_34_(cropped).jpg) Bastoni in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alessandro Bastoni[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1999-04-13)13 April 1999 (age 25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Casalmaggiore, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Inter Milan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 95 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2016 | Atalanta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Atalanta | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Inter Milan | 175 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | →Atalanta (loan) | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | →Parma (loan) | 24 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Italy U15 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Italy U16 | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Italy U17 | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Italy U18 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Italy U19 | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Italy U21 | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | Italy | 35 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 April 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 March 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alessandro BastoniCavaliere OMRI (born 13 April 1999) is an Italian professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forSerie A clubInter Milan and theItaly national team. Considered one of the best centre-backs in the world, he is known for his well-timed tackles and ball playing ability. He is widely known for giving accurate long passes from the back and versatility . His tall physicality allows him to be great in clearances and aerial duels[2][3]
Bastoni was born inCasalmaggiore,Lombardy, and began his career in the local Rivarolo Mantovano youth side, where his father was coach.[4] At the age of 7, he joined the youth side ofSerie A clubAtalanta.
Bastoni progressed through various age groups atBergamo, including making nearly 30 appearances for the under-17 side, before eventually progressing to thePrimavera side, where he established himself as a regular starter at the centre of defence. He was named on the first-team bench for the first time on 30 October 2016, for the game againstGenoa, and made his full debut a month later in theCoppa Italia game againstPescara, playing the full game in a 3–0 victory.[5] InSerie A, Bastoni remained as an unused substitute for the six games after Genoa until making his debut in a 1–0 win overSampdoria on 22 January 2017, playing full 90 minutes.[6]
On 31 August 2017,Inter Milan announced the signing of Bastoni for €31 million,[7] and on the same day, his loan at Atalanta for the next two seasons.[8] Inter officially recalled defender Alessandro Bastoni early from his loan with Atalanta and renewed his contract until 2023 on 14 July 2018.[9]
On 7 August 2018, Bastoni joinedParma on loan until 30 June 2019.[10] He made his debut on 7 October 2018, in the league match won 3–1 away againstGenoa.
Bastoni has been capped by Italy at every level fromU15 toU19. His first international goal came in a 4–0 win overNorway whilst playing for the under-16 team. He was first called up to the under-18 side by coachPaolo Nicolato in August 2016,[11] and was made captain in his second game; a 2–2 draw withthe Netherlands. He was called up to the Italy under-19 side by coach Paolo Nicolato on 9 August 2017 at the age of 18.
He made his debut with theItaly U21 team on 11 October 2018, in a friendly match lost 1–0 againstBelgium. He became immediately a starter and he took part in the2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship on home soil.[12]
Bastoni received his first call up to thesenior Italy squad from managerRoberto Mancini, for theUEFA Nations League matches against Bosnia Herzegovina and Netherlands in September 2020.[13] He made his senior debut for Italy on 11 November, starting in a 4–0 friendly win againstEstonia in Florence.[14][15][16]
In June 2021, Bastoni was included in Italy's squad forUEFA Euro 2020.[17] He made his first and only appearance of the tournament in Italy's final group match, starting in a 1–0 victory againstWales in Rome on 20 June; the result allowed them to top their group.[18] On 11 July, Bastoni won the European Championship with Italy following a 3–2penalty shoot-out victory overEngland atWembley Stadium in thefinal, after a 1–1 draw inextra-time.[19]
On 14 June 2022, in Italy's fourth group match of theUEFA Nations League, Bastoni scored his first international goal in a 5–2 away loss toGermany.[20]
In June 2024, Bastoni was included in Italy's final squad forUEFA Euro 2024 by managerLuciano Spalletti.[21] On 15 June, in Italy's opening group match of the tournament againstAlbania, he scored Italy's temporary equaliser as they came from behind to win the match 2–1.[22] Italy were eliminated from the tournament in the round of 16 following a 2–0 loss toSwitzerland.[23]
A left–footed defender, Bastoni started his career as afull-back, but is also capable of playing as acentre-back, a role in which he became increasingly deployed as his career progressed. He is mainly known for his passing ability and ball control, while his height and ability to exploit spaces allows him to be effective in the air, which makes him a goal threat from indirectset–pieces.[16][24][25][26] Regarded as a promising young player in the media, in 2020, he was included in the list of "Fifty for the future: UEFA.com's ones to watch."[27][28] Known for his ability to time his challenges and his calmness under pressure, in 2024 he was included in 90min.com's list of "the 25 best centre-backs in world football."[2][3]
DuringSimone Inzaghi's time as a manager atInter Milan, Bastoni became a starting left center-back in the 3–5–2 formation and formed a formidable partnership with a left wing-backFederico Dimarco, which the two carried over into the national team. Despite his nominal role of a defender playing in the back-three, Bastoni often makes overlapping runs on the left side, linking up with either Dimarco or other players in close proximity, and is capable of providing bending crosses into the opposition's penalty area, which led him to assist a number of his team's goals.[29][30]
Due to high presence of other left-footed center-backs in the national team, namelyFrancesco Acerbi,Alessandro Buongiorno, andRiccardo Calafiori, Bastoni also plays in the middle of a back-three or even as a right-sided center-back in the back-four. When playing in this role, he is usually compared toLeonardo Bonucci due to his ability to provide accurate long passes from the back.[31]
Bastoni's father, Nicola, was also a footballer, who played as a left–back forCremonese.[32] On 21 January 2022 his long-time partner gave birth to a daughter, who was named Azzurra.[33]
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Atalanta | 2016–17 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Atalanta (loan) | 2017–18 | Serie A | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Parma (loan) | 2018–19 | Serie A | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 1 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2019–20 | Serie A | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5[a] | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | |
| 2020–21 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 44 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 46 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9[b] | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 42 | 1 | ||
| Total | 174 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 243 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 205 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 276 | 6 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2020 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 June 2022 | Borussia-Park,Mönchengladbach, Germany | 15 |  Germany | 2–5 | 2–5 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 2 | 15 June 2024 | Westfalenstadion,Dortmund, Germany | 24 |  Albania | 1–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
Inter Milan
Italy
Individual
Italy squads | |||||||||||||
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