His name is Francesco Pio Esposito, one of the latest talents produced by Inter’s youth academy and currently on loan to Spezia in Serie B for the second consecutive year. After scoring four goals with the U21 National Team against San Marino in early September, the striker also scored a brace in the last league match against Carrarese.
However, this is not a surprise for those who have always known him and have witnessed step by step the exponential growth of the latest member of the Esposito dynasty that Inter recently secured with a contract extension until June 2027.
Esposito Inter
Football, for Francesco Pio, is a family matter. The young attacker born in 2005 is indeed the youngest of three brothers raised in the Nerazzurri youth sector. The first, Salvatore, after a very long apprenticeship in Serie B with Spal and some appearances in Serie A, is one of the fixed points of Spezia.
More famous and recent, then, the second of the three brothers: Sebastiano Esposito. After winning over Antonio Conte and growing under the protective wing of his friend Lukaku in the 2019/20 season, the 2002-born striker had the strength to leave Inter in a series of fluctuating loans. Now he seems to have found his dimension at Empoli thanks to an exciting start to the season.
Pio Esposito skills and characteristics
Francesco Pio, as one can guess, grew up mostly in the footsteps of Sebastiano. Both, in addition to playing the same role, have shared many years together in Inter’s youth team. Compared to his brother, the class of 2005 is a forward certainly more physical, a characteristic that allows him to be able to withstand even the weight of the entire department alone.
Having grown up as a child in Inter’s youth team, he has honed a great ability in the air game that makes him an excellent header. He fulfills the functions required of a modern center-forward, wandering across the entire front so as not to leave reference points for his opponents, thus creating spaces for his teammates’ entries. An excellent penalty area poacher, he is endowed with a good finish and coordination in flight.
Esposito Career
Originally born as a trequartista, he was advanced over the years and turned into a real number nine. Where he can likely improve before taking a further step is probably in the ability to think like a striker for all 90 minutes. Personality and sense of responsibility in the character do not lack, as already shown in Primavera.
In the last two years things have changed a lot for Esposito: first the U-20 World Cup with Italy, then the victory of the U-19 European championship have cast the spotlight on his talent. Subsequently, Spezia bet on him. In his first real year as a professional in Serie B he ended with 3 goals in 38 appearances, including a decisive one for the Ligurian team’s survival on the last day against Venezia. This year, instead, he started very strong: already 3 goals in 5 league appearances and a poker with the U21 National Team.
Pio Esposito Curiosities
Among the curiosities about Francesco Pio Esposito, the press conference of his brother Salvatore in June 2023 in Coverciano, during commitments with the Italian National Team, should be mentioned. On the great tradition of football players in the Esposito family he had indeed reported: “We were lucky to have a pitch under our house and this helped us a lot… The youngest one is the strongest, it is always said so”.
