Former Italian international Antonio Cassano has once again made headlines with his outspoken comments, this time focusing on Inter Milan’s midfield and the performances of Davide Frattesi. Cassano believes that Frattesi should be starting alongside Calhanoglu and Mkhitaryan, at the expense of Nicolò Barella.
Speaking on the program “Viva el Futbol,” Cassano began by critiquing Inter’s recent performance: “Up until the Empoli player’s expulsion, I didn’t like Inter; they were in panic mode. Then they opened the match, and from there, it was no contest.”
Cassano then expressed his preference for players like Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, using this as a segue to advocate for Frattesi’s inclusion in the starting lineup: “This is why I say Frattesi should play and not Nicolò Barella; in the national team as well as at Inter: it’s the pitch that says these things.”
The former striker went on to interpret Simone Inzaghi’s choices: “In Inzaghi’s idea, there’s always the midfield with Calhanoglu, Barella, and Mkhitaryan. To avoid putting the former Cagliari player in competition with Frattesi, who did better last year and is doing better this year, the coach explains to Frattesi that he’ll be the 12th man so he doesn’t cause trouble and stays in line.”
Cassano sees this as disrespectful to Frattesi: “But it’s a lack of respect towards the boy: the pitch speaks, and it says that Frattesi should play more than Barella. Why is Barella, who is no longer the player he was three years ago, always playing, while Frattesi is never considered for the important matches?”
This season, Frattesi has played 13 matches between the league and Champions League, but less than half as a starter. He has scored three goals, all in the league, plus one assist. Despite having an average playing time of less than one half per match, he has already scored a decisive goal against Udinese and a brace against his former team Empoli in a 3-0 victory.
