Fillu de Sardegna: How Nicolò Barella’s Midfield Excellence Ignites Simone Inzaghi’s Inter
Sardinian-born international Nicolò Barella came from humble beginnings, being a product of the youth system in the region’s capital Cagliari, who at the time were under the reign of Zdeněk Zeman, who rejoined the club after their spell with club legend Gianfranco Zola. First-team football for Barella was not on the cards for the young talent, only playing limited minutes for I Rossoblu.
A Cagliari side which contained the likes of local heroes Marco Sau and Andrea Cossu, players amongst the regular squad noticed Barella’s tenacious presence on the pitch and his timidness off the pitch, giving him the nickname ‘Radiolina’. He got his first start for Cagliari’s first team in 2015 but faced little game time on the pitch. A year later, a short spell at Como saw him showcase his talents, playing regular first team football, starting amongst their midfield.
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Proud being a Sardinian native, the return to Cagliari from Como only kick started his journey to making a name for himself in the midst of the growing midfield talents in Italian football. He became the club’s youngest ever captain, aged 20 years old. A few years down the line and the midfielder’s career for Gli Isolani culminated, he made over 100 appearances for the club, won best midfielder of the season and made Serie A’s Team of The Year in his final year.
Many clubs were keen to pounce on the potential the young midfielder offered, with his collective calmness and his tenacity to cover lengths up and down the pitch a true trifecta to his array of traits on display. Internazionale Milano made the move and initially signed the Sardinian star on a year-long loan deal with an obligation to buy at the end of his loan spell.
Barella found himself in a flurry earlier on in the switch to one of the biggest teams in Italy, a first-team debut in Serie A against Lecce was later followed with a Champions League debut against Slavia Praha, in which he scored the equalising goal to secure a point.
His first season had its struggles yet had its successes as he and the club found themselves in a Europa League final, which they narrowly lost out to against Spanish stalwarts Sevilla. A debut season for I Nerazzurri saw Barella make the Europa League Team of the Season and the Serie A Team of the Year.
An early call-up to the National Team back in 2018 saw him always be in and around the projects of Italy’s future as he was pivotal to Gli Azzurri’s run in Euro 2021, setting up goals for fellow compatriots Manuel Locatelli against Switzerland and Lorenzo Insigne against Belgium, as well as scoring in big games in the same game against The Red Devils in the quarter finals.
The following 2020-21 season saw Radiolina’s effectiveness flow into full fruition as he was an integral part to Inter’s success in securing the Scudetto in the club’s 105th consecutive season in Serie A. His talents were on display, from his dynamism to interchange midfield roles, being a force in defensive situations to exploiting defences in and around the box when in attack. He came up crucial in big-game situations, scoring against the defending champions Juventus from the previous season.
Radiolina’s most effective role was playing as the ‘mezzala’ under Conte, acting as a true offensive threat alongside the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku at the time. The midfield maestro ended up making just over 35 club appearances with a combined 7 goals and assists in his first successful Scudetto season for Inter.
Barella thrives under the pressures of playing on the biggest stages, showing off his competitive anima and his monstrous mentality when playing football. With the departure of Antonio Conte creating shockwaves to the world of Italian football, many were left in doubt over Inter’s situation off the pitch, with their financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, where Italy at the time was severely affected.
Despite the departure, the club needed someone who trusted the process amongst the core of talent in the Inter squad, such as Simone Inzaghi, with his added breadth of experience in Italian football, both in his managerial and playing career. With the addition of Inzaghi, Barella put pen to paper, signing a contract extension with the club till the 2026 season. Seasons which filled fans with excitement saw I Nerazzurri be triumphant domestically, winning back-to-back both the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana.
Inzaghi’s Inter have managed to build a cohesion especially down the spine of their squad from their defence to their attack, with the bastion Alessandro Bastoni in defence, the maestro Nicolo Barella in midfield and the sniper Lautaro Martinez in attack.
A few seasons later, Barella’s tenure at Inter ranked amongst the best midfield players the club has seen in the past decade, as he racked up 200 appearances in their first Scudetto winning season under Simone Inzaghi, adding the midfielder’s tally to title successes with 2 Scudettos won.
La Beneamata have started incredibly strong in their title defence despite the close competition in Italian football, with 1 point currently separating the top 4 from the top spot in Serie A. Inter’s main man bagged his first goal of the season in spectacular fashion, exquisitely volleying home against Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta in front of the Giuseppe Meazza faithful.
Inzaghi’s Inter currently sit second, just shy of Antonio Conte’s Napoli, who managed to come away with a draw when the two sides near the start of November. The Sardinian midfielder has established himself on the international stage with his tenacious nature of playing the game, with the trophy winning spirit, achieving 6 accolades with I Nerazzurri, making him the complete footballing package with a long career ahead of him.
By: Lorenzo Gagliotta / @LG24Sports
Featured Image: Nicolò Campo / LightRocket
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