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Turkey Captain Urges Inter Milan To 'Put Their Heart' Into Champions League Final

Originally posted on SempreInter.com  |  By Marko Vrakela  |  Last updated May 27, 2025 7:42 AM ET

Inter Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu highlighted the need for the right mindset heading into Saturday’s Champions League final.

Speaking to Sky Sport via FCInterNews, the Turkish superstar urged his teammates to leave their hearts and souls on the pitch.

There’s more than just continental glory on the line.

Indeed, Inter’s quest for a historic treble has come crashing down in epic fashion, leaving them on the brink of a trophyless season.

Furthermore, there are also financial implications.

Needless to say, winning the most coveted title in European football is a matter of prestige.

However, it also guarantees high financial rewards.

Money runs things in football, and with Inter aiming to bolster their squad, winning the Champions League has become imperative.

For Simone Inzaghi, it’s a career-defining moment, but the same goes for Calhanoglu, who lost the 2023 final.

“After that game, we had time to improve, and now we have more experience,” Calhanoglu recalled the Istanbul heartache.

“We’ve grown a lot, and we’ve shown our mentality, especially in the Champions League.”

Inter Milan Star Hakan Calhanoglu Tells His Teammates What to Do to Win Champions League Title

“We put our hearts into it against Bayern and Barcelona – two incredibly strong teams,” Calhanoglu said.

“Our secret is our unity. Even though we lost the Scudetto, which hurts, we played a beautiful league campaign.

“Now we’re looking ahead, and we’re happy to be talking about a final,” he added.

Despite losing the Scudetto race to Napoli, Hakan Calhanoglu believes it made Inter stronger.

“It hurts when you lose, but you grow and learn,” he claimed.

“Now we have a second chance to win the Champions League.

“We want to win, knowing PSG are a very strong team. In Istanbul, I felt many emotions – it was my first Champions League final.

“I hope to do better on Saturday. We respect every team, as we did with Bayern and Barcelona.

“We’ll try to do our best. And we need to analyze PSG because they’re a powerful side with an excellent coach.

“We know they want to win the treble.

“However, we have to stay in the game until the final minute and play with the same heart we showed against Barcelona.”

Finally, he admitted he won’t add to his tattoo collection if he wins on Saturday.

“No, that’s enough. I’m done with tattoos.”

This article first appeared on SempreInter.com and was syndicated with permission.

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