Esposito: “Totti my idol, I asked him for advice. Under 21 unique opportunity “

Sebastiano Esposito, Inter-owned striker back from a positive season on loan at Basel, spoke at a press conference after the retirement of the Under-21 national team: “My idol is Totti, I am inspired by him. I’ve always said, he’s my idol since I was a child. This year I also worked as an attacking midfielder and I asked him for some advice, we talk every now and then. For me it is a unique opportunity, I return to the national team after two years in which it was right not to call me because I had not done well,now I want to prove my worth and we have to take home the points for qualification. My brother summoned by Mancini? My dream, indeed our dream in the family, is to play in the senior national team: I hope Salvatore will realize it, for me he is a leader, a really important person who always helps me a lot.

Attackers problem? We have Immobile which has won a European Championship, has deserved the Golden Boot and is very strong. And then there are other excellent strikers like Pinamonti, Scamacca, Raspadori. I remember that Giroud won a World Cup by scoring only one goal. It is a difficult moment for the national team, it is not nice to miss the qualification for the World Cup, but a few months ago we won a European championship: we must remain calm and help Italy.

We young people have to grow, but to do so we have to play. We can improve with training, but we must also go out on the pitch, otherwise the coach Mancini cannot work miracles. How many Italians in 2002 play in Serie A? Just two. This is why we unfortunately have to look for space abroad. I did it in Switzerland and it was a decidedly formative experience: I thought I would encounter more difficulties, but instead I made more appearances at Basel than in Serie B. I improved a lot compared to last year, when I faced several problems in the first. season outside the Inter family. In Switzerland I was well received, I was protected, then when there are the right foundations, the right projects, I will return to Italy“.