If you follow Serie A even casually, you’ve seen his name pop up constantly. Alessandro Bastoni. The calm, left-footed centre-back who glides out of defence like he’s got all the time in the world. The guy who chips a 50-yard diagonal to the wing while three strikers are breathing down his neck — and makes it look boring.
But who is Alessandro Bastoni, really? Where did he come from? What shaped him into the defender he is today? And what’s the story behind that famous number 95 shirt?
This is the full Alessandro Bastoni biography — his early life, his family, his remarkable career, his personal life, and everything in between. Let’s get into it.
Who Is Alessandro Bastoni? A Quick Overview
Alessandro Bastoni is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a left-sided centre-back for Inter Milan in Serie A and for the Italian national team. Born on April 13, 1999, in Casalmaggiore, Lombardy, he’s widely regarded as one of the finest defenders in world football.
He’s a two-time Serie A champion, a UEFA Euro 2020 winner, and a player who’s been named in the Champions League Team of the Season. And he’s only in his mid-twenties. Not bad for a kid who grew up memorizing the names of Serie A players before he could even kick a ball properly.
Alessandro Bastoni’s Early Life and Childhood
Born in Casalmaggiore — A Football Town at Heart
Casalmaggiore is a small comune in the province of Cremona, Lombardy. It’s not a glamorous city. It’s quiet, close-knit, agricultural — the kind of place where everybody knows everybody. But it’s also the kind of place where passion runs deep, especially for football.
Alessandro was born there on April 13, 1999, the second son in a family of five. Football wasn’t just something he eventually discovered. It was already woven into the fabric of his home before he could walk.
His Father Nicola Bastoni — The Man Who Started It All
You can’t tell Alessandro Bastoni’s story without spending serious time on his father, Nicola Bastoni. Nicola was a professional footballer himself — a left-back who played for Italian side Cremonese in the lower leagues. When his playing days ended, he transitioned into coaching youth football, taking charge of local clubs and eventually coaching the side where his sons would take their first footballing steps.
Growing up with a father who both played and coached the game meant Alessandro was absorbing football knowledge constantly. It wasn’t just watching matches on TV. It was dinner table conversations about defensive shape, watching training sessions, and kicking a ball from the moment he could stand. By the time he was barely a year old, family members recall how he could already recite the names of famous Serie A players — a party trick that hinted at an obsession that would define his entire life.
His older brother Luca also pursued a professional football career as a midfielder, playing across several Italian clubs. Alessandro has spoken openly about the role Luca played in his own development. They competed together, pushed each other, and built a bond that Alessandro carries with him literally every time he plays — more on that in a moment.
The Heartbreak of Losing Sister Agnese
This part of Bastoni’s story doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. In October 2015, Alessandro posted an emotional message on social media following the loss of his sister, Agnese. He was sixteen years old. The grief was raw and public, and it gave a glimpse into a side of Bastoni that most people never see: a deeply loving, family-first person underneath all the composure and professionalism.
He also has another sister, Michela, who works as a photographer and runs her own creative blogs. The Bastoni family, despite the tragedy, remained tight-knit — and that closeness is something Alessandro has credited repeatedly for keeping him grounded through the pressures of professional football.
From Local Pitches to Atalanta’s Academy at Age 7
Before the bright lights of Serie A, there was a local club called Cannatese. That’s where Alessandro took his very first steps in organized football — coached by none other than his own father, Nicola. The environment was nurturing, personal, and built on fundamentals. Even at that stage, people around him could see something was different. He had a natural ease with the ball, a spatial awareness that most kids his age simply didn’t have.
By 2006, when Alessandro was just seven years old, Atalanta came calling. Atalanta’s youth academy in Bergamo is one of the most respected in Italian football, known for producing technically polished, tactically intelligent players. Getting accepted there at age seven was a massive statement about his potential.
Alessandro Bastoni’s Academy Journey
Life at Atalanta — Learning From Italy’s Best Youth Setup
Atalanta’s academy doesn’t coddle players. It demands technical proficiency, positional discipline, and a willingness to work. Young Alessandro thrived in that environment. He progressed steadily through every age group, making nearly thirty appearances for the under-17 side and eventually establishing himself as a regular starter in the Primavera (reserve team).
What’s interesting about his academy years is that he started out as a full-back, not a centre-back. That positional flexibility — developing the ball skills and running capacity of a full-back while eventually transitioning to the heart of defence — is a huge part of why he plays the way he does today. He doesn’t just defend. He builds. He carries. He creates.
The Idols Who Shaped His Game: Maldini, Nesta, and Sergio Ramos
Ask Bastoni about his footballing heroes and the same names keep coming up. Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta — two legends of Italian defending — were the blueprints. Not just for their defensive ability, but for their composure, their reading of the game, their ability to make defending look elegant rather than frantic.
There’s also a more surprising name in the mix: Sergio Ramos. Yes, the aggressive, fiery, occasionally controversial Real Madrid and Spain captain. Bastoni has admitted he’s a Real Madrid fan and that Ramos was a major inspiration — particularly for Ramos’s ability to lead, to compete at the highest level for a decade, and to combine defensive solidity with genuine goal threat.
That combination of Italian defensive elegance and Ramos-like leadership is arguably exactly what Bastoni became.
His First Professional Appearance
Bastoni was named on the Atalanta first-team bench for the very first time on October 30, 2016, for a match against Genoa. He made his full debut the following month in the Coppa Italia against Pescara — a 3–0 win in which he played the full ninety minutes. He was seventeen years old.
His Serie A debut for Atalanta followed on January 22, 2017 — a 1–0 win over Sampdoria. He played the full game and didn’t look out of place for a single second. That performance got people talking. It wouldn’t be long before the bigger clubs came knocking.
The Story Behind the Famous #95 Shirt Number
Here’s a detail that makes you love Bastoni even more as a person.
When he graduated from Atalanta’s youth academy, his older brother Luca was still there supporting him at every step. Alessandro made a promise to Luca — that whatever shirt number he ended up wearing, it would reflect the year Luca was born. Luca was born in 1995. Hence: number 95.
“I told him that my shirt number would be his birth year — 95,” Bastoni once said in an interview. “Wearing the number is a way of having Luca and the rest of my family with me on the pitch.”
That’s not a sponsor-driven gimmick. That’s a young man carrying his family’s love into every match he plays. It’s the kind of detail that turns a footballer into a human being.
Alessandro Bastoni’s Club Career
Inter Milan Signs Him for €31 Million
On August 31, 2017, Inter Milan announced they had signed Alessandro Bastoni from Atalanta for €31 million. At the time, he was eighteen years old. That’s a significant sum for a teenager who’d only made a handful of senior appearances.
But the deal came with an important condition. Bastoni was immediately loaned back to Atalanta for two seasons, allowing him to continue developing in a familiar environment rather than getting thrown into Inter’s squad before he was ready. It was patient, smart club management — and it paid off.
The Loan Spell at Parma — Where He Became a Professional
Inter recalled Bastoni from Atalanta early in July 2018, then immediately sent him on a new loan — this time to Parma, then competing in Serie A. It was the experience that truly made him.
He made 24 Serie A appearances for Parma in the 2018–19 season, starting regularly and demonstrating a consistency and maturity that was exceptional for his age. His manager Roberto D’Aversa was full of praise for him, noting his composure under pressure and his ability to adapt to the demands of top-flight Italian football faster than anyone expected. Even Parma’s club captain Alessandro Lucarelli called him a special talent — rare praise for a loanee from an experienced professional.
That year at Parma convinced Inter’s coaching staff that Bastoni was ready. Not ready in a year or two. Ready now.
Breaking Into Inter Milan’s First Team
Bastoni made his competitive debut for Inter in January 2019 — a 1–0 win over Sampdoria in Serie A. From that point, he steadily pushed his way into the first-team picture, initially used as a rotation option but quickly becoming difficult to leave out.
His first full season at Inter in 2019–20 under manager Antonio Conte saw him make 25 appearances, score two goals, and produce the kind of numbers that suggested a complete defender was emerging. He completed over 1,250 passes, won 133 duels, and created 12 chances from defence. Conte described him as a player who had grown immensely, praising his understanding of the game, his positioning, and his ability to perform in high-pressure situations.
The Antonio Conte Era — A Scudetto and a Statement
The 2020–21 season was the one that announced Bastoni to the world. Under Antonio Conte, Inter Milan ended an eleven-year wait for the Serie A title, winning the Scudetto in commanding fashion. Bastoni was a key figure in the back three alongside Stefan de Vrij and Milan Škriniar — a defensive unit that was one of the best in Europe that season.
He wasn’t just holding his position. He was influencing games. He was driving forward, winning headers, playing precision passes into the channels, and doing it all with a calmness that belied his twenty-one years of age.
Under Simone Inzaghi — Becoming One of the Best in the World
When Simone Inzaghi took over from Conte in the summer of 2021, Bastoni’s role evolved even further. In Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 system, Bastoni became the left-sided centre-back, a position that demanded constant involvement in build-up play and regular overlap runs down the left flank. He formed a lethal partnership with wing-back Federico Dimarco — a combination so effective that they essentially replicated it in the Italian national team too.
Under Inzaghi, Bastoni went from a very good Serie A defender to a genuine world-class player. He won a second Serie A title in 2023–24, added Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana trophies, and was included in 90min’s list of the 25 best centre-backs in world football in 2024. His market value according to Transfermarkt stands at around €80 million — a figure that reflects just how highly the football world values him.
Career Stats and Appearances at Inter Milan
By 2025, Bastoni had made over 200 appearances for Inter Milan — an impressive milestone for a defender still in his mid-twenties. He’s scored a small but meaningful number of goals, primarily from set-pieces where his height and aerial ability make him a constant threat. His contract with Inter runs until June 2028, a commitment that signals the club’s intention to keep him as a cornerstone of their defence for years to come.
Alessandro Bastoni’s International Career With Italy
Youth Level — From U15 to U21
Bastoni represented Italy at every youth level from U15 through to U21. He was a regular starter across all age groups, captaining the U18 side in his second appearance. His first international goal came for the under-16s in a 4–0 win over Norway.
He took part in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship on home soil as Italy hosted the tournament. His performances at youth level consistently pointed toward a player who wouldn’t just play for the senior team — but would become a pillar of it.
Senior Debut and the UEFA Nations League
Bastoni received his first senior Italy call-up from manager Roberto Mancini in September 2020 for UEFA Nations League matches. He made his debut on November 11, 2020 — a 4–0 win over Estonia in Florence. He started the match and played the full game. He looked completely at home.
His first international goal at senior level came in 2022 against Germany in the UEFA Nations League — a moment that underlined his threat at both ends of the pitch.
Euro 2020 Glory — Italy’s Forgotten Hero
Italy’s triumph at UEFA Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to the pandemic) is one of the nation’s most celebrated footballing moments in a generation. Bastoni was part of that squad, though he didn’t start every match. His most significant appearance came in Italy’s final group game — a 1–0 win against Wales in Rome on June 20, helping Italy top their group.
He was on the pitch when Italy beat England on penalties at Wembley Stadium in the final. The 3–2 shootout victory gave Italy their first European Championship since 1968. Bastoni collected a winner’s medal aged just twenty-two years old. Not bad at all.
Euro 2024 and Leading the Azzurri’s New-Look Defense
With the retirement of Italian defensive legends like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, Bastoni was handed a new responsibility: lead Italy’s backline into a new era. With Alessandro Buongiorno, Riccardo Calafiori, and Francesco Acerbi as options, Bastoni became the anchor — the one who the system was built around.
At Euro 2024, Italy faced Albania in their opening game, conceding the fastest goal in European Championship history within seconds of kick-off. But Italy recovered and Bastoni helped stabilize the defence through a tough tournament. Italy exited in the Round of 16, but Bastoni’s personal performances earned significant praise.
Alessandro Bastoni’s Playing Style — What Makes Him So Special?
Left-Footed Centre-Back in a Back Three
Being left-footed is genuinely rare among centre-backs. Most defenders are right-footed, which means left-footed centre-backs — especially those in the left-sided role of a back three — are extraordinarily valuable. They can switch the play naturally, deliver left-foot crosses, and carry the ball on their strong side in directions that right-footed defenders simply can’t replicate.
Bastoni’s left foot isn’t just functional. It’s exceptional. His passing range, accuracy, and ability to play under pressure with that foot is comparable to elite midfielders — not just defenders.
Ball-Playing Ability and Passing Range
This is the heart of what makes Bastoni so special. He doesn’t just pass the ball out safely to the nearest teammate. He plays it forward. He plays it into tight spaces. He hits diagonal switches across the pitch that change the direction of play in an instant. He’s been described as a quarterback in football boots — a defender who dictates tempo rather than simply protecting his goal.
His long ball accuracy and his ability to spot a run from deep before anyone else has noticed it are skills that most playmaking midfielders would be proud of.
Defensive Intelligence and Positional Awareness
Great defenders don’t just react. They anticipate. Bastoni reads the game so well that he frequently appears to be in the right place at the right time with zero panic. His timing of challenges is precise — he doesn’t dive in, doesn’t get caught out of position, and rarely makes rash decisions. He’s calm, composed, and in control.
He’s also comfortable playing in a back four as well as the back three. In the Italian national team, where there are several excellent left-footed centre-backs competing for positions, he’s shown the ability to play centrally or even on the right side of a back four — further proof of his intelligence and adaptability.
His Role in Inter’s 3-5-2 System
Under Inzaghi, Bastoni is the engine on Inter’s left side. The 3-5-2 system gives him license to push forward and support attacking moves while wing-back Dimarco provides width. When Dimarco overlaps, Bastoni tucks in to maintain the back three’s defensive shape. When Dimarco holds, Bastoni can surge forward, deliver crosses, or act as an extra body in midfield transitions.
It’s a system that requires enormous intelligence and physical output from the left centre-back. Bastoni makes it look effortless. That’s the mark of a truly elite player.
Alessandro Bastoni’s Personal Life
Who Is Camilla Bresciani? The Woman He Married
Behind the composed defender is a man who’s built a loving family life. Alessandro Bastoni married Camilla Bresciani — an Italian entrepreneur born on March 6, 1999. The two started dating in May 2020 during the pandemic, got engaged in March 2022, and tied the knot in a civil ceremony on May 31, 2023. This was followed by a lavish celebration at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia, one of Italy’s most beautiful luxury destinations.
Their daughter Azzurra — meaning “sky blue” in Italian, a nod to Italy’s national colour — served as the flower girl at their wedding. It’s the kind of detail that could melt even the coldest football fan’s heart.
Camilla isn’t just “a footballer’s wife.” She’s a successful businesswoman in her own right, known for her entrepreneurial drive and her independent career outside of football. She’s active on social media and frequently appears at Inter Milan matches supporting her husband.
Daughter Azzurra — Fatherhood Changed Everything
Azzurra Agnese Bastoni was born on January 21, 2022. The middle name Agnese is a meaningful tribute — a quiet but powerful reference to the sister Alessandro lost in 2015. That kind of thoughtful, emotional connection to his family runs through everything Bastoni does.
He’s spoken openly about how fatherhood changed his perspective on football. It gave him a new source of motivation, a reason to push through difficult moments, and a reminder of what truly matters when the pressure of elite football becomes overwhelming.
Life in Milan — Fashion, Basketball, and a Low-Key Lifestyle
Away from football, Bastoni is known for being genuinely interested in fashion. He’s regularly spotted at basketball games — he’s a fan of the NBA — and at social events in Milan where his off-field style draws as much attention as his on-field performances. He lives in an upscale neighborhood in Milan and, by all accounts, keeps a fairly private and low-key family routine despite his celebrity status.
He doesn’t do much media beyond what’s required. He lets his football do the talking. But when he does speak, he’s articulate, thoughtful, and genuine — qualities that make him a respected voice in the dressing room despite his relatively young age.
His Family Background and Older Brother Luca
Alessandro has always been open about the debt he owes his family. His older brother Luca Bastoni played professionally as a midfielder across various Italian clubs. It was Luca who showed Alessandro the path to professional football, who pushed him to keep going when things got tough, and who inspired the most famous gesture in Alessandro’s career — the number 95.
His mother remains largely out of the public eye, as does the wider Bastoni family. But their influence on Alessandro — their support, their values, their collective love of football — is evident in every interview he gives.
Alessandro Bastoni’s Net Worth, Salary and Contract
Alessandro Bastoni is one of the best-paid defenders in Italy. His weekly wage at Inter Milan is estimated at around £169,000 per week, translating to roughly £8.8 million per year. His contract with Inter runs until June 2028 and is valued at around $44 million in total.
His overall net worth is estimated at between $15 million and $20 million, taking into account his salary, endorsements, and commercial activity. Given his age, his profile, and the trajectory of his career, those figures will only continue to rise.
His transfer market value sits at approximately €80 million as of 2025 — making him one of the most valuable defenders in European football.
Trophies and Honours
Alessandro Bastoni’s trophy cabinet is already seriously impressive for someone his age:
With Inter Milan: two Serie A titles (2020–21, 2023–24), two Coppa Italia trophies (2021–22, 2022–23), and three Supercoppa Italiana wins (2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24).
With Italy: UEFA Euro 2020 winner’s medal.
Individual recognition: Named in the Serie A Team of the Year on multiple occasions, included in UEFA Champions League Team of the Season, listed in 90min’s 25 best centre-backs in the world (2024), and included in UEFA’s “Fifty for the Future” list in 2020.
He was also awarded the title of Cavaliere OMRI (Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) — a civilian honour awarded by the Italian state.
Alessandro Bastoni in EA FC — Gaming Ratings
Football fans who play EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA) will know Bastoni well. In EA FC 25, he carries an overall rating of 87 — one of the highest-rated centre-backs in the game. His defending and physicality attributes are particularly high, reflecting his real-world profile as a physically dominant, technically excellent defender.
It’s a fun indicator of how the rest of the world sees him beyond the match-watching community. When a defensive player earns an 87 rating in one of the world’s most popular video games, it tells you just how widely respected he’s become.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alessandro Bastoni
How old is Alessandro Bastoni? Alessandro Bastoni was born on April 13, 1999, making him 26 years old as of 2025.
Where is Alessandro Bastoni from? He was born in Casalmaggiore, a small town in the province of Cremona, Lombardy, Italy.
Why does Alessandro Bastoni wear the number 95? The number 95 represents his older brother Luca’s birth year — 1995. Alessandro made a promise to Luca when graduating from Atalanta’s youth academy that he’d wear the number as a tribute and a way to keep his family close during every match.
Who is Alessandro Bastoni’s wife? He’s married to Camilla Bresciani, an Italian entrepreneur. They started dating in May 2020, got engaged in March 2022, and married in May 2023.
Does Alessandro Bastoni have any children? Yes. He has a daughter named Azzurra Agnese, born on January 21, 2022. The middle name is a tribute to his sister Agnese, who passed away in 2015.
What is Alessandro Bastoni’s net worth? His net worth is estimated at between $15 million and $20 million, supported by a weekly wage of approximately £169,000 at Inter Milan and various endorsement deals.
What trophies has Alessandro Bastoni won? He’s won two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia trophies, three Supercoppa Italiana titles with Inter Milan, and the UEFA Euro 2020 with Italy.
Is Alessandro Bastoni related to another footballer? Yes. His father Nicola Bastoni was a professional footballer who played as a left-back for Cremonese. His older brother Luca Bastoni also had a professional career as a midfielder in Italian football.