Inter’s meeting with Parma offers Aleksandar Stankovic a possible first starting role in Serie A, and the occasion carries a family memory that belongs to a different Sunday at San Siro. At 21, Dejan Stankovic’s son is in line to replace Hakan Calhanoglu in the deep midfield role, giving the regular starter a rest before an increasingly demanding October.
The coach and the club
Cristian Chivu has used the younger Stankovic sparingly in the league so far: seven minutes against Monza and eight against Udinese, for a total of 15 Serie A minutes. Yet the Parma fixture, scheduled for 18:00 this afternoon, may bring the opportunity Chivu had suggested would arrive.
The Inter coach knows the player’s path closely, having followed him since childhood, but has also stressed the standard required to compete with Calhanoglu. Chivu has said that Stankovic must preserve his intensity, rhythm and desire to improve, adding that Inter supporters would see him sooner or later.
The decision is shaped by the wider calendar rather than sentiment alone. Inter face Club Brugge on Tuesday and are entering a stretch of seven matches across 21 days, split between Serie A and the Champions League. A start for Stankovic would be a practical first step in managing that run.
A Parma memory in the family
There is still an obvious link between Parma and the Stankovic name. Dejan scored six career goals against the Gialloblu, his highest return against any opponent alongside Milan. Three came for Lazio and three for Inter, all in one extraordinary match on 28 November 2010.
That afternoon, Inter beat Parma 5-3 at San Siro under Rafael Benitez. Dejan Stankovic scored the only hat-trick of his career, twice before the interval and once after it, with Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta also on the scoresheet.
Parma, managed by Pasquale Marino, had Hernan Crespo and Sebastian Giovinco in their side. Crespo scored twice, while goalkeeper Antonio Mirante conceded all five Inter goals.
The match also featured several young players who would later take different routes through the game. Felice Natalino came on during the second half; his career ended in 2012 because of a heart problem. Simone Benedetti, Nigeria’s Nwankwo Obiora and Romania’s Denis Alibec were also among the available players.
For Aleksandar, the immediate task is not to reproduce an old family scoreline but to make a meaningful beginning of his own. A quick search for Parma and Dejan Stankovic, followed by a message to his father noting that he had always scored against them, may be part of the pre-match ritual. The stronger significance lies in whether Inter can trust their young midfielder with the rhythm of a league match at the start of a crowded month.
