MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 25: Pio Esposito of FC Internazionale looks on before the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Torino FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on August 25, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Salvatore Esposito, older brother of Inter and Italy striker Francesco Pio, says he is not surprised by his brother’s current trajectory and has explained what makes him such a promising young striker: “He has these shots in his locker.”
Pio Esposito is enjoying a positive start to his first full season in Serie A, after returning from a two-year loan spell in Serie B with Spezia to become a reliable replacement for Marcus Thuram and Lautaro MartÃnez in the Nerazzurri first team.
The 20-year-old also earned his first cap for the Italian national team this season and marked his second senior appearance with a goal from the bench during Saturday’s 3-1 victory against Estonia.
Recent reports suggest he could be in line to debut for the national team when Italy takes on Israel in Udine on Tuesday night.
Salvatore Esposito: ‘Pio has these shots in his locker, I’m not surprised’
Salvatore Esposito, the eldest of the three Esposito brothers, spoke about Pio’s qualities and background in an in-depth interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday.
The 25-year-old, who currently plays for Spezia in Serie B, admitted he was too busy to watch Saturday’s Estonia-Israel match in full.
“I was at an event at our football academy in Brescia,” admitted Salvatore Esposito. “Sebastiano was also there, we watched the game on our phones. We were very excited when PÃo scored. It is giving us a lot of joy. There is true love between us.
“We shouted in front of the goal and those who weren’t watching the game got a little scared.”
Salvatore Esposito believes his brother is better served now that he plays at a higher level, but notes that his level of opposition has also improved.
“He is playing with guys who have much more quality, which is an advantage. At that level, they put you in the best position to score, just as the level of rivals, defenders and goalkeepers also increases.”
Salvatore Esposito believes that his younger brother’s goal against Estonia is typical of his profile.
“It was a great goal, really. But he has these shots in his locker. I’ve seen him score a lot of goals like this in training, shooting difficult balls and hitting difficult angles and trajectories. He works hard and always tries to improve.
“We had a video call immediately after the game, Seba and I congratulated him immediately. We agreed to meet and have dinner as a family soon. But we don’t have much free time: our parents are in Brescia, Seba in Cagliari, I in Spezia and he in Milan.”
Pio Esposito may already be starting to take over the family trophy room.
“My parents keep all our most important jerseys. Seba’s debuts, mine in the national team, some of PÃo’s with Inter. The historical jerseys are all in the same room. But his could take the place now, I hope our mother fills the entire room with her jerseys.”
However, none of this success surprises Salvatore.
“It doesn’t surprise me, I know his qualities. He is very hard-working, people love him and he always listens to advice. I was always sure that he would not disappoint me with time and trust.”
“I’m sure Pio will keep his feet on the ground. He’s not someone who gets ahead of himself.”