Kristjan Asllani prepares for Italy-Albania: a match that cannot be normal for him. “I would be telling a lie if I said that it was, also because I play against many teammates – he told Corriere della Sera -. It’s just a shame about the very tough group, but we want to do well and open a cycle to try to qualify for the World Cup. Me in the blue national team? The Under 21 coach came to Empoli, but I never received a call. I wouldn’t have changed anyway: I consider myself Albanian and it is right that I play for Albania. Italy stronger with the Inter bloc? Yes. And clearly she is favored.”
Tied to Italy, but also to his native country. “My father arrived in Italy with the dinghy and tells me how hard life was in Albania. My mother had me when I was 18 and it wasn’t easy. They suffered a lot and what they did for me and my brother Leonardo who It’s 13 years old, it’s priceless: I feel like I can’t repay them, but I try – he says again – When I signed for Inter I brought everyone with me to Milan, also because everyone speaks well of the city, but at 21 years old, living there alone would have been a mess. My mother worked in a sweets factory, my father for the aqueduct company and in the summer he spent all day in the sun: now life has changed. I was Nerazzurri as a child? Yes, the passion was born from an uncle, a very Inter fan. But I also liked Kakà a lot.”
Among the key races of the season just ended there is a Fiorentina-Inter in which Asllani he played as a starter. “I felt it a lot, I hadn’t played from the first minute for some time and Juve were very close to us: there was a bit of stress – he says -. Season of growth? Without a doubt. I have a great player in front of me like Hakan, from which I try to learn every day, also for the person he is. Seeing him and Calha train was one of the best things that could have happened to me. My playing time at Inter? I understood that even if you play three minutes, you have to be ready. But I also improved in the defensive phase, on which I worked a lot. And in the ball game: being with the best champions in everything.”
Also Lautaro it has been a point of reference so far. Self Calhanoglu he used the “carrot” more with him, the Argentine also used the “stick”. “Of course, but I thank him because he talks to me a lot, especially off the pitch. I don’t want to tell you what he told me but he helped me a lot. He did well to use the stick. Inzaghi? He knows when to come and talk to you and when it’s not the moment: it helps me a lot.”
Some teammates will be opponents tomorrow. “Stretcher: quality and quantity. It is one of the strongest in the world and I hope there will be tomorrow. Sticks: elegance. Marco’s: fairy foot. Darmian: our prince. Frattesi: stupid! No, I’m joking (laughs). Great physical strength and a great friend: I heard it, let’s hope he doesn’t score with us. What if we help each other? We talk often, he also has very strong players up front at Inter and he must be happy with his season. He is a great professional.”
