From wingman to center of Inter: Frattesi, what changed between Inzaghi and Chivu's tenure

To feel at home again, perhaps Davide Frattesi just needed to feel appreciated, loved, and pampered. After all, footballers fall into two broad categories, just like coaches' methods: carrot and stick. Some require even stronger encouragement, while others need to be understood and guided step by step. Cristian Chivu immediately understood Frattesi's state of mind, so much so that he allowed the Nerazzurri midfielder to leave Inter's World Cup in America to return to Italy and undergo surgery on the bothersome hernia that had compromised his performance (especially in the second half of the recently concluded season). Moreover, Chivu himself was among the first to arrive at the Humanitas hospital in Milan, where Davide underwent surgery. He knocked on the door, asking "excuse me" in his usual polite manner, and sat down next to Frattesi to ask how he was and even discuss the future. A future that the coach and the midfielder will live together, considering the agreement "drawn up" between the player and the club to extend and improve the existing contract.

And yet, until just a few weeks ago, no one would have ever imagined such an outcome. Frattesi was suffering from being away from home and going through a difficult period on a personal level; Roma had called him up and had tempted him greatly; but above all, Davide was dissatisfied with his role in the Nerazzurri shirt. He played little, yes, he came on as a substitute but rarely started, and for this reason, he felt somewhat disheartened. The final straw was the disastrous evening in Munich: zero minutes. So much so that at the end of the match, Frattesi himself turned to Inzaghi, and the discussion turned into a semi-argument: "Mister, why didn't you even bring me on?" A legitimate question, considering the pitiful result, Inter's offensive weakness that night, and especially how Frattesi had significantly contributed to reaching the final with goals in both the quarterfinals against Bayern and the semifinals against Barcelona. Both were crucial and decisive. That was when a rift emerged that seemed definitive: if Inzaghi stays, I'll go. In short, that was the message that had arrived from the parties involved.

A familiar story is that of Simone Inzaghi's move to Saudi Arabia: a transfer that changed not only the coach's future, but also that of Frattesi. Chivu respects him and considers him a starter, the true extra man in the Nerazzurri squad, and Davide hopes that after the operation he can return to 100% fitness before the start of the new season. The new Nerazzurri coach was quick to understand Frattesi's state of mind and intentions, instilling in him a shared desire to join Inter. Thoughts of a potential return to Rome, limited playing time, and the goalless draw in the Champions League final against PSG are behind him: Frattesi is ready to extend his contract with Inter, and Chivu is rubbing his hands together, knowing that Davide, once in peak physical condition, can truly become the team's extra man.