Inter Milan midfielder Nicolò Barella has shared candid insights about his career, mental health, and passion for football in a recent interview. The Italian international addressed various aspects of his professional life, including the pressure of his high-value transfer and the importance of mental health support in football.
Regarding his transfer value, Barella said, “I arrived from Cagliari with a significant valuation, I was the most expensive in Inter’s history before Lukaku’s arrival. Expectations were high, but I chose that project because it was the best team, I was calm, I was just happy. I was leaving home, friends, and family, but I was happy to take a further step. I’ve never given weight to this, but for many, it can be a problem. At 27, I’ve achieved a lot in life, but I hope to win more. It doesn’t change anything how much I’m worth, I play well or badly regardless of the price tag. I’ve known teammates and players who feel the weight of the price tag because it gives people an excuse to criticize you more. They say ‘you’re stealing money’, ‘you cost more than a house’…”
On psychological support in football, Barella commented, “Important steps have been taken in recent years. Before, the footballer was seen as a hero, someone who couldn’t have problems. Now it’s much easier to talk even with a post, making people understand your emotional state. This helps people to free themselves, makes you feel more ‘normal’. I really appreciate this because I pass less as a hero than what people think. The mind does a lot, the fact that there are figures who help you to confront yourself is very important.”
Barella also shared a personal experience of struggling with motivation: “It happened in the year of the Scudetto when everyone was criticizing me at the beginning of the season saying I wasn’t the usual Barella. There was a period when I wasn’t performing due to personal issues. It was a moment when I didn’t have a great passion for football, it was really just work. I never talked to figures like that because I have a wife I can talk to about everything. I also talked with teammates and friends, who did an important thing by telling me to overcome that moment, that I was strong. Then came the goal against Napoli and from there I started doing better.”
On the possibility of passion fading, Barella admitted, “Yes. It’s not that the passion for football goes away, but maybe it becomes heavy to do the retreat, to train, to run. If it happens to you at 26 as it happened to me, it’s a problem. I was a bit scared of this fact, also because it’s very difficult to talk about. It happens often, to many people and at all levels. Quitting would have been too
