Curtis Jones Wins Over Italy as Inter Milan Fans Fall for Their New English Star

Saturday night at San Siro gave Serie A an early candidate for match of the season, as champions Inter Milan clawed their way back from two goals down to beat Napoli 3-2 in a game that had everything.

Cristian Chivu’s team looked in real trouble after conceding twice in quick succession just after half time, Matteo Politano and Rasmus Hojlund both finding the net. Lautaro Martinez pulled one back to keep hope alive, and Napoli held onto their lead deep into the closing stages before Marcus Thuram levelled things up in the 82nd minute. Martinez then completed the turnaround with a winner deep into injury time.

Right in the middle of that second half revival was Curtis Jones. The former Liverpool midfielder came on at the break for Petar Sucic and quietly went about his business, completing 89 percent of his passes and creating a genuine goal scoring chance. He also won five of his nine duels, made four recoveries and chipped in with three defensive contributions, a performance that has not gone unnoticed by the Italian press.

Corriere Della Sera gave Jones a 6 out of 10 and singled out what they called the right cross at the right time, referring to the delivery that set off a scramble in the box and eventually fell to Martinez for the winner.

FCInter1908 went further, running the headline “Jones? Makes his presence felt”, building on Gazzetta’s earlier praise for his debut against Cagliari, where they pointed to his “sheer force of personality”. That same outlet went on to call him a “truly talented individual” and urged Chivu to give him a regular starting spot, praising what they described as his audacity on the ball.

Gazzetta did not hold back either, suggesting his debut against Cagliari marked the beginning of what they are already calling the “Jones era” at Inter Milan, describing the Englishman as “exuberant” and “fearless” even before his impact against Napoli.

Jones himself had plenty to say once the final whistle went, brushing off any suggestion that Serie A cannot match the drama of the Premier League and crediting Chivu as a big part of why he chose to move to Italy.

“Some people say Serie A is boring and the Premier League isn’t, but you didn’t see that today,” Jones told Football Italia. “There are great coaches here and so much tactics. Today was a beautiful match with plenty of chances, and the coach made several tactical adjustments that helped us win. Italian teams never surrender, it was a real spectacle.

“There’s a reason I came here, the phone calls we had, how the team plays, his tactical ideas, and how he works every single day. It’s the small things he says, things that might seem minor but end up having a massive impact. Plus, he has immense experience and played at the highest level himself.

“He’s managed the squad brilliantly. He’s one of us, and to me, that’s fundamental. He’s passionate and deeply loves this game, just like I do. That’s why he’s leading a club like this, and he’s doing a fantastic job.”

Jones will now be hoping his form is enough to earn him a starting berth when Inter Milan take on Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night.