Ex-Inter and Italy midfielder could have played for ‘Barcelona or Man City’ without injries
Former Inter and Italy midfielder Stefano Sensi admits he could have played for Barcelona or Manchester City if it wasn’t for his frequent injuries and explains how Novak Djokovic’s book ‘Serve to Win’ helped him recover his best shape.
Former Inter midfielder Sensi, now an Anorthosis player in the Cyprus League, gave an interview to Gazzetta dello Sport about his unfortunate career, marred by numerous injuries.
The 30-year-old joined the Cypriot side as a free agent last summer after the end of his contract with Monza.
“I’m doing well, and I’m having fun. I really needed it. I play 90 minutes per game, and I’m in top physical condition, and I’ve made friends with many Cypriots,” he said.
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“The fans are incredibly passionate, and the coach is [Mauro] Camoranesi. He arrived here midway through the season. I didn’t know him, and I’ve discovered a beautiful person and a great coach. After months of speaking only English, thanks to him, I’ve been able to dust off my Italian.”
The Italian midfielder admitted that he does not miss living in Italy.
“Right now, no. I’m having the experience I wanted. I live in Larnaca, the quietest city on the island,” he said.
“I’m a quiet person; I don’t need to go partying. Obviously, getting here after living in Milan felt a bit strange.”
Sensi was regarded as one of the best Italian midfielders in 2019, when he joined Inter from Sassuolo in a €25m deal.
“It’s such a great memory; a milestone that made me proud. I still think about the day they signed me,” he said.
“I was on holiday in Formentera, and my agent surprisingly called me, saying that Ausilio wanted to talk to me. My legs were shaking. I knew everyone would be proud of me back home.”
Sensi had a tremendous impact at San Siro, scoring three goals and providing four assists in his opening six games with the Nerazzurri under Antonio Conte.
The Italian was among the best players on the pitch in Inter’s 2-1 loss away at Barcelona in the Champions League group stage in October 2019, so both the Catalans and Manchester City began following him.
“Yes, surely. Certain clubs follow you because they see something important,” he said.
“Then we know what happened, and it’s okay; there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Just four days after that performance in Barcelona, Sensi sustained the first of his many injuries at Inter. Which clubs could he have played for without all his fitness problems?
“It’s hard to say; many things have happened—perhaps Barcelona or Manchester City, or maybe still at Inter,” he replied.
Sensi played only 57 matches with Inter before joining Sampdoria and Monza on loan.
“My wife convinced me to continue and not give up. If I could go back in time, I’d immediately hire a mental coach,” he said.
“I found one three years ago, and I can’t do without him now. You need the right balance; mental coaches are important, but footballers must trust them.”
Sensi also took inspiration from a book.
“I was talking to my friends about my situation when I heard about ‘Serve to Win’, the book in which Djokovic explained how much he suffered and how he managed to solve his physical problems,” he revealed.
“I bought it and read it. I saw a lot of myself in his story and started following his example. I ate only gluten-free, lactose-free foods and avoided sugar. Before long, I began to feel fit again and, in fact, my injuries became far less frequent.”
The 30-year-old was supposed to be in the Italy squad for the 2021 Euros, but a new injury forced Roberto Mancini to remove him from the team.
“I owe him [Mancini] so much. The national team is not for everyone, and Mancini called me up when I was still playing for Sassuolo,” Sensi concluded.
“He started me in place of Jorginho, and I immediately felt his trust. Unfortunately, I got injured in the final round of the season. The coach told me to go to Coverciano anyway, but I couldn’t recover in time, and I didn’t win the Euros.”