Ashraf: Inter will always be in my heart, but now I play for Paris, I will beat them

Ashraf will usher in a special Champions League final. The former Real Madrid player transferred from Inter Milan to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 for 68 million euros. He talked about the game in an interview with French TV.

Ashraf said: "This is a very important moment. This is my first time representing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, and the opponent is Inter. I will not forget that I played for Inter and won the Serie A championship. Inter will always be in my heart, but now I play for Paris Saint-Germain and I will do everything I can to beat them."

The Moroccan international performed well in Inter's only season, and under Conte, he scored 7 goals and contributed 11 assists. He continued: "It's a very special final, and it's an important stage in my career, I've had a great year in Inter and made many friends."

"I haven't received any news from my former teammates yet, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. For example, I have a common agent with Lautaro, but we haven't talked to you. He will do his job well, and I have to do my job well."

"Inter Milan is a strong team, and I see them knocking out a lot of strong teams. They have a very clear game plan and a lot of good players. We have to focus because it will be a very tough game...we want to win our first Champions League title (for Paris Saint-Germain)."

In fact, for Ashraf, this is the second time it's the Champions League final. He was one of the 2017/18 season winners with Real Madrid (two appearances). He said: "I was very young at that time, and I remember looking at people with more experience and wondering what to do when I experience this moment again. Now I feel very calm and live step by step every day."

Now, he plays an important role under Louis Enrique. In the semi-finals against Arsenal (2-1), he scored a goal to help Paris Saint-Germain advance to the final and was named Player of the Game.

He also scored in the French Cup final against Reims last weekend (3-0). His stats are more like a winger than a defender: in 47 games, he scored eight goals and sent 14 assists. No top league defender has participated in so many goals this season (22 times in total).

In the Champions League, in addition to goals and assists, Ashraf's data is also unparalleled. He is the player with the most touches (1510 times), the third most to complete long-distance passes (more than 10 meters, towards the opponent's goal) (106 times), one of the players with the most shooting opportunities (74 times), ranked eighth (22 times), and ranked tenth (34 times).

In terms of defense, he is also the player with the third most blocked shots (22 times), the player with the seventh most successful steals (35 attempts of 21 successful steals), and the player with the eighth most fouls (17 times). He admitted: "Luis Enrique gave me a level of game that I had never thought of before, which helped me a lot."

In terms of physical fitness, Hakimi is unbeatable. He is the fastest player in the Champions League (36.9 km/h). His endurance is reflected in his farthest push distance (2403 meters) and his third most dribbling times (75 times).

Ashraf said: "This is the strength God has given me, this cardiovascular ability, this ability to bear stress for a long time. Of course, there are coaches, physical coaches and nutritionists who help me recover so that I can compete as many games as possible. I feel good, full of energy and confident."