AC Milan announced the contract renewal of Slovakian international goalkeeper Mária Korenčiová for the next season and the player gave an exclusive interview to Milan TV. She spoke about her expectations for this seasons, the lessons she learned from previous ones and the arrival of Laura Giuliani.
Here are her words:
On her renewal:
“This contract renewal for me means a new challenge, like it is to be every year here at Milan. This year we will be in the Champions League and that's the biggest challenge for me.”
On last season:
“I feel really great about our last season. Of course we didn't achieve all our goals, but we got the most important on and that was the Champions League spot, so we will play Champions League. When I think about last season, I definitely see it as a positive one, and I have many great memories from it on and off the pitch.”
On the upcoming season:
“The main challenge for the season is definitely the Champions league and the biggest for the team. For me, as a person, it will be exciting because of the new players, new opponents I will face. I definitely I hope this will push me up to do a even better to job than the last years.”
On Laura Giuliani's arrival:
“With Laura here, with her coming, the fight for a place in the starting line-up is definitely open and I think this is great for the team, having two strong goalkeepers. This is going to push us even further, I think, and I feel like I can learn something from her, and she could learn something for me, so I think it's a great challenge.”
On the team's changes after three seasons:
“During these three seasons, we are coming into our fourth season, I think we changed a lot. We had pretty good players coming, that would push us do better. We maybe had many changes throughout the years in the roster, but I believe it was all for the best.”
On what AC Milan and the city means to her:
“AC Milan are basically the first club where I stayed more than three seasons after my hometown team, so this city and this club have a special place in my heart, I have a great memories from here already and I'm looking forward for some more.”
On the lessons she've learned so far:
“The most value thing what I have learned in our last year here with this team is how to understand each other because in a squad there are different mentalities, different people, different characters, different playing styles and so, both personally and professionally, I think I have a great opportunity here to learn so many things.”
On her most emotional memory with the rossonere:
“There were so many episodes on the pitch that I will always remember, for sure, but the biggest one for me, our most emotional moment, I think was this season, when I couldn't play the game against Sassuolo and I was there, sitting on the stands and I really couldn't step on the pitch, and that moment I realise how much it means for me to be on the pitch, to be with the girls and celebrate the second post and the Champions League qualification. After a few minutes the girls came to me, so we could celebrate together, and this was the most touching moment for me.”
On her eagerness for this season:
“I can't wait to be on the pitch, wear the AC Milan jersey again, and to go down to the pitch for the first time in the Champions League. That's for sure will go down as the most historical moment.”
