his Serie A games this season, having missed the opener against Genoa through suspension, and he will hope that he can continue to prove his prowess once again at the Stadio Artemio Franchi later today.
Frey is looking forward to the clash, with both clubs important to him, and he explained that “Inter was my first great love, the first to believe in me and to give me a real chance. Fiorentina were love at first sight and created the possibility of prove myself internationally. I remain very attached to both shirts.”
On the two strikers he said, “Il Toro struck me as soon as he landed in Milan for his hard work, his spirit of sacrifice. Until 8-9 months ago Dusan was in the crosshairs of the critics because he was too inconsistent. Now he has found the right balance and I think he did very well to stay at Fiorentina to complete his growth this season.”
“Vlahovic is more of a killer, deadly in the area. Lautaro, however, is more complete. He scores a lot and also participates more in both phases of the game,” he said of the two strikers’ respective qualities.
Regarding both clubs’ newly-appointed coaches, Italiano stated that “Italiano is doing a super job. Fiorentina have won their last three matches, but I also liked seeing them despite the loss against Roma. Now they play as a team.”
“Inzaghi is a great guy and is learning to become a great coach,” Frey said of Inter’s manager. “His teams have always played well and gotten good results. And don’t think that managing in Rome is easy.”
Regarding criticisms of current Nerazzurri goalkeeper Samir Handanovic he said, “Samir must have a thick skin! Criticisms came for him even when he kept the team competitive with his saves. Everyone, goalkeepers as much as anyone, sometimes makes mistakes. But when Buffon made a mistake in the Juve shirt, everyone shut up.”
“Inter are doing well to look around because it is normal to plan for life after Handanovic,” he went on. “And in any case, if a player questions himself, he can benefit from it. Look what happened to De Gea. At Manchester United he had also lost his place, while now he saves everything.”
He predicted that Inter were among the favourites for the Scudetto, stating that “Inter were already among my favourites before the season started. Let alone before I saw Inzaghi’s work on show.”
