AC Milan midfielder Verónica Boquete gave a long and interesting interview during the “AC Milan Talk” in the AC Milan official Twitch channel, when she shed a light on some interesting topics, such as playing 3 Champions League finals, the supportive letter released by Ivan Gazidis and her connection on and off the pitch with Valentina Giacinti.
Here are her words:
On the Coppa Italia final:
“Oh, those days have not been easy. When one loses on the final, It gets stuck in one’s head all the time, playing in some sort of loop. You keep remembering some of the plays, wondering how things could have gone differently, why we did it like this and not like that, thinking about the penalty shootout, it comes to mind but it is something that happens in football. Now it’s time for rest a bit, disconnect our heads a little and get back to work next season stronger and motivated to go forward.”
On the Gazidis’ letter:
“A rather beautiful message. It is a letter that really touched us. He was present in the stadium, was there for us, like the whole club. This is a good thing, and we must continue in this path, which is yet another motivation for next year, to go further in Champions League, to try on, to find the way to fight for the league and also to play this final again and, this time, to take it home.”
On the Milan management’s presence during, and after, the match:
“It’s always special for us when they are there to watch the match, especially Maldini. They walked into the pitch to support us, and he is someone who knows what means to lose a final, understands really how we felt, knows the right words to say. They said that there are there for us, they've been with us, and they are proud of us, they kept saying that and, also, they understand those things happen in football and that we must look ahead and come back stronger next year.”
On having a stadium named after her:
“When they asked me that I thought, if they could really pull it out, the first thing that came to my mind was to ‘oh, c’mon, all you crazy!’. Those kinds of things are not normal, it is some dream stuff, that you never imagined becoming true, that my city’s stadium, the stadium where I went to watch football, first division football in Spain, a few years after would be named after me. It’s really special and I think the most important is that it's not my name, that's a woman's name and that, I think, this is something that never had happened in Spain, much less in other countries as well. It indicated an advance, socially speaking, a change of mindset, something that really has had an impact.”
On having public attendance in Mapei Stadium against Roma:
“It was a beautiful thing, really beautiful, because we were used to play on empty stadiums, to play at the Vismara and them, to play at Mapei and to be able to hear them, to look at people's faces is a stuff that we practically forgot, and it came back. I, even, at some point I went closer to the fans because it’s an extra boost for us, It was beautiful. We hope for them to stay with us forever and to return to the stadiums next year and to enjoy every little thing that football give us. Some moments in the game you’re so focused you don't remember if they are there, but some moments of the game when you really need, when team is suffering, maybe not suffering but that needs a little more and you look at them, you feel them, a little extra and this extra in a game which is a final might give you enough to clinch the title”
On her communicative behave on the pitch:
“It is true, this is a part of my football, of my style. Considering the experience I have, I feel like talking all that I see on the pitch, all I’m thinking, it kind of help my teammates somehow, mentally and I think it is normal. But sometimes I am sure some of my companions would prefer me to stay a bit quieter.”
On her adaptation at AC Milan:
“The adaptation to Milan, to the team was easy for me because of the players I found here, the kind of people I found, and now I am with Valentina Giacinti and Giorgia Spinelli, I intend to learn some of their bergamasco, I’ve already learned a few things, some expressions. But this is it, the companionship, the relationships always help us so much on the pitch, this is for sure, but also outside. I found really normal people, true to themselves, that you always get better and this, for me, was really nice.”
On her number:
“I always played with the #21 or #9 and here at AC Milan, precisely Giorgia Spinelli chose the #21 and Valentina has the #9. I am trying to make up their minds, to gimme one of those numbers these vacations but no luck so far. I think I’ll stick with the #87, I feel like it’s mine and therefore I’m gonna stay with this number.”
On the new Champions League format:
“it's a nice mess, yes! The Champions League this year will be different and we have to get through the preliminaries, which are now two. The first we hope to avoid those really strong teams, but in the second, still before the group stage, a little luck would also be welcome because we will probably face some really strong teams. It could be Real Madrid in Spain, Arsenal in England, for example and only then we really get into the group stage. It is not easy, but on July, 7, we will resume training, and all our strength and motivation are focused in the Champions League but also in Serie A, to face Juve and try to win a title this time. We are now on vacations, but we already have this in our minds.”
On some comparisions with Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
“Oh Yes, but I think Zlatan is on another level, I'm a little quieter. But yes sometimes we joke about it because of my age, my experience and there is this comparison with Zlatan, but come on, he's on another level.”
On who she would like to face in Champions League:
“if it was in the final, anyone! However, prior to it, a team from Spain, my country, sure it would be special, but also some other team I’ve played in, like PSG or Bayern, to meet again the players, people from the staff who are still there, going back to places where I have already would make it a more special game.”
On her take on Women’s Football development in Italy:
“It seems that here in Italy women's football is really starting now. If I were to make a comparison, it’s like, perhaps, Spain about 2 or 3 years ago, perhaps France 5 years ago, maybe Germany even longer ago, countries which have also more history and tradition in women's football. All those countries have more experience, more history in the organization of the league, their Federation, all this and also sponsors, but I think clearly here in Italy women's football is growing so much , now big clubs, such as Milan, Juve, Inter stepped into the women's football, this helps a lot, even for the clubs, for their brands and for all the fans who watch the games and support both the women's team and the men's team. We must have a bit more patience, I think, even with the Italian Women’s National team. There are a lot of changes to come, with a little more visibility, change the mentality a little more, that in latin countries you normally struggle a little more to do, but the Women’s football in Italy will get the visibility it has in another countries.”
On superstitions:
“I do Nothing, really nothing. Early in my career, a few years ago, I had a few, but I won and lost doing everything, so, I don't have them anymore. What matters most is understanding everything, being better than your rivals. Superstition really changes nothing.”
On her favorite match this season:
“For me, this year, it was the match against Inter, because it is the city Derby, an important game that we had to win, because I scored my first brace with AC Milan. It was really nice and because after that match we got to the final, and that was really this team’s goal this season, and that’s why it was the best for me.”
On Valentina Giacinti:
“I think she is a great striker, especially here in Italy, better, anywhere, I think there aren’t so many strikers who are able to attack the space so well, who has the will power, the grit and the desire to work hard for the team and have score this easy. To me, playing with Vale is really easy because i just have to find the right time to pass the ball and after she does her job. We look forward to next season, even for me, playing a little further up front, a little closer to Vale and maker her top scorer's next season.”
On the Giacinti’s offside calls during the Coppa Italia match:
“Before the game we’ve talked about it. I said to her “hey, you take care of the offside line, ok” and every time she got the ball the assistwoman raised the flag and we were truly disappointed.”
On her experience in Champions League:
“Yes, i’ve played 3 Champions League final and, for me, those were the highlights of my career. Play at the Euros or even the World Cup was amazing but, at a club level, to play, and win, a champions League final is the peek. Maybe the first one i didn’t really enjoyed it because of the pressure i was under, the tense atmosphere, those things that you really don’t know how to manage them, but the second, which i won with Frankfurt and, even the third with PSG, i’ve enjoyed every game, every steps to the final, the preparations, and after you got there, the warming up routine, drills, listening to the fans, everyone who is in the stadium, especially in a final, it’s really exciting also becausa you don’t know if you’re gonna make it there again. Those are unforgetable moments which i’ll keep forever.”
On how she handle the pressure before important games:
“You know, I don't have any trouble sleeping the day before the games, even to rest during right before them. There are players who even to eat is too hard. For me, the night after the game is harder, when the game ends. If we won, all right, there's celebration, but if we lost it's hard, it's one of downsides in our football career.”
On how she handles defeats:
“It's not easy because, first of all, you always want to win, you have this desire to win, but if you lose, it’s hard to go even a minute without remembering your choices, the pass that didn't go that well, the shot that could have been better, all the plays of the game, those are the things that stay in your head for so many days, It's dreadful. We try to forget, friends and family help, but when you win it's all beautiful but when it loses it's bad.”
On how she is off the pitch:
“My passion is to learn, football is what i really love, but I also think after my career as a player, I want to be a coach and I want to be a good leader. That's why you have to graduate, this year I'll start an MBA at Sports management. I like to read, I like to be quiet, to go to the beach, to be in contact with nature, even to write, in the last years I've written to some well-known sites in Spain. A bit of everything.”
On her future:
“After hanging the boots and if i stay in the game, i’m sure i wanna play a role where i can be very close to the pitch, so this means coaching, being at the bench. Also, i think about mixing all my experience, on differents clubs, countries and all the working methodologies, styles of play i’ve seen. This way i’ll try to do my best.”
On how she became a professional footballer:
“My father is a coach, and my brother was a player so i was always close to football and i wanted to do exactly the same i saw them doing, they were playing all the time, so did i want to. At the age of 14, 15 i started to figure out that there were competitions, other countries offered a more professional enviroment to the women’s sports, that playing at the World cup was possible, playing in the National team. Information about the women’s game were hard to find, there was the bare mininum around. I’ve always played well, so it made me excited about the prospect of my career, kept me going.”
On what she misses most from Spain:
“From Spain I always miss the people, my family and friends, but I really miss the octopus, the Galician octopus. it's our typical food and the first thing that, when I arrive in Spain, it’s the first thing I eat and it is always delicious.”
On her favorite things from Milan:
“this year with all the covid pandemic it was not easy to get to know the city, but the Aperitivo in the Navigli is fantastic, it is fine and the food in Italy is as good as in Spain, it is really good, the fresh pasta and fish and the all the cheese. Love it so much.”
Image credits: acmilan.com