Mkhitaryan: Inter didn’t over-celebrate after Bayern Munich win, approach every game as the last | OneFootball

Henrikh Mkhitaryan dismissed Bayern Munich’s claims that Inter over-celebrated their 2–1 first-leg win in the Champions League quarter-finals, saying the team was ‘just happy’ but is now fully focused on the return leg at San Siro.

The Armenian midfielder acknowledged that this is one of the ‘most exhausting’ seasons he has ever had, although being still competing on all fronts gives the Nerazzurri ‘huge motivation to keep going’.

“It’s a great opportunity, but we need to focus on tomorrow’s match,” Mkhitaryan said at a pre-match press conference, as quoted by TMW.

“It’ll be tough, against a very strong team. The coach built this team four years ago, I’ve been here for three, and what Inzaghi has done is very important for the club.

“We want to support him by chasing our goals: tomorrow we’ll do everything we can to win and go as far as possible. In the end, we’ll see whether we make it to the final or not.

“We’re not thinking about the result in Munich, that was a week ago. Tomorrow starts at 0-0, and both teams have the chance to win.

MUNICH, GERMANY – APRIL 08: Davide Frattesi of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final First Leg match between FC Bayern München and FC Internazionale Milano at Fussball Arena Muenchen on April 08, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

“We have to give our best, and do everything to win the match. We’ll have the huge advantage of our fans—we hope to move forward together.

“We’ll focus on how we want to play, not on how Bayern will play. We’re at home and we want to give our best. We know Bayern will come to win—but so do we. It won’t be easy, but we’re ready.”

Mkhitaryan: ‘Unplayable Inter’ became a headline, but that was my opinion at the time

Mkhitaryan was then asked whether Inter need to be ‘unplayable’ against Bayern, an adjective he used to describe them some time ago.

“I didn’t say that after the Bayern game—it was two months ago or more,” he remarked.

“I said something and it became a headline, but that’s fine: that was my opinion at the time. I see how hard my teammates work to get a result for all of us.

“I still believe we’re a very strong team, and that’s why we’re still fighting on three fronts. We want to go as far as possible. You play the whole season, the whole year, to win something—and this year can give us a lot.”

Both Vincent Kompany and Harry Kane claimed that Inter celebrated as if they had won the tie after their win at the Allianz Arena, but this was not the case for Mkhitaryan.

“Everyone is free to say what they want,” he continued.

“We know what we did, we know we were just happy—there were no celebrations. We want to stay focused on our match, on our game, and nothing else.

MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 27: Henrikh Mkhitaryan of FC Internazionale scores his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 27, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“There are a lot of people who talk off the pitch, outside the club, and we try not to hear or listen to any of that. That’s just how football works.”

Do Inter feel the pressure of winning every match?

“We’re calm. We’re mature, we have the experience we need: we know we have to win every game, whether it’s the Champions League, Serie A, or Coppa Italia,” Mkhitaryan said.

“We don’t need to listen to what’s said off the pitch or in the media. We know where we want to go, and to get there you have to win every single day—starting in training, and then in matches.

“We’re not bothered by it because we take responsibility for the results we’re achieving.”

How does playing every three days affect players’ fitness and mental aspect?

“I’d say it’s one of the most difficult seasons I’ve played. It’s mid-April and we’re still competing on all fronts,” Mkhitaryan admitted.

Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini (L) and Inter’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan (R) in action during the Italian Serie A match AS Roma vs FC Inter at Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 20 October 2024. EPA-EFE/ANGELO CARCONI

“It’s one of the most demanding seasons I’ve had, but at the same time, it’s great to play every 3-4 days, fighting for all our goals.

“I’m really happy to have reached this stage of my life, of my football career.

“Maybe it won’t happen again—I’ve got one or two years left, maybe I’ll stop at the end of the season—but right now, I’m just really happy to be playing for this club and for everything we’re trying to achieve.

“Playing every 3-4 days is actually more enjoyable than playing once a week. Especially when you’re competing in all the competitions we’re in—it gives us great motivation to keep going.

“We approach every game as if it were the last. That’s why we’re happy to feel this kind of adrenaline.”