Trevisan's hat-trick against Inter sparks rivalry between Germany and Italy over his international future

Nicolo Trevisan scored a hat-trick in the match that saw Belgian club Club Brugge defeat Inter Milan 4-3 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, highlighting why both Germany and Italy are keen to secure his services at the senior international level.

The 22-year-old was named man of the match after scoring from a penalty spot, adding a second from a rebound, and completing his treble with a clinical finish in an extraordinary night at the San Siro.

Trevisan said, “As a Milan fan, the match felt like a small derby for me. It was an indescribable, crazy night. I had dreamed of a night like this,” adding that he received numerous messages from Milan supporters before the game.

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport celebrated his performance, headlining: “Trevisan... What a night!” and expressing hope that he would soon wear the Italian national team jersey.

Trevisan is eligible to represent Italy through his father, having previously played for the Germany U21 team. Both Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann and Italy coach Roberto Mancini have contacted him in an effort to win him over for international duty.

However, Trevisan wishes to continue his career with the Germany U21 side and participate in next year’s European Championship before making a decision on which senior national team to represent.

Both Germany and Italy are in need of a striker with strong goal-scoring capabilities as they seek to regain their status among Europe’s top footballing nations.

Trevisan also entered Champions League history by becoming the youngest German player to score a hat-trick in the competition, at the age of 22 years and 54 days, surpassing the previous record held by Karim Adeyemi, who achieved the same feat at 22 years and 257 days.