Mkhitaryan spoke to the media from Australia, where Inter is continuing its summer preparations. The Armenian midfielder, in his twentieth season as a professional, shared his thoughts on the team’s current moment and his role as a veteran in the locker room.

“This is my twentieth season as a professional, obviously. I am very happy, I am really pleased. It means a lot to me. It means that maybe I did everything the right way during my football career. That’s why I’ve been able to play for so long and I’m very happy,” began the former Roma player.

On his relationship with the young players in the squad, Mkhitaryan explained: “At the start of this preparation, more than half the team was made up of young players. I try to be an example for them. I try to do everything the right way, the things I know how to do, and to show them that there are aspects they can learn from and follow. Obviously, it depends on them, whether they want to learn or not, but I try to give my best for the team. Now I am the oldest player and that means a lot: it means I have to lend a hand and help them. That’s what I try to do, on and off the pitch. I try to give them some advice. In the end, it always depends on them if they want to learn, but we are a team, we are a family and we have to achieve our goals together.”

For the midfielder, this is his first experience in Australia, specifically in Perth. “Yes, it’s my first time in Australia, especially in Perth. It’s very beautiful. I haven’t seen much yet, but we still have time to do so,” he said.

On the preparation and the challenges against Milan and Juventus, after the friendly with Manchester City in Hong Kong, he added: “Obviously this is our path to prepare for the new season. We played against Manchester City and now we will have two more matches against Juventus and Milan. It’s all part of the preparation. We will try to train hard, work on the things we need to improve and then face these two matches. Obviously, they won’t matter in terms of results, they are just preparation games. But of course, it will be nice to try to win both and then be ready for the start of the season.”

On the weight of the Scudetto won last season, Mkhitaryan declared: “Right now we are not thinking about defending the title, we are trying to be ready and show that we deserved last season’s victory. Obviously, it will be a great motivation and a great help to try to do the same thing again this year.”

Finally, a memory about Cristian Volpato, the Australian talent he met during his time at Roma: “Yes, I remember him. He came from the youth sector and I was really impressed by his qualities. Then it happened that I went to Inter and he went to Sassuolo. He is a great talent, a good player. He also showed it last season playing with Sassuolo, scoring some goals and helping the team achieve its goals.”

On the young player’s path and his choice to represent Australia, Mkhitaryan concluded: “It depends on him. He has to build his own path and create his own story. I can’t say if it will be difficult or easy: it all depends on him. I didn’t watch many World Cup matches, because I was on vacation. I was trying to enjoy my free time, relax from football. It’s not always about watching football: sometimes you have to disconnect, clear your mind, recharge and then start again.”

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