Calhanoglu returns as Inter Milan playmaker facing Modric in derby

In the derby, Hakan Calhanoglu will again lead Inter Milan’s midfield, facing a maestro like Luka Modric for the first time in Italy

In the derby, Hakan Calhanoglu will once again take the reins in Inter Milan under Chivu. For the first time in Italy, he will face a master like Modric.

“Hakan Calhanoglu and Milan, chapter seventeen still to be written. And to think that the spiciest rivalry of this derby could have ended in the summer, when the former Milan player—now a ‘neroazzurri idol,’ as the Nord of San Siro sings—seemed ready to return to his homeland. 

From summer doubts to leadership: Calhanoglu’s transformation at Inter Milan

In the end, the Bosphorus stayed where it is, and Hakan now watches only the Navigli: not only did he remain with the Inter Milan side, but he completely changed both his own story and that of the team. 

Seeing Calha as a ‘total’ deep-lying playmaker again—and even an unlikely Serie A top scorer—no one would think he was the same midfielder who stomped his feet in the summer,” explains La Gazzetta dello Sport via Fcinter1908.

“In reality, the captain of Turkey has long since lost any bitterness toward the city rivals, even if this match will never be like the others. Rather, he has returned to being the doctor who keeps the pulse of the new Inter Milan: beyond the goals, which now come in heavy flurries—already five in this league, where he scores more than the strikers—it is his foot that dictates the team’s tempo.

It is Hakan’s passing that allows Chivu’s side to play vertically toward the forwards. This time, compared to recent derbies, there is a difference: his counterpart is named Modric, and there is no more fascinating midfield duel,” the newspaper adds.