Zielinski Says Bernabéu Defeat Won’t Shake Inter’s Belief
Inter midfielder Piotr Zielinski says the Nerazzurri still dream of winning the Champions League, and believes their performance at the Bernabéu showed they can compete at that level despite defeat.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Gentleman award, Zielinski said Inter want to show their quality in Europe and improve on last season. His comments, reported by Calciomercato, put the club’s ambition alongside a clear reference point: the loss away to Real Madrid.
Inter’s defeat in Madrid did not erase the midfielder’s belief in the team. Zielinski pointed to the possession Inter controlled and the chances they built at the Bernabéu, arguing that commanding play on that stage is not something every side can manage.
The result, however, remains the exception to a pattern he described. Zielinski said Inter had managed to get a result even after falling two goals behind in other matches, but had not done so against Real Madrid.
Zielinski backs Inter’s European ambition
He said the team would try to score earlier in upcoming matches, rather than repeatedly needing to recover from early deficits. The remarks acknowledged an area for improvement without diminishing his confidence in Inter’s quality.
For Zielinski, the Champions League objective is more than simply progressing through the competition. He said Inter want to perform better than they did last season and have the ambition to win the trophy, while accepting that their eventual destination will only be clear at the end of the campaign.
That ambition has also featured in Inter’s wider messaging. Lautaro Martinez has described winning the Champions League as an objective, while for related coverage, see Petar Sucic.
Zielinski’s assessment of the Madrid performance adds a specific measure to that stated goal: Inter believe they can take control against elite opposition, but the defeat underlines that possession and chances must translate into a result. The midfielder said the team would give everything to pursue the trophy.
Inter’s response to the Bernabéu setback will now be part of the test of that conviction. Zielinski’s message was confident, but not a claim that the job is done: Inter want to improve, compete for the Champions League and see where that takes them by season’s end.
