Yahoo Sports Inter Milan Star On Shock Penalty Miss Vs Napoli: ‘It Had To Happen Sooner Or Later’
Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu admits that his penalty miss against Napoli “had to happen sooner or later.”
The 30-year-old spoke to Italian broadcaster DAZN, via FCInterNews, after this evening’s Serie A clash. He admitted that it was too bad that he finally missed from the spot in such an important match.
Prior to this evening, Calhanoglu had never missed a penalty kick for Inter.
The Turkish international had taken a total of nineteen penalties. And he’d scored every single one of them.
For that reason, it is hardly a surprise that Calhanoglu has cemented a place for himself as Inter’s first-choice penalty taker.
And it was always obvious that it would be Calhanoglu stepping up to the spot after Inter won a penalty in the second half of this evening’s Serie A match against Napoli.
Had the 30-year-old scored his effort, Inter would have gone 2-1 ahead in the top-of-the-table-clash.
Hakan Calhanoglu: Penalty Miss Vs Napoli “Had To Happen Sooner Or Later”
Calhanoglu had just scored a penalty under massive pressure during the week.
The former AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder score Inter’s winner against Arsenal in the Champions League from the spot on Wednesday.
Therefore, Inter fans will have been confident as ever that Calhanoglu would manage to score the penalty this evening against Napoli.
But then, the unthinkable happen. The Inter midfielder’s effort hit the post.
In the end, the match ended 1-1.
Calhanoglu looked back on the match. “Having just played on Wednesday, we dominated the match,” he argued.
“We deserved more,” the Turk said. “We were unlucky.”
Calhanoglu then commented, “I’m sorry to have missed my first penalty for Inter.”
“I knew it had to happen sooner or later. It’s just too bad that it happened in such an important match.”
“But I have to pick myself back up right away,” Calhanoglu said. “Because it’s a long season.”
The 30-year-old then said that “It was an intense match, with a lot of duels.”
“We always tried to find our forwards. But Napoli’s defenders did a very good job.”
“Then we started to look more for the wingbacks,” Calhanoglu noted. “But we weren’t able to find any goals.”
And of the tight title race at the top of the Serie A table, Calhanoglu noted that “A lot of teams have strengthened.”
“We’ve stayed the same, apart from two or three new arrivals.”
“The season is still long,” Calhanoglu said. “But we want to be right in it at the top.”
“Even if it’s not easy to play every three days, like this week against Arsenal and Napoli.”
“We gave everything on the pitch,” Calhanoglu concluded.
