Padelli: “I’ve been an Inter fan forever, but now the most important thing is to stay at home and respect the rules.”

MILAN ­– In our newest installment of the video chats with Nerazzurri players, today it was Daniele Padelli’s turn to virtually open the doors of his home and answer the many questions sent in by fans on Inter’s social media profiles. From his Nerazzurri faith to his emotions in the #DerbyMilano, the ‘keeper revealed a lot about himself and started by addressing the current situation: “We hope to get out of this situation as soon as possible, I’m at home with my wife and children, and I’m taking the opportunity to enjoy being with them, but I’m aware that this is a tragic moment for Italy and the world and my thoughts go out to those who are suffering right now. The only way to get through this is to stay at home and respect the rules.”

Then he talked about matters on the pitch: “Replacing Samir is really tough, because he’s not just anybody, but maybe the best ‘keeper in Europe right now. Doing it fills me with pride but of course there’s also a lot of pressure, because you have to try to live up to him and it’s an arduous task. I’ve experienced a lot of emotions at Inter, even from the bench, such as the match against Lazio that meant we returned to the Champions League. Then, there are also the emotions I’ve experience on the pitch, even in this recent period, such as the Derby: I’d already played that game seven or eight times in my head, and it wasn’t easy but at the end there was an outburst of joy. These are the moments that I’ll remember forever, because this has always been my dream. Wearing the Inter shirt fills me with pride, as well as my family, because of all the sacrifices we’ve made.”

On his career: “I was born and raised in an Inter family, my friends also support Inter, so I’ve always been a Nerazzurri. I started playing football aged seven, first I tried other sports like basketball and karate, but I chose football. At the beginning I didn’t play in goal, I did that when I was 13, and until I was 16 I played in the age-group national teams, which is also what makes me proud. Being a goalkeeper is different, you’re the last man, nobody can help you and if you make a mistake it will lead to a goal, so you have to have a lot of resilience, especially after mistakes. You have to get up immediately and start making saves again. Before you take to the pitch, there’s a mixture of excitement and tension, it’s a special feeling that makes you feel alive. Then, from the warm-up you focus on the match.” My childhood idols? “Ever since I was a child, my dream has been to be a footballer. My childhood idols, being an Inter fan, were all the Nerazzurri ‘keepers: Pagliuca, Toldo, Frey, Julio Cesar, Zenga, all of them!”

There were also some questions about his relationship with his teammates: “Ranocchia and Berni are two wonderful people, our friendship is amazing, there’s a special bond between us. Handanovic makes things seem simple that in reality are not. You can see the way in which and how much he trains: his precision and the attention to detail makes you understand a lot. He is always thorough and is never satisfied with his talent, so he works to improve even the smallest aspects; he’s a top professional and has all my admiration.” The most irritable on the team? “There are a few actually, but it’s a good thing because when you get angry it’s even more fun to joke about it. If I had to name someone it would be D’Ambrosio, then maybe me!”