Dimarco wins Serie A Player of the Year award, but says his Inter contract talks are stalled

Federico Dimarco walked up onto the stage at the Teatro alla Scala to collect the night's biggest individual award, and instead of simply savoring the moment, he said what was really on his mind. He was named Serie A Player of the Year at the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) awards, and even so, the Inter left back made it clear that something is bothering him: there is still no contract extension on the table.

The honor comes after a season in which Dimarco was a decisive presence down the left flank, constantly pushing forward to help Inter win the Serie A title with an 11-point margin over Napoli. It wasn't the first time he'd been recognized: back in May, Serie A itself had already named him MVP of the season at a separate ceremony.

The trouble lies in what comes next. His contract runs out at the end of this season, and according to the player himself, there's been no progress on a new deal.

We haven't talked about it yet. I was hoping it would get sorted out after last season.Federico Dimarco

Wednesday night's gala also brought another piece of news directly tied to Dimarco and Inter: the club announced the same day that Piero Ausilio was stepping down as sporting director after years in the role, with Dario Baccin taking over. The player didn't hide his surprise.

I didn't expect it. I read about it after training. I have a relationship with him (Ausilio). We won a lot together.Federico Dimarco

Does all this mean Dimarco is thinking about packing his bags? Judging by what he said, that doesn't seem to be the plan, not even when asked about the rumors linking him with Barcelona.

It's always nice to be mentioned alongside these big clubs. But you already know my story with Inter. I grew up here.Federico Dimarco

His story at the club is anything but ordinary: he came up through Inter's youth ranks, spent several years out on loan at various teams, and is now in his sixth straight season as an undisputed starter.

Other winners of the night

Dimarco was also named among the league's four best defenders, a category he shared with teammates Alessandro Bastoni and Manuel Akanji, along with Marco Palestra, who played last season at Cagliari before signing with Chelsea.

Up front, the honorees were Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Nico Paz (Como) and Donyell Malen (Roma), while in midfield the awards went to Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter), Scott McTominay (Napoli) and Luka Modric (Milan). Between the posts, the prize went to Roma's Mile Svilar.

Cesc Fabregas took home Coach of the Year after guiding Como into a Champions League spot, an achievement that speaks volumes about how far the Como project has come. Paz himself, 21, was voted Serie A's best young player, while in Serie B that honor went to 19-year-old Mattia Liberali, who was at Catanzaro last season and now plays for Como.

Goal of the season went to Francisco Conceicao, for that shot from the edge of the box that curled into the corner against Roma back in March, chosen by public vote. All the other awards, meanwhile, were decided directly by the players' own votes.