Calhanoglu savours ´karma´ moment as Inter topple Milan in Supercoppa

Hakan Calhanoglu relished Inter’s Supercoppa Italiana win over Milan more than most, saying karma came back to bite the Rossoneri.

The former Milan player, who switched allegiance to Inter on a free transfer in 2021, faced mockery from a number of former team-mates when Stefano Pioli’s team won last season’s Serie A title.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was among those who invited scorn to be poured during Milan’s celebrations, but Inter’s 3-0 victory on Wednesday not only gave them the first silverware of the Italian season, it also gave Calhanoglu a chance to hit back.

“It was a very important victory, even more so for me. I’m very happy. We were hungry, we showed what we are worth on the pitch,” Turkish midfielder Calhanoglu said.

“I always prefer to shut up, it was tough for me to see things I didn’t expect. Karma comes back, and today we were hungry.”

Speaking to Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset, Calhanoglu said: “They have to respect the 3-0, we sent them home quickly. We ate them up.”

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On the prospect of a push for the Scudetto, Calhanoglu added: “We will believe it until the end. Let’s continue like this.”

Napoli have made a runaway start to the season, opening up a nine-point lead over second-placed Milan after 18 rounds of games, with Inter a further point back.

The Supercoppa win on Wednesday over Milan came at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, with Inter’s goals coming from Federico Dimarco, Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez.

The next meeting between the city rivals comes in Serie A on February 5, with Inter the home side as they face Milan at the San Siro stadium the clubs share.