Inter Milan’s captain and star striker Lautaro Martinez recently shared insights into his life, career, and current form in an interview with Corriere della Sera. The Argentine forward reflected on his challenging past, his approach to the game, and his relationship with manager Simone Inzaghi.
Martinez spoke about the stark contrast between his childhood Christmases in Argentina and his current situation. “There’s a big difference between today’s Christmas and the one from yesterday in Argentina. My parents worked all year to be able to give something to me and my brother. We went through difficult times; we didn’t have money for rent and lived in a house that was lent to us. These are things that stay with you and bind you to your family,” he revealed.
The striker also discussed his meticulous nature, attributing it to his upbringing. “I believe it’s a matter of mental health. When I was little, I would come home from school with my older brother and find lunch already prepared by my mother. The house was a mess, and before going to training, I would stop to tidy up: I made the beds, organized the laundry, and had my brother wash the dishes because it bothered me to see them dirty. These experiences have marked me as a man, and everything I’ve been through, I try to transmit on the field.”
Addressing his current goal drought, Martinez offered a thoughtful perspective: “I’m a striker and I live for goals. However, you also have to analyze the game you play. In these months, I’m playing further from the area because I like to make the team move up: it’s something I’m adding to my game, and I feel good like this. Marcus Thuram is more central and more advanced, but it’s not something we’ve studied; it comes from our understanding on the field.”
Reflecting on his summer challenges after winning the Copa America, he said, “After winning the Copa America, I came back a few days early from vacation due to Taremi’s injury, and I had some difficulties: sometimes your body presents the bill. Now I’m feeling better. Sometimes I feel like a robot; other times I don’t: resting isn’t something I enjoy much, but sometimes my legs don’t respond, or it’s my head that doesn’t work.”
Martinez also touched on feeling undervalued at times despite his seventh-place finish in the Ballon d’Or rankings. “There are various aspects, but I believe I’ve had an important year—not just because I’ve been the top scorer in Copa America and Serie A but also for how I’ve played. Sometimes yes, I feel undervalued. But team trophies have a different weight,” he noted.
The Inter captain praised his manager, Simone Inzaghi, suggesting that he too is underappreciated. “In my opinion, yes. His secret is that he continues to think like a player at times, so he understands us a lot and experiences things like we do. For me, the fortune is double because he was a striker; he leaves my head free and smiling. These are very positive things.”
Looking ahead, Martinez expressed his ambitious outlook: “I want everything. When you start winning, you don’t want to stop because you know how good it feels to be rewarded for the work done. This is something that drives me every day; even when things don’t go as you want them to, it’s important to always give 100 percent.”
