Massimo Ambrosini has rebuffed a comparison between Hakan Calhanoglu’s role at Inter and that of Andrea Pirlo, while he did draw parallels to Theo Hernandez.
Inter now have a firm advantage in the title race after they beat Juventus 1-0 at San Siro on Sunday night, and Calhanoglu has been praised for his performance in the game as the deeper-lying midfield player.
The Turkey international left Milan for Inter in 2021 and had to watch his old club lift the Scudetto in his first season with the Nerazzurri, but they are now on course to win the league this year.
Calhanoglu has also moved further back positionally, playing more as the deeper of a trio often completed by Nicolo Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Davide Frattesi.
La Gazzetta dello Sport contacted Ambrosini to get his thoughts on the comparisons with Pirlo’s role at Milan and Juventus, with his comments relayed by Radio Rossonera.
“Many things about Calhanoglu are striking. Above all, perhaps, what stands out is the mix between technique and defensive quality, the readiness to reconquer with malice,” he said.
“He is a very different playmaker from others, the dynamism of Inter’s midfield is very high. Pirlo? No, there is very little in common. The real similarity is in the ability to kick in all ways, to find a man 40 metres away.
“All comparisons with Andrea are doomed to fail. Pirlo had looking in behind as his first thought, also because we had strikers always ready to attack the defence vertically.
“Calhanoglu on the other hand, given how Inter plays, tends more towards short passing. Then Hakan covers more of the field, when he gives the ball he offers himself. And he kicks differently, more drily.”
How important is Calhanoglu in Inter’s dynamics? And is there a comparable in that sense at Milan?
“Is he the least replaceable player at Inter together with Lautaro? Yes, the same goes for Theo Hernandez at Milan: he is so superior…
“How would Ancelotti’s Milan have played against Calhanoglu? Inzaghi’s variations make Inter dynamic, very difficult to stop. So I say as a team, of course, going man to man wouldn’t work.”
The best midfielder in Europe used to be a Milan player and was lost for free to Milan’s biggest rival, but people out here cry after Tonali and saying he was sold for 70 mil and below his value because players way better than Tonali, like Rice and Enzo, were sold for 100+.
Also, interesting how Ambro mentions only Theo as irreplaceable at Milan in comparison with Hakan and Lautaro at inter. Ambro knows ball.
Best midfielder in Europe? I don’t know about that but what is obvious is he’s taken his game to a very high level I can’t believe it’s the same Hakan that was with us not too long ago.
Well, I’m not surprised cos that’s what happens when you play in a fantastic system that caters to a players strength.
Fantastic coach Inzaghi is. I’ve always rated himlong before Inter.
Many Milan fans like to talk trash about Inzaghi and Calhanoglu…
Inzaghi was and is a good coach, and Calhanoglu raised his level and consistency quite a bit in the last year and a half at Milan. Even then he was one of our best players, which is why I was always sad to see him go to Inter and hoped that he’d lose some of the sparc but instead he kept the same trajectory.
Marotta’s MO of trying to poach the best players from the competing teams is frustrating and he starts the attack way before the last year of contract. He was doing the same with Donnaruma, Dybala, Onana, etc. This year he’s going for Zielinski. Was really happy when he lost Skriniar on a free to PSG 😀
Pirlo to Juve right?
Captain knows what he’s talking about.