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Inter president Beppe Marotta has confirmed that Barcelona showed strong interest in Lautaro Martinez, while insisting the Argentine captain remains “the present and future” of the Nerazzurri after both club and player firmly rejected the idea of a move. Speaking to DAZN shortly before Inter’s Serie A clash with Napoli, Marotta was asked directly about Barcelona’s pursuit of his talisman.

Lead Inter used their Champions League trip to face Real Madrid as an opportunity to meet Federico Dimarco’s agent, Arturo Canales, to discuss the Italy international’s new contract. Dimarco missed the Bernabeu match through injury. The match kicked off at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST), with Dimarco absent alongside Djed Spence as Inter opened their Champions League campaign on Spanish soil.

Cristian Chivu is taking Inter back to the Santiago Bernabeu, the stadium where Jose Mourinho guided the Nerazzurri to their third and most recent Champions League crown in 2010, for a Tuesday night Champions League opener against Real Madrid. Chivu played under Mourinho during that historic treble campaign, and the bond between the two men remains strong despite Tuesday’s touchline battle.

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez says winning the Champions League is a genuine objective for the club, speaking ahead of the Nerazzurri’s opening 2026-27 league phase fixture against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday 8 September. According to Football Italia, the captain sat alongside head coach Cristian Chivu at the pre-match press conference in the Spanish capital.

Inter have confirmed a new contract for striker Pio Esposito that will keep the 2005-born forward at the club until 30 June 2032. According to Tribuna, citing Inter.it, the Nerazzurri have officially announced the extension, underlining the club’s confidence in the young centre-forward as an important part of Cristian Chivu’s plans. Esposito came through Inter’s academy before a loan spell at Spezia in Serie B sharpened his senior game.

Hakan Calhanoglu remains as central to Inter as ever, but his contract situation is still unresolved with the Turkish midfielder’s deal running only until the summer of 2027, and the next move now rests with Giuseppe Marotta rather than the player. According to TUTTOmercatoWEB, journalist Marco Conterio frames the situation as a stand-off in which Calhanoglu‘s willingness to stay is obvious, but formal renewal discussions have not yet taken place.

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu declared the Nerazzurri’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Napoli a great advertisement for Italian football, praising his side’s response after falling two goals behind at San Siro. The five-goal thriller saw Inter fight back from 0-2 down, with goals from Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram completing the second-half turnaround.

DAZN referee expert Luca Marelli has weighed in on the controversial refereeing calls that shaped Inter’s thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Napoli, concluding that the alleged Stanislav Lobotka handball cannot be established conclusively from the available footage. Referee Simone Sozza found himself at the centre of several heated moments at San Siro during Saturday evening’s clash, which followed on from the build-up covered in Inter’s pre-match selection ahead of the Napoli fixture.

Real Madrid suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat away to Real Betis on Friday, the worst possible send-off before hosting Inter in their Champions League opener at the Bernabeu. According to the primary reporting, Jose Mourinho’s side had won all three matches since he took over this summer, beating Espanyol 2-1, Real Sociedad 4-1 and Malaga 4-0. That run ended at the Estadio La Cartuja, where Troy Parrott’s goal was enough to sink the Merengues.

Inter host Napoli at San Siro for Matchday 3 of Serie A, with Cristian Chivu keeping his starting eleven under wraps until close to kick-off. The Inter coach has indicated that selection remains open as players continue to build fitness following their summer World Cup commitments. Speaking before the match, as reported by TuttoMercatoWeb, Chivu explained that he makes decisions late and wants every member of his squad to feel important.