Inigo Martinez and Frenkie de Jong voice frustration after Inter defeat – ‘It’s hard to accept’ | OneFootball

The UEFA Champions League semi-final clash between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona was filled with drama, emotions, and controversy.

A key moment of tension came just before half-time when Hakan Calhanoglu scored from the penalty spot to put Inter 2-0 up.

The celebrations sparked a heated exchange between Inigo Martinez and Francesco Acerbi. Cameras caught the two in a face-to-face confrontation that required teammates to step in and separate them.

Explaining the incident

After the game, reports on social media showed a different angle of the incident, suggesting that Martinez may have spat in Acerbi’s direction. The Barcelona defender quickly responded to the claims, saying:

“Acerbi celebrated the goal in my ear. I got angry, yes, but the spit wasn’t meant for him. If it was, I would’ve been sent off.”

Inigo Martinez shared his side of the story. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The veteran defender didn’t hide his frustration about how the match was officiated. “Everyone saw the calls went in one direction, but I don’t want to focus on that. The referee made his choices. It’s a shame,” he said.

Still, the centre-back maintained a sense of pride in the team’s effort: “We’re leaving with our heads held high. We gave it everything.”

Martinez, who was subbed off in the second half for Ronald Araujo, also addressed concerns about his fitness, saying: “I feel fine.”

With the Champions League dream now over, the focus shifts quickly to La Liga, where Barcelona are still in the title race. “The team is still full of belief. We’re going after Madrid without hesitation,” he affirmed.

Frenkie de Jong’s take

Frenkie de Jong also reflected on the narrow loss. Speaking to CBS Sports Golazo, he admitted: “It’s an empty feeling. We made another great comeback, like we’ve done all season. To concede with just two minutes left… it’s hard to accept.”

The Dutch midfielder stressed that the team stuck to their footballing philosophy throughout the second half.

“We said we had to keep playing the way we’ve been. We played well, although we didn’t have any chances, we could have dominated better, but we kept insisting on what we were doing and we did it.

“We came back, things went our way, but they scored,” he noted.

Source: Mundo Deportivo