Inter Milan hero Lautaro Martinez admits he cried over injury before Champions League clash vs. Barcelona

Lautaro Martinez, who was a last-minute doubt just hours before kickoff, ended up playing a pivotal role in Inter Milan’s dramatic UEFA Champions League semifinal victory over Barcelona. Ahead of the second leg at San Siro, the Argentine striker admitted he broke down in tears over a lingering injury.

Martinez sustained a thigh strain near the end of the first half in the opening leg at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium, which forced him to be substituted at halftime. He missed all training sessions leading up to the return leg, casting serious doubt over his availability. However, after making a return to team activities on Monday, Martinez was cleared to start.

Following the game, Lautaro opened up about his emotional and physical battle to get back on the field. “I was struggling a bit—I couldn’t even lift my leg. I spent the first two days after the injury in Barcelona crying at home. I did double training sessions all week and tried to recover. A tight bandage and straight onto the field. That’s just how I am,” he told Sky Sports.

He also shared the emotional toll the situation took on his family: “In games like this, you have to be there. I cried with my wife and kids at home, but I promised them I’d play. Even my mom was worried—she called me all morning, but I didn’t answer because she suffers so much.”

Martinez played until the 71st minute, when he was replaced by Mehdi Taremi. By then, he had already left a significant mark on the game. Wearing Inter captain’s armband, he scored the opening goal after receiving a perfect pass from Denzel Dumfries, and later earned the penalty that Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted to give Inter a 2–0 lead by halftime.

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Lautaro Martinez chasing his first Champions League title

This season has been historic for Lautaro Martinez. He is now tied with Hernán Crespo for the most goals scored in a single Champions League campaign by an Inter player, with nine. With the best UCL season of his career, the 26-year-old is determined to finally get his hands on the trophy.

When asked about the upcoming final, Martinez was clear about his ambition: “We’ve wanted the Champions League since day one. Actually, since the day of the final we lost in Istanbul. Let’s enjoy this final.”

Lautaro was part of the Inter squad that lost the 2022–23 final to Manchester City in a narrow 1–0 defeat in Istanbul. On May 31 in Munich, Inter will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain—and this time, the Argentine striker is hoping for a different outcome.