Bastoni:" I put the sacrifices I made and the work I did to reach this level"

Alessandro Bastoni is the latest guest on Supernova, an Italian program on Youtube. 

The Inter Milan defender opens up about his journey. "There were people in the right place at the right time. 

Above all, I put the sacrifices I made and the work I did to reach this level. If you read the comments, the sacrifice is just that of the worker, but what I say is that, not being inside this world, it's hard to understand what a player's sacrifice truly means. 

Time is something no one can give back, we play so much that we are away from our families, and that's the thing that weighs the most.

Of course, the discussion is always about the money we earn, which is completely wrong because time is priceless. 

Training camps? We do one every week; I sleep at home 2-3 nights a week, the time is really limited."

2010 and the locker room  

"The 2010 final? I was 11 years old, watching it because my dad passed down his passion for Inter Milan to me. 

I have a photo of him watching that final. Relationship with the team I love? I spent 11 years at Atalanta, and during the various tournaments, I would always face Inter Milan, and at one point, I didn’t like them very much, of course, I was focused on my own interests. 

But when you grow up, and it really matters, representing the colors you love is the greatest thing you can aim for. First time at San Siro? My brother is a Roma fan, I went to see Inter-Roma.

Who talks the most in the locker room? Lautaro talks a lot, Barella speaks from time to time, but we don't have that culture where one person talks and everyone listens. Everyone says their piece when they think it's necessary, there's no seniority like there was before. When I was at Atalanta, I had figures like Stendardo, Masiello, and Zukanovic. 

I remember once in training I made a nutmeg on someone and had to leave. It’s not fair, if I do a nutmeg, good for me. You shouldn’t break my leg just because I did a nutmeg. It used to be like that, but now there’s a bit more culture compared to before. 

Now it's easier to get into the first team, make it to the national team, the dynamics have completely changed."

Conte and Inzaghi 

"Who discovered me? Gasperini made me debut, but after that, I was forgotten. 

As long as you're in the club where you did your youth development, they still see you as a kid. Leaving Atalanta at that point was my salvation, just like doing all my youth development at Atalanta was my life because it made me grow a lot. 

Leaving at the moment when I was about to make the big jump was crucial. At Parma, I found a coach who gave me confidence, D'Aversa. 

The real Pippo Baudo is definitely Conte. I fought to leave, there were Skriniar, Godin, and de Vrij, and I kept saying, ‘When will I play?’ He told me, ‘Stay.’ Since I started, I’ve never been left out."

The role? Toloi already played a bit like that at Atalanta, but with such mobility and positional interchanges, I was perhaps one of the first.

My characteristics help, I like having the ball, but in defense, you don’t get it much. You need to be lucky to have coaches who understand this style of play, and teammates who get it. 

With the national team, I can’t do certain things because we play differently, and I have to adapt."

"Inzaghi? He’s like the twenty-sixth player. As a character, as someone integrated into the group, he’s one of us, really. He was a player and understands the dynamics of the locker room well. 

Does he play in small-sided games? No, he doesn’t play because he can’t manage it. Typically, the starting eleven makes up Inter Milan, and the others who don’t play form the opposing team, copying the formation. Tactics are worked on in training. We have many video sessions where we analyze what we do and what others do. 

The attention given to an Inter-Juve match is the same as for an Inter-Empoli match. Obviously, for Inter-Juve, you have that slightly higher level of attention, but it’s involuntary."

Social media and the culture of defeat 

"I was lucky to have Pintus as my fitness coach; he’s phenomenal, the Messi of fitness coaches. 

Now, we play so much that training is more about recovery than actual preparation. Friends in football? My main friends are Barella, Dimarco, and Darmian. 

Barella has an energy and a battery that never runs out, and he's the same off the field. Does he shout a lot? He can't stay still, he’s more of a problem for the others than for us. 

I have a bit of the NBA culture, where you can’t win every match. Insults? You can’t insult my family or wish me death just because I made a bad pass or missed a goal. Social media has brought this unhealthy behavior.

Regarding the Champions League final, it was tough. As for the new format? At first, I would have said no, but now I like it. 

All matches are important, and we’ve seen top teams fail to make the top eight. It’s nice because you play strong teams right from the start. Of course, it means more games in an already packed calendar. 

Physically, it doesn’t destroy us, but mentally it does because not having a break is devastating. And now there’s also the Club World Cup, it’s hard. 

Speaking of the World Cup, it’s going to be incredibly hot, and it’s important to understand the significance it will have in the next 10 years."

Source: Fcinter1908.it