Inter-Roma, Bastoni beyond Italy and the transfer market

The moment was delicate, the match dangerous, the physical condition precarious. And the risk of making some mistakes while reviewing the ghosts of a nightmarish week is simply very high. Because more generally the period that Alessandro Bastoni is experiencing – between the decisive expulsion with the national team, the simulation complete with celebration in front of Kalulu, the penalty caused against Liverpool and the constant market rumors which compares its name to that of Barcelona – appears very delicate even if only observed from the outside. But the Nerazzurri defender did not let himself be dismayed, and indeed offered the usual concrete proof. Due to Carlos Augusto’s disqualification and Bisseck’s injury, Chivu effectively had forced choices in defence. It is impossible to establish with certainty, but it is not absurd to imagine that – with the department at full strength – Bastoni would probably have been spared. But the Nerazzurri defender did well to transform a potentially complex match into… applause.

the defense of marotta

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Bastoni’s evening as a protagonist began well before Sozza’s whistle. With the recommendations and pampering of Cristian Chivu, well aware of the importance of the psychological aspect, and above all with the unflinching defense of president Marotta: “The lynching of him is shameful, as if he were guilty of who knows what. The elimination from the World Cup has more distant origins, but apart from this he does not deserve similar treatment. He makes mistakes in life, instead in Italy we must all become psychologists, football experts, without knowing what man and what professional we are dealing with. He made a mistake, but it’s normal to encounter something like this at his age. He is a heritage of Inter and Italian football and we consider him as such.” Words that will certainly have pleased the Nerazzurri defender, who then turned all his thoughts to the pitch.

coffins in the center

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Probably, Bastoni just needed to break the ice. First a couple of late interventions, then a timid attempt towards the Giallorossi goal. Which, however, unleashed San Siro. Open stage applause despite Svilar’s easy save and off we go, a nice shrug of the shoulders to clear away some of the dust and a lot of criticism. It was at that moment that Bastoni’s match went mentally downhill, thanks to the affection of his fans which, yes, was probably foreseeable, but not a given. The rest was done by Calhanoglu at the sunset of the first half and ThuLa at the dawn of the second, a right, a left and an uppercut so terrible as to stun Roma and allow Chivu to start the management. First to go? The defender himself, accompanied on the sidelines by a shower of applause. And it is also no coincidence that once he took his seat on the bench a conspicuous bag of ice was immediately placed on Bastoni’s painful ankle, who had been far from being in top condition not only in the national team but more generally for weeks. Here it is, the impediment to attending the party for Barella. Because at the moment of the midfielder’s goal – visibly moved after an equally difficult week for him too – the entire Nerazzurri group rallied around the former Cagliari player, placing him at the center with pats and hugs. And Bastoni, precisely because of the ice bag, could only observe with amusement from the bench. It’s too early to establish whether the worst is definitively behind us, but still an important sign for Bastoni’s recovery. Not just the footballer, but also the man at the center of the controversy.