Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi reveals he almost "blacked out" after celebrating their eventual winning goal during the remarkable Champions League semi-final success over Barcelona this evening.
The Nerazzurri led 2-0 at half time in the second leg, going in 5-3 up after Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu's first-half goals, but Barca thought they had won the tie themselves when Raphinha completed an unlikely turnaround with three minutes remaining.
However, 37-year-old defender Francesco Acerbi scored his first Champions League goal to force the game into extra time, where Frattesi would go on to score the decisive goal, as Inter edged a scarcely believable 13-goal thriller.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia post-match, Frattesi revealed that his emphatic celebrations following the goal almost ended his evening, despite only coming on as a 79th-minute substitute.
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Frattesi admits emotions almost got the better of him
"I was fortunate to see out the game, as I was celebrating so much I was dizzy and nearly blacked out!" Frattesi revealed to Sky Sport Italia.
Frattesi also scored a hugely important goal away to Bayern Munich in the previous round, which also helped Inter progress by the odd goal in the tie.
"It's just incredible, I don't know what to say, I thought after the Bayern Munich game I couldn't repeat that emotion, but it was even more incredible tonight, this is the beauty of football." Frattesi articulated.
"This has been my career, really. I wasn't blessed with incredible talent, but I am the last to give up and the first to believe, so this is a reward for effort and dedication.
"I was exhausted even before I came off the bench, as we were standing up and screaming constantly, with hands in our hair at every move, so we practically played along with them!"
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Captain Lautaro opens up on his difficult week
Frattesi is not the only member of the Inter squad who endured an emotional rollercoaster though, because club captain Martinez almost missed the match completely with an injury sustained in the first leg.
"I felt the leg twinge and the first two days [after the first leg] I just sat at home crying." Martinez admitted post-match.
The Argentine striker also revealed that it was not just for himself, but that he was also playing for his family this evening, and that gave him additional encouragement to fight through the pain barrier.
"We did great work with the staff and I managed to recover, even if I was not at 100%, this is how I experience football, you've got to give your all in these games. I promised my family that I would get on the pitch today."
It is two years since Inter reached the Champions League final, but lost to Manchester City in Istanbul in 2023, and with many of that squad still with the club, Martinez admits it is still fresh in the memory.
"We have been thinking about this since the day after we lost the last final, now we have got to recover our energy, finish the season well and know we have another opportunity to write history."
Inter will find out their opponents in the final tomorrow night, when Arsenal travel to Paris Saint-Germain, trailing 1-0 from the first leg last week.
Andrew Delaney
