“We are close to winning the Scudetto and all the merits of it go to this group. I want to win another derby and one day the captain's armband.”
"Shall I sit here?" Yes, please. "Ok, we can discuss Pascoli as a topic." There he is: Alessandro Bastoni who can make jokes so effortlessly just like how he can invent assists. That was how we started the interview.
Today's test is not about Italian, but it is of philosophy. A German philosopher, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, once said "the wait of pleasure…"
“I know this. The wait of pleasure is the pleasure itself.”
Good job! Do you agree with that? Does this also apply to the Scudetto?
“Eh no. When that pleasure is achieved then we will enjoy it. So let's wait.”
You weren't there in Udine. Did you celebrate with the same intensity as your teammates on the pitch?
“Yes yes. My daughter was sleeping but I woke her up with my screaming. I was aware, we all were, the importance of getting that result. We wanted to maintain the gap with second place. The euphoria that we experienced that night cannot be explained.”
You already have one. What are the differences, for you and for Inter as a whole, between this Scudetto and the one in 2020-2021 season?
“With Conte, Inter were expected to win it at the start of the season. Not this time. I don't remember an expert who had Inter as favorite at the start. And to be honest, we didn't even know who (besides the players) were on their way here to join the group. So winning the Scudetto would be great validation for us the old players as we would have to integrate the new ones exceptionally well. Wining the title will a great success for this group as a whole.”
Ok, but you have been talking about the second star since the pre-season tour last summer. Where and when did that belief stem from? Was it the Champions League final in Istanbul?
“That, but also the second half of last season. We the players had a serious talk with one another after the bad start, it was one of the most difficult moments experienced at Inter. From that moment on, things started to change.”
Well, the first opportunity for you to sew the second start on the shirt will probably be the derby. To the fans, this is extra motivation. Is it the same to you and the team too?
“It's nice to win the derby regardless… The fact that this can decide the Scudetto is just a coincidence. We want to win it for ourselves, for the fans, for everything.”
So five straight victories against Milan aren't enough?
“Absolutely not. Not even 50 or 100 straight.”
Inter have a good chance of reaching 100-point mark. Does that appeal to you?
“Definitely yes. But our priority is to get the second star. The 100 points isn't an obsession and it wouldn't be a failure if it didn't happen.”
Can you tell us how this Inter were created? Because changing positions is something that you guys have a lot of fun with but it wasn't like that last season.
“The coach suggested to us the idea of visible mobility. But everything stems from having availability and the right mental attitude to do it. If I go on the attack, Lautaro or Mkhitaryan know they will have to go on the defense. Everyone defends, everyone attacks. This is a code that we all respect. We know what we have to do and you have seen that Inter for the whole year.”
But who is Bastoni? A center back? A winger? A midfielder? It is now difficult to identify who you are.
“I have a task depending on where I am on the pitch. I feel like I am always there at that precise moment. It is a way of interpreting football that involves everyone.l
Is Bastoni-Dimarco tandem the best in Europe?
“At the level of understanding each other, probably yes. I always know ahead of time the movement he's going to make. I know how to serve him the ball. There is great harmony between us.”
Do you feel confident in saying that your future will still be at Inter?
“At the moment I say yes. Do you know why? In order to get to the San Siro, we always have to pass an apartment complex where I always see an elderly gentlemen waving the Inter flag. He's there all the time. I play for that. I play for the emotions.”
Do you see yourself as Inter captain sooner or later?
“Yes, I would like to. Although nothing is preventing me from being a reference to this team. Ultimately, this is what we are all. There is no veteran, Lautaro is still young and he even discusses his off the pitch decisions with us.”
Calhanoglu said he felt that he is top five in his position. Can you say that about yourself?
“I don't have that kind of character. I have difficulty talking about myself. But I can say one thing: there aren't many who play the role of left center back like I do.”
When you read high praises about you, what effect does it?
“I like it, it's nice. I aim to be the best possible. But I can still improve a lot: I know where I can improve, even like looking for my teammates on the pitch. I also really like watching the matches to understand more.”
Who would you like to learn from?
“I focus a lot on the defensive end, which I think I have improved this year. I saw how Rudiger defended Haaland in the Champions League and I want to imitate that.”
Speaking of matches, what effect did watching Atletico Madrid against Borussia Dormund have? Any regrets?
“Yes. But just because we didn't move on, that doesn't mean we did something wrong. It's one more reason to try again next year. The mistake was immediately conceding the 1-1 equalizer in Madrid after going ahead. But that's football…”
What are Inter missing to be on part with the Greats in Europe more consistently?
“The habit of playing that type of matches. Before Inzaghi, Inter hadn't reached the round of 16 in many years. But we are growing. I think about the fact that we live with regret at the fact that we went out in the round of 16 with Atletico while two years ago it was different against Liverpool. This is already a big change.”
Is it harder to defend Lautaro or Thuram in training?
“Lucky for us, they don't really go 100% (laughs…). I can't choose: Thuram is more annoying to defend. He knows how to take certain angles on us. Lautaro has enormous quality when it comes to keeping the ball. I would put them on equal footing.”
An opponent who really puts you in difficulty?
Salah. But even more so Higuain for his quality and intelligence.”
Besides your family, name one person that you must thank for becoming the Bastoni of today.
“I would say Mino Favini. What I am in terms of technique, personality and ball security, I owe it to him. And then I can tell you another name: it's Gianluca Polistina, the current coach at Monza.”
What about Spalletti in the national team?
“He gives us strong mentality. Different ideas on the pitch compared to Mancini. New enthusiasm: he made clear the attachment to the Italian shirt which almost seemed to have been lost.”
Can you win the European Championship?
“Yes, we believe in it. We weren't favorites in 2021 either.”
What is your dream?
“The Champions League has always been that for me. The Club World Cup next year will be a fascinating competition too.”
Do you see yourself supporting Inter in the Curva Nord one day?
“I would like to do it, I would like to do that when I'm done playing. In the meantime, I'm passing on my Inter passion to my daughter. She doesn't have the vocal for that yet but you'll see…”
Is there anything you have promised to do in the event of winning the Scudetto?
“I didn't promise anything to anyone…”
Okay, that's a lie.
“A little yes. Let's leave it as a surprise eh?”
https://x.com/f_nerazzurra/status/1778984058460221616?s=46&t=HVZJzoyLgN2cnje_SdLm6w
by ForzaInter_1908