Francesco Pio Esposito addressed the press ahead of tonight’s Serie A showdown between Inter Milan and Fiorentina.

Speaking to DAZN via FCInterNews, the 20-year-old urged his teammates to forget Saturday’s defeat to Napoli.

Inter’s 3-1 loss at the Maradona Stadium was controversial, to say the least.

Indeed, referee Maurizio Mariani gave the Partenopei a decisive first-half nudge.

Mariani awarded a phantom penalty, which helped Antonio Conte’s side break the deadlock and take an all-important halftime lead.

Despite scoring from the spot at 2-0, Inter failed to bounce back, relinquishing a seven-game winning streak in all competitions.

With Napoli beating Lecce last night, the pressure is on the San Siro giants to claim all three points tonight.

Six points separate the sides ahead of the kick-off, highlighting the importance of posting a third consecutive home win over Fiorentina.

Interestingly, Inter last achieved that feat in 2018.

Pio Esposito Urges Inter Milan to Bounce Back vs Fiorentina

Edin Dzeko
MILAN, ITALY – MAY 10: Edin Dzeko of FC Internazionale celebrates with teammates after scoring the team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at San Siro on May 10, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Francesco Pio Esposito will start in tonight’s home clash against Fiorentina.

Indeed, Ange-Yoan Bonny will make way for the Italian starlet.

“Being in the starting lineup is definitely an important sign from the coach,” Esposito said.

“However, there’s no starting spot that weighs more than another. The chances the coach has given me are in the past.

“What happened in Naples is also behind us. Now we have a great opportunity to put that game behind us.”

Meanwhile, the Inter prodigy admitted he considers Fiorentina veteran Edin Dzeko his childhood idol.

“I’ll try to show as much as I can,” he continued. “I watched a lot of his videos when I was a kid and saw him play here in Milan.

“And I won’t deny that I take inspiration from him because I like him a lot. I’ll definitely ask him for his shirt.”

Pio Esposito Wants Inter Milan to Show Class vs Fiorentina

Francesco Pio Esposito Inter Milan
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JUNE 30: Francesco Esposito #94 of FC Internazionale Milano arrives at the stadium prior to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Fluminense FC at Bank of America Stadium on June 30, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

During a brief interview with Inter TV via FCInterNews, Esposito highlighted the importance of winning tonight’s match.

“It’s better to play right away,” he said. “We have the chance to immediately put the defeat to Napoli behind us and show that it was only a small bump in the road.

“That’s a positive thing.”

Then, he thanked fans for their support.

“It’s definitely very important, and I want to thank them all. I’m eager to repay everyone in the best possible way.”

Finally, Esposito refuses to underestimate Fiorentina despite their dreadful start to the season.

“Their position in the table doesn’t reflect their true quality, so they can be dangerous,” he claimed.

“We’re not underestimating our opponents and will step onto the pitch with the right attitude.”