The striker: “I watch a lot and I don’t listen to what they say about me. I would like to be as hungry for goals as Lautaro and move like Thuram”
Angelò, with a French accent, polite manners and casual clothes at the end of training, is a 22-year-old sui generis: he has the rare power to light up San Siro, but he knows how to get excited listening to a 91-year-old Italian singer. Between new Nerazzurri goals and old romance, between the twin Pio and Ornella Vanoni, Ange-Yoan Bonny is in the middle. Mathieu Darmian, “the most French of Italians”, observes him from behind the glass, but Chivu’s tip prefers that his companion does not enter the room next to Appiano’s dining room: “Otherwise, the words will no longer come to me…”. Shy, perhaps, but certainly determined.
Bonny, what have you understood after five months at Inter?
“I understood that it takes time to understand where you are, to realize how great this club is. Then, when you understand it, you have to realize the level of the team, which is constantly rising, starting from training: Inter are very demanding, they always ask you for more, but I feel great and I’m learning…”.
What exactly does he need to learn?
“The game with my back to goal, sometimes I lost stupid balls. Then improve my header, but also our stamina, given that we play every three days and work hard. During the break even more so… In general, even the things that you do well can always be done better.”
Who is helping you in this apprenticeship?
“There are many, but with someone who speaks French like Mkhitaryan it’s easier. Marcus Thuram helps me a lot and not only since we’ve been teammates: already in Parma his advice was invaluable. He pushes me further, as do my Italian teammates: they want me to always give my best without slowing down.”
What did you feel when you entered and scored for the first time at San Siro?
“The first time was last year against Parma: I was dazed, the stadium is so big that it seems to never end, it takes your breath away. When you play for Inter it’s different, I was lucky enough to score immediately against Toro: after the roar, in the noise, you no longer hear anything. It’s nice, because everything is muffled, it’s just emotion.”
Who was decisive in choosing the Nerazzurri?
“Last year, in Parma-Inter, the 2-2 draw, Bastoni knocked me down and told me: ‘Next year come to us…’. It seemed like a warning, but I was pleased. He, Bisseck, Acerbi make themselves heard in training, they help push you further.”
Chivu was also in Parma that day: how important is he to you?
“Very much. In Milan the coach is the same real person he was in Parma, he has the same way of acting and communicating. He always asks me to be available for others, to play for the team first.”
What would you like to “take” instead from Lautaro and Thuram’s game?
“I would like to be hungry in front of Lautaro’s goal: being the fourth scorer in Inter’s history at his age is extraordinary. He always wants to score, whether it’s a good or bad goal doesn’t matter. Marcus, on the other hand, knows how to do everything: goals, dribbling, assists. Maybe I have more similarities with him, but we are different and we can play together. I would also like to take something from Pio, few defend the ball like him.”
What comes to mind when thinking about the derby?
“In terms of charm and greatness, Barça-Real is worth it. Certain duels like the one between Dumfries and Theo have stuck in my head. They are two great teams who don’t hate each other, but in those 90 minutes it’s a battle. Let’s hope that, in the end, everything will be colored Nerazzurri…”.
But will it already be decisive?
“No, because it’s only November and anything can happen, but the derby is already important: being able to take more points, not only over Milan, but also over Napoli, Roma and the others who are pushing from behind, would be a big leap.”
Coming back to Parma, how hard was it at the beginning?
“At 17, another country, another culture, another language: everything was difficult… Luckily I found a good group, I made friends with Bernabè who has great qualities, but the decisive man was Buffon: he spoke excellent French, he made me feel at home. It’s as if he were my uncle…”.
Four goals and four assists: how much will he reach at the end of the season?
“I don’t have a precise number, in my head I would like to do better every year than the previous one. The challenge is not with others, but only with myself. The only thing that matters is making the fans proud beyond the statistics.”
You explain well the origin of that photo of you as a child in the Nerazzurri.
“It’s the first shirt that mum bought when I started football school. She convinced me to wear it by telling me that it was from Eto’o’s team, my idol. Maybe it was a sign, who knows.”
Do you know that exactly one year tomorrow (today, ed.) you met Pio Esposito for the first time?
“Italy-France Under 21 2–2, Pio and I come off the bench. Here we immediately found a certain feeling because we are similar: we keep our eyes wide open, but our ears closed. We observe every detail to improve, but we try not to listen to what they say about us on the outside. By also bringing in Sucic, Bisseck, Luis Henrique and the others, we are a good group of young, close-knit people in a dressing room that has known each other for years. It’s a new experience and beautiful, a world to discover together”.
Do you think that external rumors are exaggerated for Pio?
“When you play for Inter there is more attention on everyone and here in Italy there is a lot of it for him: he is young, he has great potential, he was born in this youth sector, he wears the blue shirt. For him the pressure is a lot, but I think he can manage it very well: he hasn’t changed, neither he nor I like to be phenomena.”
However, she likes it when they call her… Angelo?
“Angelò. Mister Pecchia started at Parma: when I played badly I was just Bonny, when I was doing well he called me Yoan, but he couldn’t pronounce it. Sometimes he said Jean, sometimes Johan… Then one day he discovered that Ange was also in the name and I became Angelò for everyone. You like to Italianize names: Mkhitaryan became Michele, Luis Henrique Gigi, but then why on earth? (laughs, ed.)”.
And where does that pirate celebration come from?
“A game with friends from my city, Tours, in the center of France. It all started with a video on TikTok that made us laugh. When I scored against Parma in Naples, that celebration was born: it was a dedication, it has now become a brand.”
You are passionate about music and TV series: what do you see and listen to now?
“I’m watching breaking Badbut it’s difficult to finish it, it’s very long… The last concert I saw was Drake, together with Marcus: really beautiful. But I always have it in my ears before every game Everything in Its Right Place by Radiohead. It may seem strange, but it relaxes and energizes me at the same time: it starts slowly, calmly, but then there’s something naughty inside. On the other hand, you already know about Vanoni…”.
Ornella lets us know that she has received her shirt and that she wants to meet her soon in Milan.
“I’m happy she became an Inter fan: meeting her, being able to have a coffee or go to dinner together would be an honor! The first time, I heard that magical voice in a scene from Ocean’s 12: She looked like Edith Piaf, she was so… French.”
By the way, to close, tell me one thing you prefer about France and one thing Italy is better at.
“French boulangerie are the best, I’m sorry, but I admit that having a bidet in the bathroom like yours is useful (laughs, ed.)”.
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