Written by Umberto Pelà (15.12.2022)
Federico Dimarco: Interista with a Wand of a left foot
Federico Dimarco is a true Interista. Born on the 10th of November 1997, the now 25-year-old is a week-in-week-out starter for Italian giants Inter Milan. However, if you had told him this back in 2016 during his time with Inter’s ‘Primavera’ (U19), he would have certainly called you crazy on the spot.
Dimarco was never the first choice. Even though he rose through the ranks of Inter’s youth – starting with the U7’s and ending with the U19’s – it felt like Inter held no loyalty towards him. His rocky story with the first team started in 2017/2018, when a multitude of players (including Davide Santon, Yuto Nagatomo, Dalbert, Danilo D’Ambrosio, and Joao Cancelo) occupied the full-back positions and left Dimarco no space whatsoever. So when he left on a permanent transfer to join Swiss team Sion, it looked like his time with the Beneamata was over with immediate effect, and that there was not going to be a second chance.
Yet his unexpected return just a year later for the 2018/2019 season left the fans with a sense of uncertainty around him as a player. Playing in a league with such little exposure and gathering only 9 appearances that season, there was a lot of uncertainty around the €7 million investment that had been made. Up until then, Dimarco was simply a prospect who had shown a lot of promise but not as much product in his first years as a pro. These feelings of uncertainty eventually turned sour on September 15th, 2018.
Right before the start of the season, Dimarco was loaned out to Parma, in the hopes of finding some form and regular first team football. As it turns out, the move yielded the desired results, and Dimarco conquered a starting spot right before Parma’s game against Inter at the San Siro, on Matchday 4. A huge chance to show his parent club what they effectively had in their hands. Whilst the game ended in a rather dull but surprising 0-1 for Parma, many fans remember the game not for the scoreline, but rather for two separate episodes. The first one, a goal-line clearance by Dimarco with his hand which was not reviewed by VAR. The second, a screamer from 30 yards by Dimarco in the 79th minute of that game, who then went on to take his shirt off in his celebration. Whereas the first episode was forgotten soon enough, the second one was at the centre of animosity and discussions for many Inter fans. They – arguably rightly – felt betrayed: as though one of their children had stabbed the family in the back. Dimarco’s Instagram account was heavily attacked, and he had to come out clarifying that the celebration was for his soon-to-be daughter.
It took two more years for the infamous incident to be forgotten, as Dimarco went away on loan and Inter fans understood that the celebration on that 15th of September meant no harm. So, upon his return, the fans welcomed him into their arms once again as Dimarco came into an Inter team transitioning towards a new era under coach Simone Inzaghi for the 2021/2022 season. The previous campaign, he had shown glimpses of his huge potential playing under manager Ivan Juric for Hellas Verona. This had led Inter fans to be excited to see what the future had in store for Dimarco.
In his first proper season back home, Dimarco – amidst competition from a prime Ivan Perišić – managed to rack up 32 appearances with 13 starts. Whereas it was arguably the prior season at Hellas Verona that established him as a solid player, he had now proved that he could play with the big boys, showing unparalleled versatility, and adapting to a new position that Simone Inzaghi gave him: left-centre back in a 3-back defence. From this position, Dimarco not only avoided direct comparisons with Ivan Perišić – who last season was in the form of his life – but also managed to add 2 goals and 3 assists to his tally.
Whilst this would hint that his first season back home should be considered a total success, the gaps in his defensive abilities shone through and questioned whether centre back should be his true position. Above all, his size and frame (1.75m), at times, made him a liability on crosses for an Inter defence which conceded 44 goals throughout the whole season. That season, Dimarco won only 50% of his aerial duels, which put him in the bottom 19% of fullbacks worldwide. Inter fans will vividly remember Marko Arnautović towering over him to equalise for Bologna in the infamous game which effectively handed AC Milan the Scudetto.
Nevertheless, his offensive production had already shown what Dimarco is becoming today. Last season, compared to other fullbacks in the world, Dimarco appeared in the top 1% in a myriad of offensive categories. Most importantly, he was in the 99th percentile for xAG (xG after a pass that assists a shot), xA, Key Passes (Passes that lead to a shot), Passes into the Penalty Area, Shot-Creating Actions, Goal-Creating Actions, touches in the Final third, non-penalty xG + xAG, shots (and shots on target), and xG, all per 90. Even though these categories may mean little to the common reader, they are crucial in highlighting Dimarco’s importance in Inter’s system. Inzaghi’s dynamic 3-5-2 requires off-the ball movement by all players which often leads to interchanges of position. Something we’ve seen done by teammate Alessandro Bastoni this year, Dimarco did that with a lot of success during the 2021/2022 season. Playing as a left-centre back, Dimarco’s movement off the ball to get in dangerous positions and produce offensive situations (such as crosses, through balls, or shots) was very tricky to deal with for opposing teams. Man-marking defences would have to switch to zone-tracking in an attempt to counter this versatility that Dimarco presented.
Today, Inzaghi has Dimarco play mostly as a left wing back in a 3-5-2, and his offensive production has been as consistent as ever and perhaps more promising. With only half of the season gone, Dimarco has produced 3 goals in a total of 15 appearances (1052 minutes), which already improves last year’s tally. He has now emerged as one of Inter’s best performers as he is less involved in defensive actions. Perhaps due to a more passive team pressing that Inzaghi has adopted this season, compared to last season, Dimarco is involved in less tackles per 90 (1.76 vs 1.12). This reduced involvement in critical defensive situations has not only allowed for greater focus on the offensive side of the game, but also for more concentration when he is eventually called into action. Dimarco has been dribbled past only 0.26 times per 90 this year, which puts him in the 82nd percentile of fullbacks worldwide and is a great improvement compared to last year’s 0.69 dribbles past per 90. Furthermore, Dimarco’s offensive production has remained consistently elite, as he remains in the 95th percentile for many of the categories aforementioned. On top of that, it is clear to see that his involvement within the team’s offensive buildup is as active as ever as he continues to produce more than 9 crosses per 90 – essential for dominant strikers like Romelu Lukaku and Edin Dzeko. His 2.22 chances created per 90 are crucial for Inter and their hopes of scoring. Additionally, Dimarco has stepped up on the greatest stages of European Football, as he finds himself in the top 97% or above for Assists, xAG, npxG + xAG, and shot-creating actions in this year’s Champions League compared to other fullbacks – a category which includes players like Theo Hernandez and Alphonso Davies. Inter fans will also not be surprised to see him in the 97th percentile (1.64 per 90) for switches (passes that travel more than 40 yards across the pitch). Hakan Calhanoglu’s goal against Barcelona at the San Siro, for instance, came from a beautiful Dimarco switch just before half time. This ability to shift sides is essential for Inter’s playing style as they often look to release speedy fullbacks Denzel Dumfries and Raoul Bellanova on counterattacks. Finally, testimony to his defensive improvements, during Champions League nights, Dimarco is also extremely active defensively with 1.9 interceptions, 1.52 blocks and 3.42 clearances per 90.
Whilst the statistics tell a clear story of improvement and consolidation, the most impressive aspect of Dimarco’s game may perhaps be the intangible ‘Interismo’ that lives within him. The grit and fight he brings every game, combined with his wand of a left foot makes his performances a pleasure to watch. Italian National Team manager Roberto Mancini has noticed his qualities and Dimarco is slowly consolidating his position with the Azzurri, where he most recently scored in a monstrous performance against Hungary.
It is exciting to see what the future holds for Dimarco and his underdog story. With the next European games coming up and an important second half of the season, Inter fans will hope to see the same in-form Dimarco that left them just before the break if they hope to go far in their competitions.
References
https://fbref.com/en/players/970b8574/Federico-Dimarco
https://analytics.soccerment.com/en/team/inter-milan/stats
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_Club_Internazionale_Milano_2021-2022#Statistiche_di_squadra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Dimarco#Return_to_Inter_Milan
https://fbref.com/en/players/970b8574/scout/11222/Federico-Dimarco-Scouting-Report
https://fbref.com/en/players/970b8574/scout/11611/Federico-Dimarco-Scouting-Report
https://fbref.com/en/players/970b8574/scout/11454/Federico-Dimarco-Scouting-Report