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MILAN MALDINI – Milan are working at Milanello, despite the numerous absences linked to injuries and the squad for the Nations League.
Milan, Maldini: “Leao will renew, we are competitive …”
AC Milan’s sporting director, Paolo Maldini, was interviewed at the Trento Sport Festival, held this weekend. The Rossoneri’s DS talked about many topics, linked above all to the renewal of Leao and the Scudetto. Below, the interview with the former defender:
About Rafael Leao:
“Besides Leao, is there any other offer that I have refused? Yes, there is a ‘don’t even show up’. Theo? You said it yourself (laughs, ed). He is a top-level footballer. But not only for him, also for others. If they then show up, however, we must see. But we don’t need a divestiture, the costs are okay. But the players that cannot be sold by now no longer exist ”.
About Theo Hernandez:
“The first real purchase was Krunic which we had already agreed with the previous year, it was the first thing I did on my own. For Theo we first went to talk to Real, with Theo I used the same words I would use with my son. A little bit with my players I feel this father-son relationship, I know very well what are the difficulties we face at that age. I say that there are beautiful moments but also delicate moments, I try to give support to these guys before these players “.
About Giroud:
“He’s a champion, full stop. He has won a World Cup, plays for the national team, is an exemplary professional. The main characteristic of a champion is that he is humble and a team man. A sample comes out when it’s needed. At first he was limited by a few injuries, but then he came out. But it is the story of many players who knew that this was the occasion. Internally we knew that this was the opportunity to arrive at a dream, we felt it, we believed in it and the results have arrived ”.
On De Keteleare:
“First of all, the market is dynamic. We tried to take Botman before Charles, who would have exhausted what was our budget and we would have turned to other players for that role there. Our ideas in May compared to what happened in the end there is hardly a common thread. At this point in our journey we don’t have to take average players, but players of great prospect: Charles is one of them. He is a 2001, he showed important things in the Champions League. We need time, I know that the fans and the newspapers don’t wait, but we have to wait. I give the example of Platini who did not do well at Juventus for the first six months, then he went back to winning everything. A 2001 is not ready to take on so many responsibilities in a club like Milan, we must give this balance. We know what are the ways to bring young people to grow. Bets are made on young players, not all are won but we have very few doubts about him ”.
On the Scudetto:
“Are you sure you will win it? There was an idea to convey. It also happened to me as a player with the last Champions League. There was a not so good first part of the season, we weren’t playing well in November: I looked for a reaction with Carlo and we put out this idea of winning the Champions League. With Zaccheroni the same, when we won the Scudetto. I am very realistic, but I am a great dreamer. I think it is the basis of many sportsmen and many teams to dream of reaching the maximum result. It is something that I have learned over time and that gives confidence. I wasn’t sure if I could win the Scudetto, but I believed it: I know what the team is worth. I said this here at Christmas, we had no budget for the transfer market: Juventus took Vlahovic, Inter Gosens, so a small budget came out. I said: “I don’t want it, we are strong like this”. From there…”.
