Former Inter star Nicola Berti lavished praised on Inter’s Nicolo Barella, declaring the 23-year-old one of the best players of his generation.
Barella caught the eye once more as he curled in the opener from distance during Inter’s 2-0 victory over Fiorentina in Serie A yesterday, as Antonio Conte’s side moved top of the table.
The Sardinian midfielder has enjoyed an impressive season at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza after converting his loan from Cagliari into a permanent deal last summer, and Berti spoke of his delight that Inter had secured the services of Barella.
“I have been saying this for a lifetime, Barella is a great player,” Berti claimed in an interview with FCInterNews.it.
“If we hadn’t signed him two years ago, I would have gone to the club’s headquarters to protest. Fortunately, in the end Nicolo joined the Nerazzurri and I’m happy, as I’ve loved Barella since he was at Cagliari.”
Berti scored 29 times in 229 appearances for Inter between 1988 and 1998, winning the Scudetto in his first season as well as two UEFA Cups with the Nerazzurri. The former Italy international went on to claim that he saw much of himself in Barella, and that it went beyond the pair sharing the same initials.
“The initials NB are already there and this comparison between us is something I threw out there a while ago. He is developing really well and I am a big fan of his. I wish him all the best. He can certainly become the best Italian midfielder of his generation, if he’s not already.”
Barella has made 71 appearances for Inter since arriving in 2019, scoring seven goals and helping the Nerazzurri reach the Europa League Final last season.
