MILAN, Italy – At the glitzy Italian Football Players’ Association Awards held Wednesday night at Milan’s iconic La Scala theater, Inter Milan’s star left-back Federico Dimarco claimed the league’s highest individual honor – but the ceremony was undercut by the defender’s public disappointment over stalled contract talks with his boyhood club.
Dimarco earned the top award after a standout 2023-24 campaign, where his explosive attacking contributions from the left flank powered Inter to a dominant Serie A title, finishing 11 points clear of second-place Napoli. This accolade marks the second major individual honor for the 26-year-old, who already won Serie A’s official MVP award in May this year.
Despite his on-pitch success, Dimarco’s contract with Inter is set to expire at the end of the current 2024-25 season, and the fullback admitted he had expected a new deal to be finalized after his title-winning run. “We haven’t discussed it yet. I was hoping that would happen after last season,” Dimarco told reporters on the red carpet ahead of the awards.
The award night also came hours after Inter announced a major shakeup to its front office: long-serving sporting director Piero Ausilio, who played a key role in building Inter’s recent title-winning squad, was replaced by Dario Baccin. Dimarco said he was caught off guard by the sudden management change, learning of the move through media reports after finishing a team training session. “I wasn’t expecting that. (Ausilio) is someone who I have a close relationship with. We won a lot together,” he added.
Amid widespread transfer speculation linking him to Spanish giants Barcelona, Dimarco pushed back against rumors he was seeking an exit from San Siro. A product of Inter’s youth academy, he has cemented his place in the first team after multiple loan spells early in his career, and is currently in his sixth season as a regular starter for the club. “It’s always nice to be mentioned alongside these great clubs. But you know my history with Inter. I grew up here,” Dimarco said, reaffirming his loyalty to the Nerazzurri.
The awards ceremony, which celebrates the best performances across Italy’s top two professional leagues, handed out a raft of other honors, with Inter dominating the first-division selections. Three Inter players – Dimarco, Alessandro Bastoni, and Manuel Akanji – earned spots among the league’s top four defenders, alongside former Cagliari rising star Marco Palestra, who recently signed for Chelsea. Inter striker Lautaro Martinez was named one of Serie A’s best forwards, alongside Como’s Nico Paz and Roma’s Donyell Malen, while Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu took home midfield honors alongside Napoli’s Scott McTominay and AC Milan’s Luka Modric. Roma’s Mile Svilar rounded out the top awards as the league’s best goalkeeper.
In coaching awards, former Arsenal and Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas took top honors after an extraordinary debut season leading Como to a shock Champions League qualification. The 21-year-old Paz was named Serie A’s best young player, while 19-year-old Mattia Liberali, who moved from Catanzaro to Como ahead of this season, took home the best young player award for Serie B. The 2023-24 Goal of the Season went to Juventus winger Francisco Conceicao for his blistering long-range strike against Roma back in March, the only award decided by fan vote rather than player polling. All other honors were determined by a vote of active professional players across the Italian league system.