Dimarco’s Striking Inzaghi Admission Turns Heads After Inter 2-2 Napoli

Inter wing-back Federico Dimarco delivered a striking verdict on Simone Inzaghi after the Nerazzurri’s 2-2 draw with Napoli on Sunday.

The Italy international said it was “right” for Inter to change coach, as he compared the current side with last season.

Dimarco had put Inter ahead after just nine minutes at San Siro, but Scott McTominay hit back midway through the first half.

Inter led again through a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty on 73 minutes, but McTominay struck again nine minutes from time.

In the end, both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils as Antonio Conte was sent off for his angry reaction to the penalty decision.

But despite the relatively disappointing result for Inter, Dimarco claimed the team is in a better place than last season.

Inter ‘right to start over’ from Simone Inzaghi

Dimarco said the squad needed a “refresh”, claiming the team had reached its limit mentally after last season ended without trophies.

He added that Inter now “dominate matches for 90 minutes”, suggesting they look sharper and more focused under Cristian Chivu.

“I’m very self-critical and I was always trying to improve to overcome the difficulties I experienced last year,” Dimarco told reporters. “But I wasn’t able to.

“With the end of the year, starting over with a new coach helped me a lot.

“The coach believed in me, instilling calm in me and making me work on the aspects he thought were right.

Zielinski ➡️ Lautaro ➡️ Thuram ➡️ Dimarco ➡️⚽ pic.twitter.com/xf7MjzkMad

— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) January 12, 2026

“And now here we are: we’re doing well, but we have to keep working like this.

“In recent years we could have won more, but we fought in every match and, except in Spalletti’s Napoli year, we were always neck and neck with our rivals.

“After the end of last season, it was right to start over with a new coach and refresh our mentality, because mentally we had arrived.

“Now we can see an improvement and a team that dominates for the entire 90 minutes.”

Missed opportunity

On the pitch, Dimarco’s goal highlighted Inter’s strong start, with Napoli struggling to settle in the opening stages.

McTominay’s equaliser changed the rhythm, and Napoli looked more aggressive as the match opened up.

Inter regained control and went in front again from the spot, but Napoli refused to accept defeat in the closing phase.

McTominay’s late volley made it 2-2, and Inter even hit the post in stoppage time during a frantic finish.

The draw kept Inter at the top, yet it felt like a missed chance to go five points clear after leading twice at home.

Dimarco’s comments added another layer, turning a dramatic match into a wider debate about Inter’s direction.

If Inter want the title, they will need performances and results to match the confidence in his “90 minutes” claim.

Meanwhile, the transfer window is in full swing, with Inter eyeing full-back options after Denzel Dumfries’ injury.