Inter defender Federico Dimarco is glad to have helped his team achieve an important win against Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium, and even moreso given that the Nerazzurri are his boyhood club.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia after the match, the 23-year-old gave his immediate reaction to an eventful encounter which saw the Nerazzurri claw their way back from a goal down to take three crucial points.
Dimarco entered the pitch alongside teammates Arturo Vidal, Matteo Darmian, and Edin Dzeko in the second half as head coach Simone Inzaghi looked to impact the game with a virtually unheard-of quadruple substitution.
The Nerazzurri had not been at their best for much of the first half, and this trend continued during the first ten minutes after the interval, as Alessio Dionisi’s men looked sharper and created chances to extend their lead.
In the end, Dimarco’s entrance onto the pitch was part of a larger change of fortunes which saw Edin Dzeko equalize within a minute of the quartet’s arrival, and the eventual win as Dimarco and his teammates closed out that match strongly against a determined Neroverdi side.
“We came on with the right attitude,” he said of the subtitutions, “we also worked well because the goal came immediately after the changes. We got the victory, we needed it and it was important.”
“We wanted to go into the break with a victory,” he went on/ “There may be games in which you are not fluid, playing every three days is not easy. The fundamental thing is to have gotten the victory and brought home the three points.”
He continued, “Our strikers are all strong, if they don’t score in a match they feel bad. But sooner or later the goal will also arrive in the Champions League. Playing for the team I support is indescribable, I’m really happy and proud to be able to play in this shirt.”
Giving his thoughts on potentially being called up to the Italian national team Dimarco said, “I honestly think about working day by day, of course I hope for the call, but it will come based on my performances with Inter. It’s all a consequence of that.”
And on his missed penalty against Atalanta, Dimarco reflected that “I didn’t have a good evening, but the affection of the fans and teammates was important to say the least.”
