Francesco Pio Esposito, a promising talent from Inter Milan, has revealed the profound disappointment he felt after missing a penalty kick for the Italian national team in the World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The young forward shared his experience in an interview, discussing his emotional struggles and his proactive approach to personal growth, which includes working with a sports psychologist and pursuing an English language course.
Esposito Reflects on Italy’s World Cup Play-off Elimination
Speaking for the first time since Italy’s World Cup play-off exit, Pio Esposito described the immediate aftermath of his missed penalty. “I struggled to process the disappointment right away. I was staring at a fixed point and couldn’t understand what had happened. I felt crushed,” he confessed to Corriere della Sera.
The 20-year-old was the designated first penalty taker in the shootout but sent his shot over the crossbar. He elaborated on his immediate thoughts, stating, “The first thought was that I had let down my teammates, the people at home, friends and family. I’ll take penalties again, I’ll score some and miss some. That day, I was convinced I’d take the responsibility of going first. I felt confident, but then it went badly.”
Despite the outcome, Esposito acknowledged the team’s effort, saying, “I saw a team that gave everything, for the most part, down to ten men, creating several chances. It wasn’t enough, and it’s not enough. Italy has the obligation to qualify for the World Cup, and we have to take responsibility.”
Esposito, a product of the Inter academy, has had a strong season, contributing nine goals and six assists in 41 appearances across all competitions in his debut Serie A campaign. He is working closely with his former youth coach at Inter, Cristian Chivu, focusing on his development both on and off the pitch.
“For a few months now, I’ve been working with a sports psychologist,” Esposito revealed. “I open up, and he gives me practical advice. He helps me a lot, and I enjoy going deeper. After matches, I don’t sleep at all because of the adrenaline. I stay with the people I care about, I don’t play PlayStation, and now I’ve started an English course. I want to improve it.”
Esposito also commented on Inter Milan’s recent performance and the injury to teammate Lautaro Martinez. “We needed a convincing performance like that [against Roma], in addition to the win. There’s optimism, and we fully believe in it,” he said. Praising Martinez, Esposito added, “Lautaro is very complete, but what excites you is his passion and hunger. Even in training, he plays as if it were a World Cup Final.”