Inter have been without real leaders in their dressing room during their slump in form since the beginning, according to Italian media.
This is the contention of today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who note that neither captain Samir Handanovic nor influential locker room figures such as Lautaro Martinez or Nicolo Barella have jolted the side back to life.
Handanovic has never been the most vocal of captains, and during the slump in results of the past few weeks the team has not felt the Slovenian’s presence urging them on.
Moreover, after the club placed their faith in the likes of Barella and Martinez during the fall with significant contract extensions, the duo have not shown that they can drag the team back to its best.
Inter’s form has fallen off more significantly than many expected, and the team themselves appear to be as dazed by this as anyone else without the presence of a decisive leader in the dressing room.