Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Saturday, May 30, 2026, 4:03 p.m. / Updated Saturday, May 30, 2026, 4:05 p.m.
Federico Dimarco (28 years old), the first Italian chosen as the best footballer of the domestic season, explained in an interview for DAZN how he changed for the better, with the replacement of Simone Inzaghi by Cristi Chivu on Inter's technical bench.
The Nerazzurri left-back managed 18 assists in the recently-concluded championship, with Inter winning the title by a big margin over Napoli, Roma and Como, also managing to break the Serie A assist record held by Argentinian Papu Gomez.
Dimarco: “Little by little, thanks to Chivu, we made it!”
After the champion's medal and the Italian Cup, Dimarco received an individual trophy: he was chosen as the best footballer in 2025-2026, taking over the baton from Scott McTominay, the Scottish midfielder from Napoli.
From this position, the Italian international, to whom Inter has already offered to extend the contract due in 2027, gave an interview to the DAZN platform that broadcasts Serie A in Italy, in which he also spoke about the impact Cristi Chivu had at Inter.
Cristi Chivu and Federico Dimarco / Photo: Imago Images
The Italian press noted that, in the last year with Simone Inzagh, Dimarco was frequently replaced around the 60th minute. A situation that changed after the appointment of the Romanian technician who arrived in June 2025 from Parma.
“At the Club World Championship, Chivu used harsh words to help me regain the confidence I had lost.
Slowly, little by little, thanks to him, I managed to have a season like this. As for the Champions League, I don't like to make assumptions, but we want to give everything to go further than we did in the last edition”, said the Nerazzurro defender, to whom a fan dedicated a mural in Milan.
“I would dedicate this award to the people who said I was done and needed to be sold. Those things hurt me”
Dimarco coolly analyzed how the last year was for him: “It was the best of my career, and because I didn't start from an easy position. It doesn't erase the wounds of last year's disappointments, but it heals them a little.
Federico Dimarco
After a trophyless season, I was a bit careless and overthinking it. Then, I isolated myself and thought about how to start over.”
Federico did not remain indebted to the critics and opened his soul: “I'd like to dedicate this award to the people who said I'm done, that I should be sold, that I only lasted 35 minutes, or that I don't know how to defend myself. These are things that hurt.”
