Club football returns after the international break, and Inter aims to rediscover its winning rhythm following several disappointing results. Although their points lead over Milan and Napoli has narrowed, it remains quite encouraging.
However, at the press conference ahead of the Easter derby against Roma, the main topic was the recent playoff final match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy.
The focus was on two Inter players: Alessandro Bastoni, who received a red card, and Pio Esposito, who missed a penalty. There has been much public debate about why the young Esposito was chosen to take the first penalty, and the Romanian coach defended his player and explained the situation.
Many criticized Italian national team coach Gennaro Gattuso and his staff for entrusting the 20-year-old striker with taking the first penalty in such an important series. However, Chivu revealed that the truth is actually different:
"I asked Pio Esposito about that penalty against Bosnia. I wanted to know if he himself asked to take it. He confirmed that he did. He will miss many more penalties in his career, but for Italian football, the most important thing is that he didn’t lower his head and run away. Pio took responsibility for his country."
Chivu also touched on Alessandro Bastoni, whose red card at the end of the first half significantly shifted the course of the match in favor of the Dragons. Due to this dismissal, the experienced defender came under fire from the Italian public.
"Our players never shy away from responsibility. I’m thinking especially of Bastoni. He left our training center on crutches, and just three days later, he played for the national team," emphasized the Inter coach, adding:
"The players always give their all, but in this world, there is very little gratitude. Ale is sorry for everything that happened, but the support from his national team and Inter teammates means a lot to him. He took the field and gave everything he had to represent the entire country. He tried to crown the dream of Italians and, despite his poor physical condition, made himself available to the team. That, to me as a sportsman, means a lot. I repeat, Bastoni walked on crutches for ten days, yet he still took responsibility to play."