Inter’s Angolan Disruption: Lautaro Martinez’s Argentina Trip Sparks Locker Room Jitters
12 November 2025
Inter’s Frustration Over Lautaro’s Angola Trip
Inter Milan expressed unease as star striker Lautaro Martinez traveled to Angola to join Argentina for a warm-up match.
The Nerazzurri are preparing to face Atletico Madrid, coached by Diego Simeone, at the Wanda Metropolitano on November 23 in the Champions League, just after the international window.
A number of players from both teams will miss international duty, but one match has sparked controversy.
According to Football Italia, Argentina will earn around 12 million euros from the friendly in Angola scheduled for Friday, November 14.
However, the Argentine Football Association confirmed that Julián Álvarez, Nahuel Molina, and Julián Simeone will not travel to Africa due to incomplete yellow fever vaccination, so they won’t be allowed to enter Angola.
This means the trio will return early to their club, Atlético Madrid, ensuring they have enough rest before the Inter match.
As for Martinez, he will endure an extra journey before a crucial Milan derby in Serie A on Sunday, followed by a two-day gap to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
This situation caused frustration within the club, which had hoped to rest Martinez as Atlético’s trio did.
Martinez’s numbers
Since the start of the season, Martinez has been a regular starter for Inter, appearing in 14 matches across all competitions, of which 13 were starts and one as a substitute.
In Serie A, across 11 appearances, he has netted six goals (four goals and two assists). In the Champions League, in 3 games, he has four goals but no assists.
Overall, the Argentine has played 14 matches, scoring eight goals and providing two decisive passes.
During the October international window, he started the first match against Venezuela and helped with the only goal of the game. He then came off the bench in a 6-0 win over Puerto Rico, scoring twice in 29 minutes.
Martinez is among Inter’s most successful forwards in history, and after his latest strike against Lazio, he has 10 goals in 2025, placing him as the fourth Inter player to hit double figures in at least seven different calendar years in Serie A.
In European play, Inter began the season strongly in the Champions League with a 2-0 win at Ajax, followed by a 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague (Martínez scoring twice and Dumfries contributing), and a 4-0 win over Union SG.
In their fourth group game they conceded for the first time but still won 2-1 against Kairat Almaty.
Domestically, Inter opened with a 5-0 thrashing of Torino, then suffered surprising defeats to Udinese (2-1) and Juventus (4-3). A winning run followed: Sassuolo 2-1, Cagliari 2-0, Cremonese 4-1, and Roma 1-0, before a 3-1 loss at Napoli interrupted momentum. A 3-0 win over Fiorentina kept the push alive, then wins away at Hellas Verona (2-1) and Lazio (2-0) kept Inter atop the table. They currently sit on 24 points, level with Roma in second, two points ahead of Milan and Napoli, and lead in goals scored with 26—ten more than the next-best team.
Inter’s European journey continues to shape their season as they chase trophies while juggling a dense fixture calendar.
Punchline time: If Inter’s goals started wearing camo, their defenders would only see the net when it stops moving. Punchline two: If patience were a stat, Inter would finally learn to count—but their goals keep counting for them.
