Klinsmann, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, stated that Serie A gives young players too little playing time, but that Pio Esposito is an exception, and compared his playing style to that of Haaland.

How mature is Esposito currently?

He still has a lot of room for improvement. Players develop through playing time and matches, and must seize every opportunity. I'm very pleased he's getting playing time now. As a striker, development means consistently scoring goals and gradually maturing through experience and accumulated data. Young players need to play and must have the chance to make mistakes, because we grow through making mistakes. It's also a matter of culture and philosophy, and in this regard, Italy is generally somewhat behind.

More specifically, in which areas?

Unfortunately, overall, you give too little playing time to young players. Fortunately, Pio is an exception; everyone can see that when he plays, he performs exceptionally. Haaland was already a starter at 17, 18 years old, and Esposito resembles him somewhat.

Which of Esposito's abilities do you appreciate most?

He's excellent with both feet, good at finding space in the box, and also good at combining with teammates. He can distribute the ball on both flanks, participate in the overall team play, and then score goals. Pio is a typical number nine centre-forward. Strikers are ultimately always measured by statistics and goals throughout their careers. For a number nine centre-forward, the only thing that matters is goals. Once your career is finished, people will always ask how many goals you scored. We centre-forwards live for goals our entire lives. Even if I play 11 versus 11 with players over 55 years old now, I still only want to score goals.

In which other areas can Esposito improve?

With maturity, a player's tactical awareness and game-reading ability will improve, and his touch will become more refined. Pio still has plenty of room for growth, and it will be exciting to watch him develop in the years to come.

Esposito is currently replacing Thuram, who is returning from injury. Can he take Thuram's starting position?

The Champions League demands everyone; there's no doubt about that. Lautaro is a cornerstone player, and also a leader and captain. I hope Marcus and Pio will get playing time to show what they can do and maintain their match fitness. If Inter Milan wants to progress further in Europe, both are essential. But it will be difficult for Marcus to get playing time now, because if Pio continues to perform this well, you can't leave him on the bench for long. He is the future of Inter Milan and the Italian national team.

Inter Milan's team has superior quality; what are their prospects?

This team can sometimes change formation. They don't always have to play with a three-centre-back system; with Darmian or Bisseck on the right, the team can switch to a back four. When the opponent has only one striker, there's no need to keep three centre-backs. With Lautaro and two strikers like Pio or Thuram, the team can also play 4-4-2. The team also has wingers. In the Champions League, Inter Milan can surprise opponents by changing their playing style, because all the top teams now know Inter Milan very well, so appropriate adjustments will help.

Will Chivu also face difficulties managing a team where players could be dissatisfied?

The dressing room ultimately depends on the players themselves; they decide how much they want to win. Chivu is a very good person and an excellent coach, but he cannot play for the players. Respect, fighting spirit, and desire all depend on the players.

Is Inter Milan overrated?

I hope everyone has an excellent season in the league, although Inter Milan is indeed the favorite for the title. But Inter Milan's responsibility is to perform well in the Champions League against strong teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich, and deliver excellent performances in European competition.

Traduit par IA.

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