Bastoni says Turkey goal can help Italy recover from World Cup play-off trauma

Alessandro Bastoni says he feels indebted to the Italian people after helping Italy beat Turkey 4-1 in Bursa on Monday in the second round of Group A in the Nations League.

The Inter Milan defender, restored to the starting line-up after completing his suspension, scored against Turkey after being sent off in Italy’s shock defeat by Bosnia, a result that saw them fail in the World Cup qualifying play-off.

Bastoni said he hoped his goal would help the national team recover from what he described as the “bottom” of a difficult period.

“It was inevitable that my mind would go back to that play-off night,” Bastoni told Rai Sport. “I will be indebted to the Italian people for the next four years.

“When I face difficult situations, I only look for a way out with my head held high and I take responsibility.”

The 26-year-old said Italy had endured challenging years but were determined to rebuild their reputation.

“We have been through difficult times in recent years, but we want to get back on our feet,” he added.

Bastoni also called for greater patience as a young Italy side continues to develop.

“All we ask for is some balance and patience when assessing this national team, where there are many young players who want to learn,” he said.

He acknowledged the pressure created by public criticism, particularly on social media, and urged supporters to direct their frustration towards more experienced figures rather than younger members of the squad.

“I think it is about attitude, because in Italy it is not easy to live with social media when you hear all kinds of things being said to you,” said Bastoni.

“That is why I ask the fans to blame those who are older and more aware, not the young players.”

Despite the emphatic result against Turkey, Bastoni warned Italy not to allow the victory to create excessive confidence.

“We are still generally a young team, we have quality and we want to prove what we can do,” he said.

“But we must not get overly excited now. We also did that after some successes last year, and then we saw what happened.

“Still, it is good to feel happy from time to time.”