On-loan Inter striker Sebastiano Esposito feels that he is developing well at Basel, and that he still has the ambition to make a return to the Nerazzurri.
Speaking to Italian YouTube channel Chronache Di Spogliatoio, as reported by FCInter1908, the young striker spoke about his time at at the Swiss side so far, and also praised former Inter coach Antonio Conte.
Esposito did not manage to make a significant impression at Inter, spending a season working under Conte but only sporadically appearing from the bench as a young player.
However, the 19-year-old feels that the time was beneficial to his development, and is also getting along well at his current club where he is following up on his time on loan with SPAL and Venezia last campaign.
Esposito spoke of his decision to move to Basel, stating that “I received many requests in June, I won’t deny it. Clubs in Serie A, Serie B, then they told me they wanted me here.”
“The Sporting Director called me, then the President, and finally the coach,” he explained.
“In Italy you dream of it. They made me feel wanted: ‘Move here, we have total confidence. But if you don’t produce on the pitch, you’re out.”
“‘We would like to put you as an attacking midfielder in 4-2-3-1, would you like that?’ This is all that a young person needs: respect, perseverance, trust, curiosity,” he went on.
“And above all they wanted to include the right of redemption in the loan: if Inter do not exercise the right of counter-redemption, I will become the most expensive signing in the history of Basel,” he explained.
He went on, “I enjoy the love of the fans. I like the league, there are also great players like Gael Clichy and Holger Badstuber.”
Esposito spoke about the influence of former coach Conte on him, stating that “I have to say that Conte also had a big influence on my mentality.”
“A phenomenal coach,” he described the Italian. “If the years in the Inter first team were unforgettable, it was because of him.”
“The squad was wonderful, the club too,” he added. “Everything clicked. His ability to get inside our heads was important.”
He also spoke about his relationship with former Nerazzurri striker Romelu Lukaku, stating that “The first time I spoke with Lukaku was incredible. It was Inter’s summer tour in 2019 and he was still in Manchester United.”
“We challenged each other in a friendly match and at the end of the match when I met him outside the locker room, I said ‘Hey Romelu.’ He smiled at me and replied, ‘Hi Seba.'”
“I spent hours figuring out how the hell he knew who I was. I came from the Primavera, he knew my nickname,” he continued. “I had a sincere relationship with him, whatever happened, he was there for me.”
“When I was wrong, however, he was pissed off,” he stated. “He hates to lose, even in training. We were playing in pairs, I got the ball at the far post and Padelli saved it.”
He went on that “Rom turned to me and gave me a crazy scream, I tried to defend myself by explaining that ‘I missed a goal, nobody died.”He glared at me: ‘Ah, is that your fucking mentality?'”
“If I had gotten a little closer, he probably would have torn me apart,” he recalled. “The fact remains that it was a period in which he won few matches. When that happened at Inter, we often teased each other.”
He recalled that “In the locker room, they stuck the word ‘Loser’ above the name ‘Lukaku” on the locker. ‘Loser.’ I have never seen a stronger punch than the one he threw against the locker that day. He was number one.”
Esposito stated that “I still dream of Inter. I score in Europe, make my debut and score in Serie A, beating all records. And after the first goal, while I rejoice, I find my mom on the sidelines and I run to hug her.”
“Honestly, I have watched the shot in the Champions League more times than the goal at Genoa,” he went on of a missed chance in the competition, “but each time I have different emotions. As if I couldn’t relive those moments firsthand.”
