Inter coach Luciano Spalletti didn’t hide his admiration for winger Ivan Perisic on Friday, stating the Croatian is like Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 29-year-old has been a key contributor for the Vatreni in the World Cup, and his goal against England in the semi-finals was crucial in sending them through to Sunday’s final against England.
Spalletti believes Perisic is the only player that can rival Juventus’ new signing from a physical standpoint, and he believes he can be even more prolific for Inter this season.
“Perisic is the only player that you can compare to Ronaldo in a physical sense,” he told reporters at a press conference.
“He’s quick and strong. He can score more goals, even with his head, but he must have the desire to follow the play in the penalty area, like he did against England.”
Marcelo Brozovic has also impressed for Croatia at the World Cup, and Spalletti made it clear who he will supporting come Sunday’s final.
“I’ll be cheering for Croatia, no doubt,” he added. “Brozovic dictated the performance of the team against England.
“They even moved someone like [Luka] Modric in order to have him play in the middle. That says a lot about his worth.
“With him, the ball is always alive. He makes the ball move and has so much quality.”
Perisic has 31 goals in 118 appearances for Inter since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015, while Brozovic has 17 goals in 112 matches since his move from Dinamo Zagreb in January 2014.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com