🤩 Carboni, Chivu’s protégé, ignored by Inzaghi: can he reclaim Inter? 🤔 | OneFootball

"Seeing him happy really pleases me": Cristian Chivu expressed great satisfaction to DAZN's microphones for the goal scored by Valentin Carboni.

The Argentine, together with Francesco Pio Esposito, is one of the names launched by the Romanian coach in Inter's youth sector who are now finding space in his team.

It was he who decided the match against Urawa Red Diamonds in the 92nd minute, on his return after eight months out due to injury.

So let's find out who the hero of last night's match in Seattle is.

"Chivu's Son"?

Perhaps it's no coincidence that Chivu's first victory on the Nerazzurri bench came thanks to a goal from Valentin Carboni, his first goal with the first team jersey.

It's no coincidence because Carboni is among Chivu's "sons" in the squad called up for the Club World Cup, together with Francesco Pio Esposito.

Under Chivu's guidance in the youth sector, Carboni made 39 appearances, also scoring 7 goals and winning the Primavera title in the 2021/22 season.

The Debut with Inzaghi and Tactical Incompatibility

The 2022/23 season saw Carboni make his debut with the first team: several benches in Serie A, but only five brief appearances under Simone Inzaghi, for a total of 21 minutes.

The match in which he played the most was in the Champions League: 14 minutes in the 2-0 defeat against Bayern Munich, with the result already decided.

Inzaghi had spoken of the player as the "future of Inter," but seemed reluctant to use him and then to keep him, even when Lionel Scaloni began testing him in the national team (two friendlies at the start of 2024 and his competitive debut against Peru in the Copa América, after the player had represented Italy at youth level).

A lack of playing time perhaps due to a perceived tactical incompatibility between Carboni, who gives his best as an attacking midfielder, and the 3-5-2 formation that has become Simone Inzaghi's trademark.

The Loans and the Injury

Unable to find space in the first team, Carboni was sent out on loan, first to Monza, then to Olympique Marseille.

In Brianza, he gradually earned more minutes, scoring his first Serie A goal against none other than Juventus: as last night, it was a goal scored in the 92nd minute and could have been decisive.

In fact, it was the equalizer, later nullified by Gatti's subsequent goal for the final 2-1 win for the Bianconeri.

His loan to Olympique Marseille was unlucky: only four games before having to end the season due to a partial cruciate ligament tear suffered in training on October 11, 2024, forcing him to return to base injured.

Season seemingly over. At least, until last night: a crucial goal and a victory snatched for the one who launched him.

In short, a night to remember for Valentin Carboni: "I think it's a reward for the efforts made in these months, it's what motivates me to play football, which is what I've known how to do since I was little. I was a bit emotional for the goal, it's a nice reward for me and for the team. It's a very big emotion because these have been difficult months in which I suffered a lot".

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 JUAN MABROMATA - AFP or licensors