WHAT A NUMBER FOR KOVACIC

The shirt and football without fear. Pride of a number 10.
Impresses in the first training session: transfer documents are coming.
Perhaps Strama will take him to Siena.

Appiano Gentile – The number 10 shirt that fills with pride and responsibility (and one that is already on sale in the store just outside of Pinetina and other shops). The caress of Marco Branca. A luxurious translator as Kuzmanovic. But above all lots and lots of personality shown right away despite the fact that he only entered in this crazy world two days ago. To see Mateo Kovacic during his first training session with Inter, you would not say that he is 18 years old, one that until Wednesday was in Bosnia with Dinamo Zagreb.

Chat with Strama He has the right mind set at a big club that’s for sure. Yesterday, the first training session for Inter was set at 10 am int he morning, Kovacic arrived at Appiano Gentile well before 9 on a vehicle provided by the club. On board, other than his manager, there was also Kuzmanovic who moved in the same hotel with Mateo so that he can be near the 18 year-old during his first few days in Milan. After telephone contact on Thursday, there was the first real conversation with Starmaccioni yesterday – Mateo speaks very good English as well as German, he was born in Linz, Austria where his parents still reside – before casual meetings with his new teammates with whom he had lunch with.

Personality Then everyone went on the field to the orders of the coach who in the training match fielded two new signings in mirror positions. Kovacic, in fact, was placed in the team of the supposed reserves and he played in front of the defense. He impressed everyone with his personality: repeatedly calling for the ball, always clear what to do well before he got it. Inside and outside, with his right foot, he showed that he is already comfortable. Before returning to the dressing room, Kovacic received the caress of the technical director Marco Branca who attended the training on the sideline.

Shirt, transfer and national team Having received the number 10 shirt, a decision endorsed by Inter president, the 18 year-old is obviously very flattered. People that know this very religious kid well ensure that he is not a big headed type of person. Regardless of age, we must give him time to settle. And here is why Inter are working with the Croatian Federation to have Mateo exempted from the friendly with South Korea in London next Wednesday. When he was still at Dinamo Zagreb, his name was already in the pre-invitation list for this match but given the recent developments, hopefully there will be a little understanding. Another issue that Inter are working on is the transfer documents for the Croatian. The Nerazzurri are still waiting but they can breath a certain optimism. Those of Kuzmanovic have already arrived.

The figure The investment for the player who is considered one of the greatest talents around has been one of the hottest topics recently. Despite the words of Dinamo president Zdravko Mamic (“We will get 13 million now, plus two more in bonus if Inter make it to the Champions League”), the club of Massimo Moratti – who provided a private plane to bring Mateo to Milan on Thursday morning – paid 11 million plus 4 in bonuses. Two million over the next four years if Inter qualify for the Champions League at least two times. The other two if Inter win two Scudetti in the next four and a half years. A few days before the blitz by Giuseppe Bozzo, Manchester City offered 11 million but the response from Dinamo was that Kovacic was not for sale. He was…