Marotta: “Inter are a squad without bad apples. Only Calhanoglu’s contract is nearing expiry; a clause was exercised with Dimarco by mutual agreement. Icardi has not put himself forward, the fifth striker...”

Inter’s number one has clarified contract renewals and transfer targets.

Inter travel to Feyenoord on matchday four of the 2026/2027 Champions League. They can't afford any more mistakes if they're to stay in the hunt for a top-eight finish in the league phase and direct qualification for the round of 16.

After Inter's heavy derby defeat, president Beppe Marotta spoke to Sky Sport ahead of the match. The loss left the players and manager with plenty to think about. Transfer business and contract renewals came up too, with both potentially still distracting many players.

Win the Champions League

"Winning the Champions League is a goal everyone would like to achieve. This group have not managed it, despite great results such as the Serie A title, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa and reaching the final. It pits us against opponents of a very high standard, where even half a mistake can prove fatal. We have learned from our mistakes and hope to scale this peak, which is full of pitfalls."

A healthy group, with no bad apples

"We speak with the team and the manager every day. This is a healthy group, there are no bad apples, and I want to stress that. You can win or lose. It is no coincidence that we have lost only three of our last 40 matches, and as fate would have it, all three were derbies. That is a statistic we need to reflect on."

Calhanoglu and Dimarco’s contract renewals

"What we are experiencing at Inter is the same atmosphere you find at other big clubs in Europe. We are not anxious. We have only one player whose contract is expiring, Calhanoglu, and we have an excellent relationship with him. Federico is Inter through and through. We have exercised the extension clause, which would be unilateral, but we agreed it with him and promised to discuss extending the contract further. He has expressed his desire to stay, and we want him to stay. A sense of belonging must take precedence over other values."

Icardi and the fifth striker

"Icardi has not offered himself to us, but it is pleasing that he holds us in such high regard. Honestly, he is not in our plans, just as signing a new striker is not in our plans. It is sheer bad luck that three of them have been unavailable at the same time. Chivu's work has made a difference. We have no problem scoring goals; behind Roma, we have the second-best attack. Chivu knows how to get the best out of every player and create a tactical approach to scoring goals."