AC Milan former striker, Ibrahim Ba, has given an interview to Tuttosport. He spoke about Paolo Maldini and the Rossoneri's season. Here are his words:
"Maldini? He was always quiet. He has great values. He's an open person. When I joined Milan he already knew several languages. He is a a captain with a mentality to be followed."
On Maldini's managerial role:
"I always believed that he can play any role, even being a coach. He knows how to talk to players and he has charisma."
On Maldini bringing players to Milan:
"There must be a right mix. If you don't have someone with experience around you, there may be problems. I believe that Maldini, with the signings of Kjaer in defense and Zlatan in attack, has certified this thought. Then we see a team with much talent having fun and playing football, that is the best thing."
On Donnarumma:
"I do not feel like criticizing Gigio because he will leave Milan, although certainly sorry because it is the club in which he grew up. Also this year he made his contribution on the pitch and was a professional. Having said that, I believe that one must live completely for society and for the city. If you are not 100% inside, it is better to leave."
On Scudetto ambitions:
"For me, Milan won the Scudetto already this year. We must not forget where the Rossoneri started from, that is, from the Europa League preliminaries. The future will also depend on the market. Football changes a lot, even just from one year to the next. Milan have a team of personalities that will have to manage the double obligations in the best possible way: the championship and the Champions League. However, I remain convinced that they can do well."
On qualifying to the Champions League:
"The Rossoneri have returned home. It took patience, but also competent people. The beautiful and most appreciable thing now about Maldini, which can be consulted with the aforementioned episode of Theo, is that now the players who land in Milan arrive and meet with a person who talks about football, not just about contracts. When Paolo confronts a young man, he describes his qualities, but also urges him to refine specific details. The player feels appreciated. Right from the start he is encouraged to improve."
