Diouf opens up to the winger role: I prefer midfield

Andy Diouf is experiencing a moment of great visibility with the Inter shirt, between his performance at the Bernabeu and his pre-call-up to the French national team by Zinedine Zidane. The French midfielder is making a name for himself on the right wing, a tactical position that does not reflect his natural characteristics but which he has accepted in order to carve out a place in the team.

Interviewed by L’Equipe, Diouf clearly explained his position: “I never thought I would play in this position. Starting as a starter in matches like this (against Real Madrid, ed.) and playing so much… Those who know me know that I am not an ultra-defensive midfielder, and they were a bit shocked (he smiles, ed.). As a wide midfielder, whatever happens, you are in the back five. You are not a forward.”

The French player then clarified where he sees himself in the future: “I don’t feel like a full-back or a winger. My goal is to return to midfield because that’s where I was trained and where I feel comfortable. I remain convinced that I am more suited to that position. In Italy, they don’t know me very well yet. But if playing as a wide player allows me to have space and establish myself at Inter, I will do it without hesitation. I try to give my best. Whatever happens, I will have learned a lot from this experience.”

The former Lens player highlighted the physical difficulties of the new role, a topic linked to the words spoken yesterday in a press conference by Cristian Chivu, who aims to get him to maintain his performance for 80 minutes instead of 60: “When you have the ball you play like a winger, but when you don’t you have to fall back in defense, you have to stay on the defensive line, so it requires a lot of effort. At the end of the matches you are exhausted.”

The origin of this tactical choice dates back to a specific episode recounted by Diouf himself: “It was more than anything a match. We were losing against Milan and the coach… I wanted to try something. I made a good entrance onto the pitch, creating some chances. I have the qualities to play on the wing. Since that day, this idea has stuck with me.”