Young Inter defender Alessandro Fontanarosa is pleased to have made his first appearance for the Nerazzurri’s senior team in today’s friendly match against Lugano.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster SportItalia at the end of the match, the 19-year-old expressed pride at appearing alongside senior team players like Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, though he also noted that this is still far from a breakthrough for him.
Inter beat Lugano 4-1 in their first friendly of the preseason, in a match which included debuts for some new signings, a first appearance by Romelu Lukaku since his loan return from Chelsea, and some good displays by players back from their holidays.
Fontanarosa was one of the youth team players called up for the friendly clash, and the young defender came on as a substitute during the match, a big moment early on in his career.
“I’m very happy with my debut, I thank the club and the youth sector for allowing me to grow to this point, as well as my teammates who help me to improve both on and off the pitch,” the young defender said.
Asked about how it feels to appear alongside Lukaku and Martinez, Fontanarosa stated that “It’s exciting, although I haven’t done much yet and the road ahead of me is still long.”
And as far as the instructions that he received from coach Simone Inzaghi, the 19-year-old related “To play well, don’t take risks, and to enjoy ourselves as it’s just a game.”
