Paul Maldini, Director of the Technical Area of Milan, was interviewed by Milan television in Dubai retreat. These are all his statements to the official channels of the club:
How’s the team doing? “The team is doing quite well, it’s a preparation phase and we aim to be ready on January 4th to play many close matches, we will practically repeat the first part of the season which was then interrupted by the World Cup. The heat helps, it also helps the recovery of some injured people, we’ve found the ideal conditions to do double training sessions, which maybe when we’re at Milanello we don’t do that often. I believe that the retreat is made up of work, sacrifice and also unity. After a few days of separation we found each other, we began to talk about what our goals should be “.
On the injured: “We had some injuries, we hope to recover all or almost all of them in January. We can and must be protagonists in the four competitions that remain to us, because little by little they will be very intense months, we will have to face these competitions as Milan, and Milan must aim to win anyway. We know that the Champions League is the most important goal but also the most difficult to achieve, but in the meantime let’s take it step by step. It is true that he will arrive in February but the match against Tottenham will tell a lot about what our path in the Champions League could be”.
On the players in the national team during the World Cup: “I didn’t hear them, I only heard Rafa (Leao, ed) but I didn’t hear the others because you never know what the national team programs are, you never know what their habits are and therefore I let them enjoy this incredible moment which is participation in a World Cup, which is a truly fantastic event for a professional footballer. Then we’ll meet again here when it’s time to meet again”.
The Rossoneri World Cup: “Rafa did his part anyway, two goals in a World Cup are no small thing. Unfortunately, he didn’t play much, I think it was still a good and high-level experience for him. As far as Olivier and Theo have been stars since the beginning, they showed. I must say that we are proud to see them in the starting lineup having reached the final of a World Cup”.
About Theo: “Often people are given credit but the great credit is theirs. He made a dazzling start to his career, then got lost a little. Then he decided to come to Milan, also renouncing many things that his contract provided for, he got back into the game and rediscovered the impetus that a player with his characteristics must have, because he is a player who in my opinion can and must still improve a lot. In his way he is unique ”.
His picture from 2022: “From our sporting point of view, the victory of the Scudetto, therefore the match played in Sassuolo, closed a three-year period that started in 2019 with a very specific project, which did not envisage the victory of the Scudetto but envisaged returning to being competitive. I’d say that’s the image that’s imprinted on my mind. Of course we’re talking about Milan and we can’t be satisfied with having won a Scudetto, we have to be a little more ambitious.”
The economic aspect in football and the renewal with Emirates: “The economic aspect of the football business is essential to be competitive, this is now an equation that leads some teams to be protagonists almost mathematically with certain revenues. To be protagonists we must have revenues as protagonists. Among other things, Emirates is our sponsor for 15 years now and I think they are used to this type of collaboration and therefore we are really very happy, to be here first of all but then to have renewed for a few more years”.
