Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu is staying tight-lipped on the prospect of Serie A title revenge against his old team AC Milan.
The 30-year-old spoke to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews.
Inter’s win against Udinese this evening means that the possibility of clinching the Serie A title against AC Milan is more real than ever.
The Nerazzurri face the Rossoneri in just under two weeks’ time.
And if Inter beat Cagliari next weekend, they will know that a victory against their city rivals would mean that they are mathematically guaranteed to finish the season as Serie A champions.
Clinching the title in the derby would certainly have plenty of symbolic significant for Inter.
Particularly because the Rossoneri had pipped Inter to the title by the narrowest of margins two seasons ago.
And one player who felt that last-day defeat more than almost anyone was Calhanoglu.
The Turkish international had left Milan the previous summer to join Inter.
When Calhanoglu joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer, he was making the switch to the reigning Serie A champions from the previous season’s runners-up.
And the situation was reversed in Calhanoglu’s first campaign at Inter.
It was the Nerazzurri who had to settle for second best. Calhanoglu’s previous team won the title, clinching it on the final day after Inter had slipped up during the run-in.
Hakan Calhanoglu Tight-Lipped On The Prospect Of Serie A Title Revenge Vs AC Milan
But as far as the prospect of clinching this season’s title against Milan, Calhanoglu said that “I don’t like talking about my former teams.”
“I have a good relationship with my former teammates,” the 30-year-old continued.
“What happened is in the past. I’ve suffered, but I’ve never spoken about it.”
Calhanoglu made clear that “I’m focused on my current teammates, who are brilliant.”
“And I also have to thank the Inter fans, who are always behind us.”
“In football, one team always wins, and then the others don’t. I’m happy, because we deserve this.”
Of his key penalty to equalize against Udinese, Calhanoglu admitted that “I felt a bit of pressure for the first time.”
“We were 1-0 down,” the former Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg midfielder noted. “If I missed it, maybe we wouldn’t have won the match.”
“I was very focused,” Calhanoglu said of his penalty.
The Inter midfielder noted that “[Udinese goalkeeper Maduka] Okoye is very tall. So I knew that if I hit it low and hard, it would be tough for a goalkeeper like that.”
“I always talk about these things with Yann Sommer as well.”
Calhanoglu made clear that “We have the hunger and desire to win, and to not give up.”
“Anything can happen in football,” the 30-year-old continued.
“We’re trying to give our best in every training session. Today, Inter never gave up, and that will also be important over the coming matches.”
“We’ll show that we want to achieve our goal.”
Meanwhile, of the first half, Calhanoglu said that “I only misplaced one pass, for Udinese’s goal.”
“I had two or three shots on goal, and I tried to be attacking and score a goal as soon as possible.”
“I made a mistake,” the Turk admitted of his sloppy pass to allow Udinese to score. “Maybe I need to be more calm.”
“But I always have in my mind that I want to win.”
“I want to stay calmer,” Calhanoglu added. “Normally, I don’t make errors, because I’m more focused.”
“In the second half it was important for us to not let up after the penalty, and to go on and win.”
