Inter's Champions League Campaign and Dimarco's Contract Talks
Inter arrived in Madrid to start a new Champions League campaign. They did not bring Federico Dimarco, but his presence still loomed large over the Bernabeu.
While Simone Inzaghi prepared his team to face Real Madrid at 20.00 UK time, the club quietly worked on securing one of its most important players for the long term.
Dimarco absent on the pitch, central in the stands
Dimarco stayed out through injury, his knee still strapped after recent issues, yet the left-back remained at the heart of Inter’s plans. Sky Sport Italia reported that his agent, Arturo Canales, took his seat in the stands and turned this glamour tie into a business meeting.
Canales met face to face with Inter’s new director of sport, Dario Baccin, using the high-profile setting as the backdrop for talks over a fresh contract. It was more than a courtesy chat. Dimarco had already made it clear he was waiting for a concrete proposal, despite being tied down until June 2028.
For a player with three years left on his deal to push for talks says plenty. For Inter to respond on the eve of a Champions League opener says even more.
Player of the Season, leverage of the moment
Dimarco walks into these negotiations from a position of real strength. He was named Serie A Player of the Season for 2025/26, a recognition that underlines his evolution from promising wing-back to one of the league’s elite performers.
Those trophies he posed with at San Siro in May – Coppa Campioni d'Italia and Coppa Italia – were not just photo props. They were proof of impact. Inter’s domestic dominance carried his fingerprints all over it, and the club know it.
When a homegrown symbol of the project reaches that level, the salary has to follow. Dimarco knows his value. So do Inter.
New director, early test
The meeting also marked an early, telling assignment for Baccin. Long the right-hand man to Piero Ausilio, he now steps into the spotlight as Inter’s director of sport. Handling the future of a fan favourite and league MVP is hardly a gentle introduction.
This is where a new director sets his tone: keep your core, reward excellence, show the dressing room that performances are recognised. Or hesitate, and invite noise around one of your key men.
On a night when Inter chase a statement result in Europe without Dimarco and Djed Spence, the club’s longer game plays out away from the cameras.
The match will say something about where Inter stand right now. The outcome of these talks with Dimarco will say even more about where they intend to be in the years to come.
