Andrea Pinamonti is delighted to play under Alberto Gilardino at Genoa and hopes his performances at Marassi will allow him to earn an Italy national team call-up.
Pinamonti joined Genoa from Sassuolo this summer and has already scored one goal in two appearances for the Grifone.
“It was what I wanted, but I didn’t expect it because joining a new group is never easy,” the Italian striker told Gazzetta.
“Understanding what new teammates and a new coach need takes time. All in all, it was better than expected.
“Gilardino told me what he expects from the players, especially the strikers. For the first time in my career, I’m being coached by an ex-striker, and I’ll take his advice to heart.
Pinamonti hopes Gilardino and Genoa will help him earn Italy call-up
“He didn’t need to convince me. He said, ‘You are the sort of player I was looking for.’ It was enough to understand that it was the right decision.”
Pinamonti reached double figures for goals in the last two Serie A campaigns but has only made one appearance with Italy’s national team under Roberto Mancini in 2022.
“Gilardino’s attacking playing style is good for us strikers. The striker partnership with Vitinha works well. We are different, but we complement each other,” he said.
“I think that the target must be to improve every time, and this is no exception. I am ambitious, and obviously, doing well at Genoa will help me with the Azzurri jersey, an ambition that I must have.”
Pray for us if Pinamonti gets anywhere near the National team.