Aleksandar Stankovic returns to Inter from Club Brugge (from www.inter.it)
In his first interview since returning to Inter after a successful year with Club Brugge in Belgium, Aleksandar Stankovic spoke about the prospect of following in his father Dejan’s footsteps at the San Siro, saying he considers Federico Dimarco and fellow player Pio Esposito to be as close as “brothers”.
Stankovic follows in his father’s footsteps: “It’s my dream to play for Inter”
Stankovic became Inter’s first signing in the summer transfer window at the beginning of June. He returned to the Nerazzurri from Club Brugge for a fee of 23 million euros..
The 20-year-old midfielder joined Club Brugge last summer in a deal worth €9.5 million, but Inter retained a buy-out option, which was activated after an excellent season in Belgium.
Inter announced Stanković’s contract on June 5th, but only “unveiled” him in front of the club media on Tuesday, July 7th.
“It is impossible to express in words. It is thanks to Inter that I started playing football and my dream was to play at San Siro. I am still processing this feeling,” the Serbian international said in his first interview regarding the club. Website.
Stanković said of his time in Belgium: “It was a great experience. I learned a lot on and off the pitch. Club Brugge is a great club. They are very focused on developing young players in every aspect and they helped me a lot. I will always be grateful to them.”
Stanković is best known for coaching midfielders under Nerazzurri head coach Cristian Chivu when he was in charge of the club’s youth teams.
“He had a huge influence on my career. He coached me when I was still a Primavera kid and just starting to play serious football,” Stanković said.
“He taught me a lot on and off the pitch. He made me truly understand what football is all about and that if you want to win, what you produce on the pitch ultimately matters. I will always be grateful to him and I’m delighted to be working together again.”
Stankovic becomes the second member of his family to play for Inter, following in the footsteps of his father Dejan, who spent nine years at San Siro and was part of Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning team in 2009-10.
“He’s probably more excited than me, just like my brother and mother. For us, a family of Inter fans with a father who played for Inter and won everything here, this is really a dream come true. We’re all delighted and I think he’s proud of me too.”
Where does Stankovic think he fits under Chivu?
“Once I start working with the coach and understand his thinking, it will become clearer. I am sure that I have evolved since we were together at Primavera. I still have a lot to learn, but training with many top players will help me develop even more. I can’t wait to get started and I will do my best to help the team with the experience I have gained so far.”
Stankovic insists he doesn’t need much of a “settling period” given that he spent his entire youth career at Inter, playing alongside the likes of Pio Esposito.
“I speak regularly with Pio and Federico DiMarco. Federico is like a brother to me. We speak almost every day and there is a special bond. If I remember correctly, Pio and I first played together in the U-12s, so he is also like a brother to me.”
Finishing with a final message to the Nerazzurri supporters, Stanković said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing them in the stadium again, this time not as a supporter but as a player. I want to give them lots of support and I can’t wait to hear them chant my name.”
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