'He surprised me at same level as Yamal did' - Inzaghi praises 'world-class' De Jong

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi paid tribute to Dutchman Frenkie de Jong, whom he put on a par with Lamine Yamal and described as “sensational”.

“We have to congratulate Barcelona because they are a truly strong team. We had to be a great Inter and we played some monster games. I am proud to be coach of my players. The substitutes have kept up the level and, now, everyone has to enjoy it in front of their people and in this wonderful stadium,” he told ‘Sky Sport’ after the duel.

“I want to stress that we have players who are not at 100% like Thuram, Lautaro, Dumfries or Frattesi,” he added. The coach, in addition to congratulating the Catalan club, highlighted the work of De Jong.

“We tried to play with our weapons, our qualities, which we have. We were clear about all the things we had to do, but the key was sacrifice, humility and those who came off the bench,” he said.

“I have seen another extraordinary player, De Jong. He impressed me at Yamal's level. Always good; every second play, well positioned, ready to help. He's another one of those great players. I wouldn't change mine for anything, but I've seen a lot of great players and De Jong is sensational,” he said.

Inter will play the final in Munich on May 31st against PSG or Arsenal with the memory of the loss in 2023, in Istanbul, against Manchester City.