Symbol of a Milan young and victorious, celebrating the Scudetto victory on the last day against Sassuolo, Sandro Tonali he talks to the microphones of Gazzetta dello Sport. The Italian midfielder traces the path experienced by the Devils in Serie A amidst emotions, companions and results, also extending his gaze towards a future that is still in the Rossoneri colors.
YEAR OF PREPARATION – “Last year we needed to study each other, get to know each other better, become what we are today. Pierre Kalulu was the revelation but then I think of Fikayo Tomori and Mike Maignan, they came from other championships and were immediately decisive. If you look for Mike it is possible that you can find him at Milanello even now: he is keen to improve himself. If I arrived an hour and a half earlier to do therapy, he was already there. The first time I saw him I thought: ‘This is huge.’
MILAN FAIRY TALE – “When you win everything changes, if possible the attachment to the shirt increases. I was a child on the street in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, a Milanese town, for the fan party. In Reggio Emilia it was crazy, but I realized what we did only once back at Casa Milan: I read the emotion in the eyes of the people around us, hallucinating. I said to myself: I will not pick up the phone in my hand for videos or photos, I have to live these moments and always keep them with me “.
WINNING FACTOR – “Hunger. There were stronger opponents on paper, like Inter, but no one wanted us any more. We put passion, heart, emotion, values into it. So you can go anywhere: we have proved it.”
KEY MOMENT – “The return derby. We’ve been playing evenly against Inter for years now, but in that case, under a goal, it forced us to make a choice. We could think it was over or we could try. Olivier Giroud’s brace. it gave us a boost that then made the difference. It charged us and the whole environment. “
SU IBRAHIMOVIC – “Zlatan gives security, as long as he is there. Watching him follow the game standing on the bench, is worth a thousand gestures. He decides for himself and for us, he could stay in his own and instead he is a champion who thinks first of others: he taken by the hand like children. I hope it will continue: it raises the level, it is decisive on and off the pitch. “
LION – “Rafael Leao, for the games he made us win when we were in difficulty. He gave concreteness and points, beyond the plays. put him in a position to score twice. There are no merits of mine if not that of being in the right place, the rest is his work. “
AND ABOUT DONNARUMMA – “He wrote to me. I hope he is as happy with our success as I am with his. He went to Paris and won immediately, he knew there was a path to follow. Brick by brick we built our victory.”
ASSEMBLE THE HEAD – “There is no such danger. Serie B has done me good, you take kicks and punches with the ball far away. The opponents are hammers, you have two ways: either to be eaten or to be stronger than the others to emerge”.
THE RETURN TO MILAN – “At the end I remember the phone call from Paolo Maldini who said to me: ‘Don’t worry, you are a new AC Milan player for the second time.’ There I put the point and left. It came after weeks of negotiations, not a day or two: thank you my agents (Giuseppe Riso and Marianna Mecacci, ed.) for having done everything possible to make my wish come true, they really did a lot for me. And thanks also to Massimo Cellino for keeping his word: he said he only wanted my happiness, and my happiness was here. “
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES – “The goal against Lazio, for the moment in which it arrived, was the heaviest of the season. Another goal came from inside the small area, I have to add others from outside. And to improve in the choice of times on tackles, too many times I I expose to the risk of a yellow card. I will improve, I am inspired by Thiago Alcantara. I review every one of my games, except the last one: I will have time to do it “.
NEXT DREAM – “I have already asked too much in Santa Lucia, but dreaming costs nothing and so in the future I would like to try to win the Champions League with this shirt. It would be indescribable.”
RED AND BLACK FUTURE? – “Reducing my salary for Milan was my last thought, as will the renewal. Because it is certain that I want to stay here, contract after contract. It would be nice to become a flag, but I don’t look so much further out of luck. I’m like that. tied to these colors to know that my extension will never be a problem, it is right that the club thinks first of the expiring teammates than of me: I already have an agreement for another four years. I want to be the least of my thoughts “.
ON THE LICENSE TAKEN YESTERDAY … – “Inter examiner but I was perfect: I had slept from six to noon yesterday morning, on Sunday I avoided drinking too much …”.
… AND THE CELEBRATIVE TATTOO – “I don’t know what, but I’ll do it soon. My left arm is free. And I hope to fill it in the future.”
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