Henrikh Mkhitaryan reveals he has never rewatched the Champions League Final lost by Inter against Manchester City and feels José Mourinho is the ‘toughest’ coach he’s had in his career.
During his interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mkhitaryan spoke about Inter’s Champions League ambitions this season and the best coaches he’s had in his career, from Mourinho at Manchester United to Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and Simone Inzaghi at Inter.
The Armenian midfielder didn’t start in a Champions League Final against Manchester City in June 2023 due to an injury but was introduced as a substitute in the second half.
“I haven’t rewatched the game and I am not going to do it. It would only hurt,” he said.
“Unfortunately, I got injured three weeks before the game. That Final was like an exam after three months of lessons. We failed it, but we never kept our heads down, and now we have a desire to try again. Play a Final and win it. From that game, we’ve started building what we are now.”
The Nerazzurri finished as runners-up in their Champions League group this season and will meet Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16.
“We wanted to avoid them, but surely they also wanted to avoid us,” said the experienced midfielder.
“It will be a nice and tough challenge, I expect a tactical game.”
What has he learned from the many coaches he’s worked with in his career?
“It all started with Lucescu, then Mou, who was the toughest, but a true winner too. Klopp was like a psychologist in Dortmund. During a training session, we bet €50, I had to score seven goals from 10 shots. I failed and I had to pay. However, the following day, I scored two goals in Frankfurt so I jokingly told him: ‘Now give me my money back!’ From that moment, no more bets between us.”
How about Simone Inzaghi?
“I have more experience now, so I have a different perception. I started working with Inzaghi at 33, and it’s almost like we are friends, even if I know the role differences. I can say he is formidable and you can see from his playing style.”
Has Marcus Thuram surprised him?
“No, because it was clear how complete he was,” argued Mkhitaryan.
“He was what we needed. I’ve played with many great strikers, from Aubameyang to Lewandowski. With his technique, Marcus is cut from the same cloth.”
Is Lautaro Martinez the perfect captain for Inter?
“He has the armband this season but he already was a captain in the previous campaign. He was already a leader. Each one of us should be like him. A point of reference in every game, because he can’t be decisive in every match.”
Mkhitaryan also spoke about the title race in Serie A, saying that Juventus want to put pressure on Inter and Milan, saying that winning the Scudetto is not their target this term.