Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a super-intelligent player - Inzaghi's interview with Armenpress

Inter Milan continues to showcase its dominance in European and domestic football under the leadership of head coach Simone Inzaghi, who just days ago celebrated  his 200th victory in Serie A breaking Max Allegri’s record and becoming the quickest coach to reach this result coaching at Inter and Lazio.

 With a deep and talented squad, one of the standout figures at Inter remains Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the experienced Armenian midfielder whose skills bring needed balance to the starting XI. Many Italian journalists mention that having Mkhitaryan in starting XI is very crucial to the team’s success.

As Mkhitaryan continues to play a key role for the Nerazzurri, Armenpress News Agency had the opportunity to hear directly from coach Simone  Inzaghi about the player’s contributions, impact on the squad, and his importance in Inter’s tactical setup. Through the club’s press department, we submitted three questions ahead of the UCL group match Inter vs Monaco, and here is what the Inter manager had to say.

- Mister Inzaghi , this is the 3rd season Mkhitaryan plays a balancing role in the squad between the defense and offense. What qualities of Mkhitaryan do you value the most when selecting him for Inter's matches?

- Mkhitaryan is a super intelligent player, always at the service of the team: I am very happy to coach him. He did not surprise me because I knew how strong he was when I saw him playing at Roma, in the derbies when I coached Lazio. I knew he was strong but coaching him made me realize how strong he is.

- Of course, playing qualities are the most important thing that a footballer should have, but what do you think about Mkhitaryan’s personality? Is he an idol of a professional player for you?

- He has a great personality and is a leader within the group. He speaks the right way and always at the right time.

- Mkhitaryan has good vision for finding a teammate to assist; however, when he was younger, he scored more goals. He is still the top goal scorer for the season in the Ukrainian league. Do you think he can score more goals for Inter in this season or it is not his main duty in your structure?

- He works so much for the team. At Roma and Arsenal he played, he played a different type of role. We have a three-man midfield, and the players rotate frequently, so he is often positioned away from the goal. He is a player who has brought us a lot of satisfaction and will continue to contribute to the team's success, including creating goal-scoring opportunities and with his effectiveness.

Interview by Harutyun Tsatryan