Pisa Manager Hints At Potential Summer Swoop For Inter Milan Teen Prodigy: 'Very Strong'
Pisa coach Filippo Inzaghi praised Inter Milan loanee Francesco Pio Esposito ahead of a potential summer swoop.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Trevi Fountain via FCInterNews, Pippo waxed lyrical about the 19-year-old starlet.
Filippo Inzaghi has helped Pisa earn a heavily anticipated Serie A promotion for the first time in over 30 years.
As a result, he will try to reinforce his squad to make them competitive in Italy's elite division next season.
Meanwhile, the 51-year-old has gained recognition for his impressive success with Pisa.
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi was among the first to congratulate his brother for this historic achievement.
'I received many messages, but my brother's was the most appreciated,' Pippo admitted. 'We talk about everything, especially football.
'I'll be in Munich for the Champions League final.'
Unlike Pisa, Spezia must navigate the dreaded playoffs to secure a coveted top-flight return.
Any failed attempt to do so would likely see Francesco Pio Esposito leave Stadio Alberto Picco in the coming months.
Despite Spezia's great desire to keep the youngster on board, Inter want their rising start to feature in Serie A.
Therefore, a potential loan to Pisa could be on the cards.
'Very strong,' Pisa boss Inzaghi replied when asked to describe the Italian teenager.
'Along with Tramoni, they were the players who made the difference for their respective teams.
'He impressed me, he's ready for Serie A. Strong mentally, fast, he's ready. He did amazing things.
'Sometimes young players have to make the right choices. I think he aspires for the best and will get to Inter.
'But as a young player, he needs to play.
'When I was young, I always tried to play.'
Esposito has enjoyed a dream Serie B campaign, netting 16 goals across 34 appearances.
In doing so, he has soaked up the limelight as Spezia's standout performer.
Furthermore, only Sassuolo Armand Lauriente has netted more goals in the second tier than him.
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Pep Lijnders Brings Liverpool Secrets To Manchester City Training
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 22: Pep Lijnders, assistant coach at Manchester City speaks Rayan Ait-Nouri ... More of Manchester City after the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Manchester City FC and Al Ain FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) It's always easier to diagnose the problem after the fact. So, in soccer, where so many intangible or secret factors influence a team's performance during a 90-minute game, speculation about when a team suddenly declines is almost limitless. Yet, when viewed in hindsight, Manchester City's horror season last year resulted from a whole host of decisions that look wildly risky in retrospect. While the ageing squad is the most obvious area the Citizens failed to address, in the post-season, another major weakness has been exposed: a misfiring backroom staff. 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An older, wiser figure, Lillo never spoke much English and certainly did not acquire a reputation comparable to Mikel Arteta, who was touted as an elite coach quite early into his City career. So, it is significant that his replacement comes with notoriety, which makes the appointment controversial. Pep Lijnders was part of the fabric at bitter rivals Liverpool, making his name as Jurgen Klopp's enthusiastic assistant coach. Guardiola called the ex-Liverpool manager before hiring his number two, demonstrating the significance of crossing the divide. 'We had a conversation with Jurgen, but not about Pep Lijnders,' Guardiola explained. 'We just talked on another subject, as always, we had a long conversation, and in a certain moment, I suggested I was thinking about Pep, and he gave his opinion. 'It was, of course, so high, he was his right-hand in one of the most successful periods of Liverpool in their last years. 'Then, after I took the time to decide, to reflect, I then decided to get in touch with Pep. 'Of course, he was in Salzburg and had experience with Liverpool for many years. I asked permission from Jurgen, of course, because I didn't want to interfere much. 'I said to him, 'Would it be a problem to talk to him?' and he said absolutely not. 'We talked a bit then, and in one or two days we decided, 'let's try'. 'I'm fortunate, the assistant managers I had in my career, since Barcelona, Bayern, and here I've had a lot, wow, everyone helped me incredibly.' New Energy ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 22: Pep Guardiola the head coach / manager of Manchester City with ... More Assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Manchester City FC and Al Ain FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) As senior football writer for The Independent, Richard Jolly pointed out in an article on the move that the appointment will bring a different energy than Lillo. 'At 42, Lijnders is 17 years younger than the wizened Spaniard, with a Premier League pedigree, multilingual skills – speaking Spanish and Portuguese – and bringing an energy Klopp appreciated as he aged,' he wrote. 'That City struggled with the physicality of many an opponent last season could give an added reason to appoint a coach responsible for some Liverpool sides who were primed to outrun anyone. 'A theme of Guardiola's career has been his ability to win with different assistants, starting with Tito Vilanova at Barcelona. At City, he has been joined by Mikel Arteta, Brian Kidd, Domenec Torrent, Rodolfo Borrell, Enzo Maresca and Lillo.' Lijnders' arrival is anticipated to mark a shift in City's strategy, which would be fascinating if true. Chief football writer at the BBC, Phil McNulty, is certainly expecting Guardiola's side to crank the dial up a few notches with Jurgen Klopp's ex-assistant on board. '[Lijnders] called his book 'Intensity,' and this is certainly something Manchester City lacked last season, so maybe we can expect more of that this term,' he wrote. 'Guardiola has always been open to introducing new ideas and voices into his backroom team, so this is another one of those occasions. 'He will stick to his successful strategy of possession, but maybe he does feel his team need to hear a new voice and play with more of the intensity that Lijnders sets so much store by.' There are indications that this is already translating to the training fields of America, where Manchester City is competing in the inaugural Club World Cup. According to an article by the well-informed Daily Mail journalist Jack Gaughan, during one such session, '19 members of staff are within the perimeter of the pitch, helping in some way, and there comes booming encouragement in a way that hasn't always been evident during City training. 'Peripheral members of the backroom setup are screaming positive reinforcement. It's loud; it's more in your face. It's presenting an energy. 'Everything has, according to sources, doubled. The intensity is up, the staff are 'on them' more, and – at the moment – players are responding. Players are talking up multilingual Pep] Lijnders among themselves.' If sources quoted in the piece are to be believed, the players will welcome this level of enthusiasm. Gaughan's article suggests the squad was bemused by the lack of communication from backroom staff last season. In the past, supporting coaches would instigate one-on-one chats to explain Guardiola's thinking; however, it was claimed last year that this didn't occur. It's hard to imagine Lijnders being so passive.
