The former striker, as a guest in Trento, said, “We are in talks with the Rossoneri club; let’s see where we end up; I’m sorry for Maldini. Tonali needs to be helped. Lukaku? In that derby, he wasn’t himself.”
WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG ZLATAN?
“Young Zlatan was… a lot of trouble. Mostly with the ball, of course. Wherever I went, I carried it with me, even though they said I wasn’t a talent. Then I did things that weren’t possible, but you learn and you grow. The identity of where you grew up always stays inside, but you bring it out with elegance, in a different way.”
AJAX
“The comparison with Van Basten at Ajax was challenging. Everyone expected me to be like him, but it wasn’t that way. It was my first time away from home, and I wasn’t ready for such a comparison. But I didn’t give up, and slowly, mentally, I became stronger. In the second year, I ‘baptized’ everyone.”
RAIOLA
“My career began with him. When I met him, I was arrogant, and he was too. At our first meeting, he ordered sushi for eight people and showed me the statistics of great strikers at the time. Mine were lower, and I told him he needed to work a miracle with me.
He was like a father to me, a friend, everything. We grew together, both in my career and his. We became strong together, ultimately stronger than everyone else, both me and him… In his final days, it wasn’t easy to see him struggling. I wanted to pull him out of his illness, trying to bring positivity. He told me, ‘Do what makes you happy.'”
JUVENTUS
“Capello at Juventus used to tell me, ‘I’ll pull all of Ajax out of you and set you right.’ He wanted me to be more decisive on the field. From the very first day, I practiced in front of the goal, every single day.”
“Capello told me to study Van Basten’s movements in the box. Trezeguet used to say, ‘You take the ball, turn, and go, and I’ll be waiting ahead.’ David was smart… I realized that in Italy, the mentality is to score many goals, not just play well. So I told Trezeguet, ‘Now, I’ll wait up front too…’.
“As for Juventus’ Scudetti, there are 38, not 36. We fought every day, and those who were there know the hard work that was done. We proved to be the strongest in Italy, which is why I say 38.”
MILAN OR INTER IN 2006?
“Milan or Inter? Mino was in talks with both, and I was closer to Milan, but the other side moved faster, and I signed with Inter.”
BALOTELLI
Balotelli? When a young kid has the opportunity to turn his talent into the future and doesn’t even seize one chance, what is there more to be said…There are many out there who have give everything for only one opportunity, and he had so many. He squandered his opportunities.”
INTER
“At Inter, I felt stronger compared to my time at Ajax and Juventus, more complete. With Inter, we won three consecutive Scudetti after 17 years of absence. I told myself, ‘If I go there and win, I’ll remain in the club’s history.'”
BARCELONA
“Arriving at Barcelona was a positive experience. I won several trophies, and it was a dream to be there. The strongest team in the world. I wanted to win other challenges as tests for myself. The first six months went very well, then the atmosphere and everything else changed.”
THE FIRST PERIOD AT MILAN
“When I went to Milan, it wasn’t an easy time for me. Barcelona wanted to sell me at all costs. I knew Milan was talking to Raiola. In the Camp Nou tunnel, at the Gamper Trophy, all Milan players told me, ‘You’re coming here.’
Galliani came to my and Helena’s house, put his jacket on the couch, and she asked me who that gentleman was… That evening at dinner, Galliani wanted to pay the bill, but Milan’s credit card wasn’t working. I told him, ‘It’s because of my purchase.'”
BERLUSCONI
“I had a good relationship with Berlusconi, and I have a lot of respect for how he did things and his way of thinking. He had great charisma, he was Mr. Milan. He changed the history of football and Milan.”
“He gave me back the happiness I lost in Barcelona. Thanks to him, I smiled again. We talked often about many things. He told me how I should play, how to move. He motivated me, as a player and as a person.”
PARIS SAINT GERMAIN
“Going to Paris was difficult; I didn’t want to leave Milan, where I was happy. At the beginning of the summer, I told Galliani, ‘Promise me you won’t sell me,’ and he said, ‘Okay.’ One day, I received several calls, and I started to understand what was happening.
When I spoke to Mino, he said, ‘It’s already done,’ and I replied that I didn’t want to go. They had bundled me and Thiago Silva together. I looked at the project, where they wanted to go, and in the end, I said yes.”
MANCHESTER UNITED
“United was a top club, but everyone I asked for advice told me not to go there. Not at 35, it was a risk for my career. So this became my challenge. I prefer walking on fire rather than on water, something only I can do. There, I was hated; they said I was arrogant. But after three months, they all became my fans.”
THE ICONIC BICYCLE KICK GOAL WITH SWEDEN
“The bicycle kick against England? It starts with the thought. Thinking that you can do something special, not just a regular shot. I told myself to try something where you’re either a genius or not. Like Leao against Newcastle.”
LOS ANGELES
“I’m happy that Messi has arrived in the USA, so they can start watching football again. After I left, they stopped watching it…”
THE LAST SCUDETTO WITH MILAN
“The last Scudetto with Milan was the most satisfying of them all because the team wasn’t a favorit, and the players weren’t superstars. I wasn’t accustomed to such a situation. That Milan was the complete opposite of my previous experiences.”
“There was a new management, COVID, a new coach, but we were very united. Those ready to make sacrifices stayed. Those who weren’t left. I’ve never had such a strong group in my career collectively. When we reached the top, the fans returned, and it was a group that grew stronger every day. Some said it was all luck, but we made it happen.”
Something that will remain in history forever. After the match against Sassuolo, I saw teammates and staff members crying, and that’s when you understand what you’ve accomplished. I had said I would bring Milan back to victory, and I realized I succeeded.”
TONALI
“His dream was Milan, and in the first year, he was too much of a fan. I told him, ‘Enough now, take a step forward and stop being a fan, and make a difference.’ His talent was visible, but there’s a difference.
BETTER ZLATAN OR RAFA LEAO?
“Better Zlatan or Leao? Zlatan created Leao…”
MALDINI
“I have a good relationship with Paolo; we’ve been through both positive and negative times together. He was growing as an executive, and it wasn’t an easy situation. He was at the training ground every day, talking to Pioli, and it wasn’t easy in the transfer market due to a limited budget.
In that context, I got to know him better, and in my opinion, he did a good job. He has grown a lot. I’m sorry about what happened; he’s a Milan legend. But football is like that; it changes from one day to the next. I’m happy with what he did for Milan as a player and as an executive.”
LUKAKU
I know him; I played with him for a year, and he’s not the person you saw in that derby. I didn’t expect that attitude. It’s the media’s fault; they made him be something he’s not. It was strange; it wasn’t like him. He’s not a bad person. I, on the other hand, was myself… I defended my teammates, and then I said to myself, ‘If we play another match, we’ll see what happens.'”
THE FUTURE
“It’s only been a few months since my retirement. I have complete freedom, I’m taking my time, and no one tells me what to do. I’m taking time to figure out what to do. I have more offers now than when I was playing”…
“If I get into something, I want to make a difference but still be myself. Let’s see what happens; we’ll do something. We’re in talks with Milan; let’s see where we end up. It’s the time to get to know each other.”
