Lautaro: The Champions League Is the Main Goal Every Season, We Step Onto the Pitch to Fight for Titles

On the eve of Inter Milan's away match against Real Madrid in the first round of the Champions League league phase, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez gave an interview to Andrea Paventi, a correspondent following the team for Sky Sport Italia.

When you walk into this stadium, everyone naturally looks around and takes it all in. You could say this is a match that does not require much motivation because you are automatically prepared in some way, isn't that right? Especially when you come here to face such a strong opponent like Real Madrid?

(Having just spoken with many Spanish reporters at the press conference, Lautaro instinctively answered in Spanish.) Yes, without a doubt, that is absolutely the case.

The recovery time has indeed been very limited. Anyway... speaking Spanish is completely fine, but let's use Italian now, right?

Sorry, I had just been around people speaking Spanish, so my brain did not switch over immediately (laughs). We really have had very little time to recover physically and mentally, but we are fully prepared to begin this new campaign in one of the most prestigious and important competitions in the world.

As I said before, we are ready and waiting to face a very important and highly valued opponent in a hugely significant stadium, and to play an excellent match. We will do our best to handle every detail perfectly and try to bring a positive, ideal result back to Milan.

Can we say that the final stages of last weekend's match against Napoli showed the team's toughness, fighting spirit and hunger for victory? Because completing such a comeback in such a match showed Inter's DNA and also your personal DNA. Perhaps you had many emotions inside that you wanted to release, which was reflected in the beautiful celebrations after your goals—the first goal and especially the winning goal. At this moment, are these qualities and this passion flowing through Inter and Lautaro?

For me personally, without a doubt, that is true. It comes from my childhood experiences, because I have said many times that I went through many difficulties and hardships when I was young. This fighting spirit and resilience have been part of me for a long time, remaining deep inside me. They are not qualities I only gained later with the passage of time.

Of course, as time goes by, you improve in every aspect, but I have always tried to pass this fighting spirit on to everyone around me, because the most important thing is always to give everything on the pitch without holding anything back. Matches are naturally about winning and losing, but ultimately what matters most is whether, when the match ends and we return home, we can feel clear in our conscience and at peace because we know we gave everything on the field. In last Saturday night's match, we truly did that.

Against such a strong opponent as Napoli, coming back from a two-goal deficit in such a difficult situation was extremely hard. In the end, the substitutes provided great help, we gained huge and positive energy, and the passionate support from the fans in the stadium also played a role. Being able to score three goals, turn the game around and keep these extremely valuable three points was crucial for our journey and progress this season.

Finally, I have two more questions. The first is that Real Madrid are undoubtedly an extremely strong opponent, but considering Inter's performances and experience in the Champions League in recent years, do you feel you now have the confidence to stand on equal terms with such a powerful team in terms of strength and squad structure? This is not only about the past two or three years, but also about Inter's growth and transformation over the last five or six years...

Yes, we are on a very positive and correct path. Along this journey, we have won many trophies and reached two Champions League finals as well as one Europa League final. Therefore, we are currently on the right development track and continuing to grow and become stronger.

Of course, as I emphasized earlier, tomorrow we will face a great team with tremendous value and many of the world's top players. However, we also have our own weapons and strengths. Therefore, in tomorrow's match, we must deliver an outstanding tactical and technical performance in every aspect, from every angle and in every detail, in order to bring a satisfying positive result back to Milan.

My second question is: on both a personal and team level, you have already won many honors and almost every trophy, but the one major trophy missing from your career is the most prestigious Champions League trophy, isn't it? You must be eager for it. As someone who has already participated in Europe's top-level finals, do you feel this dream can finally arrive at the right moment for you this time and truly be realized? Have you always kept this dream deep in your heart and turned it into a powerful personal motivation? At the same time, is this also a source of spirit that can be passed to the entire team, inspiring everyone to fight alongside you until the final moment?

I hope so, I really hope so. Yes, for me, at the beginning of every season, this is my main objective. Not only the Champions League, but also the Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup and Serie A, because that is football—we step onto the pitch to compete for every title and win every trophy. Since we play for a great club like Inter that is renowned around the world, I always say that we must give everything to take this club to the highest position it can reach. That is our goal. Tomorrow the Champions League journey officially begins, and we must be fully prepared to face the opponent.