APPIANO GENTILE – The last InterNos show of the season welcomed Inter Primavera youngsters Enrico Baldini, Fabio Della Giovanna and Andrei Radu into the studio on Thursday for a Q&A session with the Nerazzurri fans.
There was only one place to start: the incredible Primavera Coppa Italia win. Described as "an indescribable feeling" by Radu, the match was an experience that team captain Della Giovanna will never forget: "I remember having played a few pre-season games at San Siro when I was younger, but I’d never been involved in such an important match there before."
All three youngsters are aiming to break into the Inter first team at some point, but Della Giovanna was under no illusions as to the size of the task: "You need years of experience, plus there’s a big step up from our league to the first team. It would be very hard right now, especially given how competitive Serie A is."
The players also spoke about what life is like as a Nerazzurri academy product.
"You try to build a strong group during the pre-season training camps. It’s important to get to know the new arrivals," explained Baldini.
"It only took me a few months to learn Italian because I spent so much time with the other lads, plus it’s pretty similar to Romanian," added Radu.
"Being an Inter player is a massive responsibility. This is one of the biggest clubs in Europe," said Della Giovanna.
Radu also spoke about who had inspired him to make it as a goalkeeper: "Samir, of course. I also really like David De Gea – I study the way he plays because he’s one of the best."
Baldini’s inspiration was a little closer to home, meanwhile: his brother.
"We always used to play outside our house – he’s seven years older than me. I was already playing with him at the age of three and a half and I never looked back from there. My idol now is Cristiano Ronaldo."
Last but not least, Della Giovanna spoke about the importance of the captain’s role: "Being the captain means you get to lift the trophy when your team wins, but it also means taking responsibility when you lose."