Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni feels that Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini and former Nerazzurri coach Antonio Conte were two of the most important figures in his development as a player.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the 23-year-old spoke about the influence of the two on his stylistic evolution.
Bastoni has become well-regarded in Italian football for his ability to play a specific role on the left side of a back three defensive system.
The 23-year-old’s combination of defensive attributes with technical ability and passing range has made him very useful to coaches who employ a back-three defensive line.
Bastoni has the right profile to fit in with a number of coaches’ systems in Serie A, having developed under Gasperini’s positionally fluid and aggressive back-three system at Atalanta before Conte further added to his footballing education at Inter.
Now, Bastoni plays under Simone Inzaghi, another coach who employs the three-man defense, and the influence of both Gasperini and Conte has made him the perfect man for the left of Inzaghi’s back three.
Asked if any one coach was the most influential for him, Bastoni replied that “To mention only one coach would be unfair towards all the coaches who I’ve played for.”
“Each one left me something important, a mark that I’ll always carry with me.”
“Clearly in terms of my development in Serie A, Gasperini was fundamental.”
Of the Atalanta coach, Bastoni explained that “You always remember someone who’s called you up to the first team when you’re just sixteen.”
“Not to mention, at the time I was playing for Atalanta, a team challenging for Europe.”
He explained that “When you know that someone believes in you like that, it’s easier to repay their faith.”
Of playing for the Nerazzurri under Conte, Bastoni said that “My consecration as a player came with him, playing for Inter.”
“It was as if I’d made a qualitative leap,” he explained.
“Conte drives you on, he’s a motivator who makes very specific demands on his players that instill a winning mentality.”
“I owe so much to him,” Bastoni said of the former Nerazzurri coach.
