Inter and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni praises his former coaches Gian Piero Gasperini and Antonio Conte but says he owes 90% of what he is today to the current Tottenham coach.
Bastoni made his Serie A debut with Atalanta in 2016-17 before joining Parma on loan and then Inter on a permanent deal.
“The father of one of my classmates took me to the first trial with Atalanta,” the Italy international told DAZN.
“He was one of Atalanta’s scouts and he had already seen me play. I joined the club at 7, leaving when I was 19.
“Gian Piero Gasperini was fundamental. I was only 16 or 17 and he immediately called me to the senior team,” Bastoni continued. “That Atalanta side was already targeting Europe, so it was a big team. He [Gasperini] had the merit of gambling on me since the very beginning and I repaid his trust. He was a fundamental person in my path.”
How about Antonio Conte? Bastoni won his first Serie A title under the Italian tactician last term, becoming one of Italy’s most promising defenders.
“He was the one who consecrated me, I owe him the 90% of what I am today,” the defender admitted. “He gave me so much technically, but also in terms of mentality. Not every coach plays a 20-year-old guy in a team like Inter. I owe him so much.”
Bastoni, a long-time Inter fan, has recently committed his future to the club by signing a new contract until 2026 and is not planning to leave the club anytime soon.
“I am proud to be here and hope to remain for many years. We have already won the Super Cup and the Scudetto [last season]. I won the Euros with Italy in the summer and I am just at the beginning of my path, I hope I can give more satisfaction to my fans in the future.”
The 23-year-old has already played 115 games with the Nerazzurri, scoring three goals. He collected 24 appearances during his one-year loan spell at Parma in 2018-19 and played seven games at Atalanta at a senior level. Bastoni made his senior Azzurri debut in November 2020 and has 11 international caps to his name.
#Bastoni: '#Gasperini fondamentale, ma il 90% di ciò che sono è di #Conte. Spero di giocare ancora a lungo a #SanSiro' https://t.co/SB0NRY0Zp4 pic.twitter.com/VC2R8LyXiE
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) April 29, 2022
Really solid defender. I wish we had more like him.
Needs to add more goals to his game. But it’s coming.