Sneijder picks ‘underrated’ Atalanta star and claims Inter ‘as good as anyone’ in UCL | OneFootball

Former Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder believes that his old club have a squad that is ‘as good as anyone’ in the Champions League, and has selected his favourite Atalanta player ahead of their match against the Nerazzurri in the Supercoppa Italiana on Thursday night.

The 2010 treble winner spoke in-depth to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of tonight’s Super Cup showdown.

Assessing his team’s upcoming opponents, Sneijder pointed to his compatriot Marten De Roon, who he believes is a midfielder that ‘everyone would like to have’ among their squad, but warned that Inter ‘will not be afraid’ of a midfield battle, as he believes they have one of the best squads in Europe.

Sneijder on Inter and Atalanta ahead of Supercoppa Italiana

“The whole team is as good as any one of the best teams in the Champions League, nobody can argue otherwise,” Sneijder told La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published on Thursday.

“The midfield plays with speed, they know how to get into good positions and know how to shoot. They manage their moments well, which is one of the most important things in football, for me.

“The system improves year after year, Calhanoglu is the guide in midfield, he knows where his teammates are with his eyes closed. Barella and Mkhitaryan combine more with the wingers. Then, when someone drops out, you also have Frattesi and Zielinski to come in.”

ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 16: Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on December 16, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Sneijder went on to speak about Atalanta’s prospects. La Dea are coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, who briefly worked with Sneijder in San Siro in 2011.

Sneijder’s favourite Atalanta player, to little surprise, is also a Netherlands international.

Marten de Roon of Atalanta applauds the fans after the team’s victory in the Serie A match between Atalanta and Udinese at Gewiss Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“They have lots of really strong attacking players, but I’ll give you the name of the Dutchman: De Roon is too underrated. He’s the midfielder that everyone would like to have because he brings balance, he helps you if you make a mistake, and he knows how to score as well.

“But Inter won’t be afraid in midfield, they have practically the best there is.”