Bastoni: In Italy defeat is tragic, we should learn from the NBA | OneFootball

The Inter defender opens up about sports culture, media pressure, and the still-open wound of the Champions League final.

Bastoni beyond football: “In Italy, defeat is a tragedy. We should learn from the NBA how to live with it”

Alessandro Bastoni chooses the pages of RivistaUndici to speak candidly, revealing a more reflective side compared to the image of the solid and determined defender everyone knows. The Inter player starts with a surprising comparison: the world of the NBA. “What I envy most about that world is knowing how to accept defeat,” he explains. “Here, a defeat seems like the end of the world. They play so much that losing is normal; you can’t always be at your best. There’s always another chance to prove your worth.”

Bastoni then broadens the discussion to the relationship between athletes and fans, a topic often underestimated: “In America, athletes can express themselves freely without being attacked. In the USA, they’re ahead of us.” Words that highlight a deep cultural divide, where freedom of speech in European football remains fragile. In the second part of the interview, Bastoni revisits the Champions League final lost against PSG, a match that still weighs on him. “It was a strange thing. They were going at twice our speed. We didn’t realize how strong they were.” And yet, despite the disappointment, there remains pride: “Two finals in three years are not to be taken for granted. These are experiences we’ll always carry with us,” concluded the Inter and Italian national team defender.

Antonio Karol Giordano

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