Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni feels that avoiding mental lapses in Serie A will be key for the Nerazzurri next season.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, the 22-year-old gave his thoughts ahead of the upcoming Serie A season.
Last season, Inter enjoyed plenty of success.
The team won both domestic cups for the second season in a row. And, most eye-catchingly of all, the Nerazzuri played in the biggest match in European club football, the Champions League final.
However, in the league, things looked a lot less rosy.
A strong finish to the campaign spared Inter’s blushes a bit as the team recovered to at least secure a top four spot.
However, the fact that the Nerazzurri finished miles off of champions Napoli in the table was not good enough. Not for a team who expect to fight for the title until the end considering the quality that they possess.
And for his part, Bastoni feels that he knows why the Nerazzurri’s cup competition successes weren’t reflected in Serie A on a consistent basis.
Alessandro Bastoni: Inter Milan Must Avoid Slip-Ups In Serie A Going Forward
Of the team’s ambitions, Bastoni said that “We’re Inter, winning is a duty for us.”
“We’ll see where we’re at in a few months, then we can see what our level really is.”
“But if we approach things with that mentality then I have no doubt that Inter will be in the running for trophies,” the defender added.
Asked how he thinks things went off the rails last season, Bastoni replied that “We slipped up mentally.”
“We were presumptuous, something that perhaps came from previous seasons,” he continued.
“You can’t afford that in Serie A,” Bastoni said.
“But you’ll see that this season we won’t be making the same mistake,” the Italian international added.
Of the changes that this summer transfer window has brought, Bastoni analyzed that “A lot of the interpreters have changed, we’ve lost players who were key both on and of the pitch.”
“But here we are now. It’s up to those of us who are already here to make the new arrivals understand what it means to play for Inter.”
“And then we also have to make sure we help the coach make the players coming in understand our system and style of play,” he added.
And of his new teammate Yann Bisseck in particular, Bastoni said that “You’ve already all seen him.”
“He’s physically strong. He has time to improve. We’re ready to rely on him a lot,” he said of the German.
