Davide Frattesi granted a lengthy interview to the newspaper La Stampa during which he discussed several topics, from Inter’s seasonal ambitions to his choice to wear the black and blue colors. He also responded to those who had commented on his discontent in the summer.

Here are some excerpts:

SCUDETTO RACE – “There are more teams. Last season there were only Juventus and a bit Milan. Now Atalanta, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Napoli have been added. Two teams can make mistakes, but there are others. It’s a much more open tournament”.

INTER FAVORITE – “Does it bother us to be called the favorites? Yes and no. Because the matches must be played on the field, outside it’s easy to talk. And it’s not a given that a team always wins. Just look at Real Madrid and City these months. Players perform based on the context. A player out of position seems poor. The strength of a group is seen in negative moments. It happened to us after the elimination in the Champions and with Atletico Madrid. We didn’t expect it after the first leg. We had to find the strength to move on immediately”.

STARTING POSITION- “Starting role in the National team and bench at Inter? For me, it’s more of a stimulus. Everything should always be taken positively. Otherwise everything becomes too big. Competition helps to always give your best. When we go to the National team, my Inter teammates tease me: ‘Here you go to daddy Luciano’, joking about the CT that starts me. He played well with his Ro-ma, when I was in the Primavera Giallorossa. Watching Inzaghi’s Primavera at Lazio? I always went to watch it”.

DISCONTENT – “Discontent in the summer because of my playing time? At that moment my only thought was to find the right baits to go fishing in Sardinia. I got a permit to practice my other big passion: spearfishing. Then my brother got in the way and it was a disaster”.

SCHEDULE – “I’m not complaining, we’re lucky. But we’re going a bit too far. I’m not saying this for the number of matches per se but for the effects on the spectacle. At a certain point, between the Super Champions, Supercup in Riyad, and Club World Cup, you’re cooked. So, the risk is that the quality of the game expressed might diminish a bit”.

MODEL – “My model is De Bruyne. For me, the strongest midfielder of the last 20 years: always at least 15 goals and 15 assists every season. The numbers count”.