Inter’s former academy defender Davide Faraoni has admitted he struggled to cope mentally with life after the Nerazzurri.
The 27-year-old, who now plays for Hellas Verona, made 14 appearances for the first team before leaving to join Udinese in 2012.
Faraoni will face his former side on 10 November when Ivan Juric’s newly-promoted side travel to San Siro.
“Everything was magical in Inter’s youth system,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport today.
“I was training with players who had won everything, but if you’re not mentally tough enough you will suffer when you leave big clubs. If you’re not ready for it you’ll take a couple of steps down, and it’s not easy to climb back up.
“Perhaps what I was missing in those years was a teammate who supported me. I try to support all the young players I work with now.
“Reaching and staying in Serie A are both difficult but the second one is harder. I want Serie A to be my home though.”
Faraoni won the Viareggio Tournament and Campionato Primavera during his two years playing in Inter’s academy.
