Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter's midfielder, interviewed by DAZN, spoke about his role as a playmaker:
Here are the words of the former AC Milan player:
"Months ago, I stated that I am among the top 5 in the world in the regista role and nobody believed me. But I believe in myself, I know my qualities, and I am not afraid of anyone. Rankings? Fifth is Enzo Fernandez, fourth is Kimmich, third is Kroos, second is Rodri, and first is me. Why am I the best? Because the goals and what I do, others don't. If you look at the statistics, I never score from close range, but from 25-30 meters out or from free kicks. Those are difficult things. Everyone is good at managing, but making five-meter passes is not my style. I always look for the final pass to increase the chance of scoring or to make a long ball."
Calhanoglu added:
"Passing to the right or left doesn't suit me. This doesn't mean I don't have to improve because now opponents will try to man-mark me, as in the first half against Roma when I struggled. I need to create more space and be smarter in these situations, but with Barella and Mkhitaryan helping me, I'll do it better and better."
Calhanoglu concluded:
"Defensively, I have improved but I still need to progress: analyzing videos with Inzaghi's staff, I notice that I still make mistakes. At Milan, when they asked me to play as a regista, I wasn't ready, whereas when it happened here, I was: I immediately said yes because I wanted to test myself. When you have the right age, changing roles weighs less on you."
READ MORE | AC Milan’s defensive struggles and assessing Maignan’s poor form
