I was joking around with one of my former team-mates from Spezia, Petko Hristov. He and I were always in the gym together after training, and once we stood in front of the mirror showing off our muscles. From there, he said, “If I score on Sunday, I'll do this celebration”. And we did it!
You’ve featured regularly for Cristian Chivu, but could you tell us a bit about what he’s like as a coach, and your relationship with him?
I've known the coach for many years because in his first year as a coach, he trained my team-mates and me in Inter's U-14 team. Then we met again in the Primavera U-19s team, and now here in the first team, so it's a beautiful and incredible story. Sometimes we still talk about the U-14s – our first tournaments, our first experiences. It's a very nice thing.
I immediately felt his trust this summer, and I'm very happy about that. I can only try to repay him to the fullest every time he puts me on the pitch.
The type of football we play is definitely ideal for a striker because we play a very direct, proactive, attacking style of football that creates scoring opportunities for the strikers.
Who were your first idols in football?
My first football idol was Luca Toni, and later on also Edin Džeko. Usually, I say Džeko, but he wasn’t my first one; he wasn’t my childhood idol. He became more of an idol for me when I joined Inter.
What was it like growing up with your two brothers, who are both now professional footballers as well?
This was definitely a very important aspect in my career, and it helped me. Because when a child who plays football is growing up, having two boys who do the same thing and are further along the path shows you the things to do, the things not to do, and the things you can improve on.
So, I perhaps had a starting point – I had their journey as an example. Maybe if they made mistakes in the past, I was lucky enough to notice them and avoid repeating them, or to adopt the things they did right. That definitely helped me.
We talk a lot. They know that I am at a very important moment in my life and career, so they are very supportive and give me lots of advice – mostly to stay calm and not think too much, just as I said before.
You wear the No94 for Inter, as does your brother, Sebastiano, on loan at Cagliari. Is there a story behind that particular number?
Yes. The number 94 is linked to the neighbourhood where I was born, which is called Rione Cicerone. When you enter our neighbourhood, there is a mural with “Ciceron 94” written on it, which is the symbolic number of the neighbourhood.
When I was thinking about which number to choose, that one immediately came to mind. Let's say it's a bit of a dedication to my neighbourhood. It's a very special place. My childhood friends and my whole family are from there. It's always nice to go back and see the pitch we made. And the mural with the number 94 is a symbol of belonging.
We grew up on that pitch, and that was where we kicked our first ball. We spent entire summers playing there. We never went home – we played all day long.
