Former Inter defender Riccardo Ferri has tipped Italian pair Nicolo Barella and Alessandro Bastoni to become icons at the club in the future.
Ferri, who represented Inter from 1981 to 1994 and won Serie A and two UEFA Cup titles, felt that midfielder Barella and centre-back Bastoni had the potential to become important figures to the club, whilst also likening coach Antonio Conte to former tactician Giovanni Trapattoni.
“I hope they can become symbols, because they are two players who have a long way to go and can write important pages in the club’s history,” Ferri claimed in an interview with FCInter1908.it.
“They are two modern players who interpret the phases of defence and attack like few others. I hope that they can continue to improve, along with other players, to form a group with a strong mentality and a hard core to be transferred to those who arrive in the future.
“Conte is similar to Trapattoni in the way they experience the matches in an intense, engaging way. They are always present, as if they are playing the match themselves.
“But they also focus on preparation and train in a meticulous way. Perhaps the two represent the greatest similarities between the Inter of my day and that of today.”
Inter sit six points clear of AC Milan in the Serie A table ahead of their match against Torino today, whilst the Rossoneri face Napoli and Juventus take on Cagliari. However, Ferri did not believe it would be a decisive day in the title race and that Inter would be fully focused on the Granata.
“We have already passed some of the most important tests. Sometimes there is drop in performance in some of the less demanding matches, but this shouldn’t happen because the target is close.
“We already forget the concrete team of a few months ago that wasted opportunities. Today I see a motivated and solid team, strong in all departments with each individual hungry and determined. I believe that everyone will be thinking of Torino and approaching it as if it’s the final game.”
Ferri enjoyed a long career as part of an almost impenetrable defence with Inter that conceded only 19 goals in 1988-89, and felt that the current backline was amongst the strongest in Europe.
“Bastoni and [Milan] Skriniar have developed a lot. [Stefan] De Vrij has always played at a high level, but they all needed to grow to occupy a more delicate and demanding role and to cover more of the pitch.
“Right now I think we have the strongest defence in Italy and one of the best in Europe. If you had asked me this a year ago, I would say it lacked some international experience, something acquired through playing.
“Now I think that Inter’s defence, including the wing-backs, is amongst the strongest of all time. What they have done over the last few matches is extraordinary. I see a great willingness on the part of the whole team to help out at the back, making everything easier,” Ferri concluded.
The 57-year-old began his career with Inter and made 290 appearances for the Nerazzurri before joining Sampdoria in 1994.
An Italian international, Ferri earned 45 caps for the Azzurri and was a member of the squad that came third at the World Cup in 1990 on home soil.
