Basel chief Degen defends Inter Milan striker Esposito: He's no enfant terrible | OneFootball

Basel director Philipp Degen insists they have no problem with Inter Milan striker Sebastiano Esposito.

Esposito is on-loan at FCB and caused controversy after refusing to enter the pitch as a second-half substitute in the Europa Conference League tie with Qarabag.

“He himself knows that this must not happen and that he is doing enormous damage to himself and the club," Degen stated of the incident.

“However, something had been building up for weeks," he added. “He had trouble with injuries for a long time and was very impatient."

“He's not a bad young man, in fact he has a great disposition and is very professional," he added, “he doesn't allow himself to get into trouble, he doesn't go to parties."

Degen went on that “When he's in a good mood, he can decide matches. But he is also a boy who must be given close guidance."

He added that “I want to have strong characters in the team, and not just yes-men for everything. Esposito has suffered enormously from the incident and has learned a lot. But he is not an enfant terrible."