Inter boss Cristian Chivu has been quizzed on Alessandro Bastoni’s future after his red card for Italy in midweek and amid interest from Barcelona.
Bastoni has been told “he’ll have to find a club abroad” after riling supporters with his red card as the Azzurri’s World Cup dreams were ended by Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Yet Chivu says he would be happy for Bastoni to stay at San Siro with Inter.
“What matters is the respect of your teammates, your work, and who you are as a human being. Alessandro is sorry
for what happened but is happy with the support of his teammates in the national team and at Inter,” he told a press conference.
“He showed up on the pitch with everything he had to represent an entire country. He tried to fulfill the dream of the Italians and, despite his physical condition, he made himself available to play. And this means a lot to me, as a man of sports. I repeat: Bastoni spent 10 days on crutches and still took on the responsibility of playing.
“I can’t control his future or what he wants to do. I only know that he’s very happy to be at Inter and part of this wonderful group. He’s always given 100%, that’s what matters to me; in fact, as long as he’s here, he’ll give more than 100% for us.
“Whether it’s for two months or two years…Regardless of what he does, world football will always enjoy a high-quality player. I’d be happy if he stayed, but I’d be happy to stay too. These are the uncertainties in football, for a coach.”
Inter are believed to want around €60 million for Bastoni if he does leave, while Barcelona have reportedly seen an initial bid of €45m rejected.
