Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni reveals Sergio Ramos’ present for his birthday and insists Jorginho should be Italy’s dedicated penalty kick taker.
The Italy international spoke about the Nerazzurri’s campaign in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper.
Inter visit Salernitana at the Stadio Arechi tonight. They are the Serie A table leaders with a one-point lead over Milan.
The Serie A champions seem to have moved on after Antonio Conte’s exit over the summer, with Simone Inzaghi, who also qualified for the Champions League Round of 16 for the first time in ten years.
They will face Liverpool in the next stage of the competition.
“We’ll need two great games. Playing at Anfield will be amazing,” Bastoni said as quoted by FcInternews.it.
“Inzaghi has given us more freedom, remembering us that football is a game, except when you lose.
“Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku are different players. I wished Romelu good luck when he left, Achraf Hakimi and I still play at Playstation, but he’s so bad at it.
“Sergio Ramos is my idol,” the defender continued.
“I admire everything about him, the way he stays on the pitch and his personality. For my birthday, he gifted me his shirt and I could talk to him.”
Bastoni has worked with some of the best Italian coaches, including Gian Piero Gasperini and Roberto Mancini.
“Gasperini and Conte are always focused, same as Inzaghi and Mancini, but the last two take care about the human side, so you are more relaxed in crucial moments.”
Bastoni won the Euros with Italy and insists the Azzurri must qualify for the World Cup.
“I am looking forward to playing [the play-offs], we don’t even think about not playing the World Cup, we are the European champions and we must make it.”
His compatriot Jorginho was among the candidates to win the Ballon d’Or, but missed two decisive penalty kicks against Switzerland during the World Cup qualification draw.
“I wasn’t among the candidates, so I think Lewandowski or Jorginho would deserve the Ballon d’Or. Jorginho should still take Italy’s penalties, like Lautaro at Inter. Only those who have the courage to take the penalties miss them.
— franco vanni (@franvanni) December 17, 2021
Idolising a non-Italian defender? Inexcusable.