Legendary former Inter midfielder Nicola Berti believes that Nerazzurri midfielder Nicolò Barella would be worthy of the Ballon d’Or if he maintains his current form.
Speaking in an interview with the online edition of the Italian newspaper Libero, the ex-Nerazzurri midfielder believes that he was right in baptising Barella as his heir and that the Inter player’s current performances are proving him correct.
“Three years ago when no one thought about Barella, I already named him my heir. I am pleased that I was correct.
“The criticism from the press? He started and then dropped in some matches, but there is no reason to put him under discussion.
“Barella is a player that runs for 90 minutes. If he continues like this, he would be in contention for the Ballon d’Or. He is now scoring with consistency and he can easily reach 10 goals.
“I am not exaggerating when I say that he has been in a crazy good form. Is he the best midfielder in Italy? Surely him and Tonali are the best in their roles,” continued the former Inter midfielder.
Nicola Berti also commented on the upcoming match on Sunday, where Inter face off against Juventus in the Derby d’Italia.
“The former Inter player believes that the Nerazzurri are on the right path even after their loss against Bayern Munich.
“I saw positive signs against Bayern Munch from the player who have had less playing time. Inter has a deep squad and they can battle in all three competitions.
“I wouldn’t risk [Lukaku] and [Brozovic] for the last few games because it is better to have them fresh in January.
“I believe that a comeback in the league table is possible, especially if Inter continue to play like they have in the last month,” concluded the Inter legend.
Berti had a three year stint with Fiorentina before joining Inter Milan in 1988 for a reported fee of £3.6 million.
He collected 229 appearances across all competitions over his ten year stint with the Nerazzurri scoring 29 goals in the process.
Berti won several trophies with the Nerazzurri, among which were the UEFA Cup in 1991 and 1994 and the Serie A title in 1989 in record-breaking fashion.