Alessandro Florenzi spoke to StarCasinò Sport's microphones and Carlo Pellegatti, telling about the difficult months of his injury and looking back on his career. "Against Tottenham, the guys put in an important performance, a performance that was needed by the whole group. We have gone through difficult moments together, even when I was out, I tried to help and give what I could. The team played a great game, and soon there will be the return and we must work even harder to continue this dream. I missed Milan so much, and I hope I was missed by the team too. It was a muscular injury that is rarely seen in this sport. The first few weeks were not easy; I was very disheartened. There were moments when I wanted to give up everything: I shut myself in, surrounded by the affection of my family - the most important thing for me - which helped me get out of the mental loop. Then, when I saw the field and the ball again, the desire to start over returned."
"We started with the goal of winning the Scudetto, the second star, as we had planned at the end of last season. Obviously, there are also opponents: if Napoli continues at this pace, we will be the first to congratulate them. Then we set ourselves the second goal: qualification for the next Champions League. We want to do it as second in the standings, we'll see. We will do everything to relive nights like the one with Tottenham. There is a risk of being left out, and that is what we will try to avoid. We try to do everything to avoid regrets. January was a month in which we could not find the right motivation to do better. Many things were said, some even made us laugh. They had a lot of imagination about some of our teammates, but we laughed it off and moved on. Napoli? They already did well last year. I have a positive memory of Spalletti; I lived beautiful years with him, despite the injuries. I have a lot of respect for the man and the coach. The secret of Napoli lies in having a coach capable of bringing out the full potential of the players."
Florenzi continued:
"In August 2021, I was not part of Roma's squad, and the team that was most interested in me was Milan. I had a great relationship with Massara, and with Maldini, they had already contacted me when I was going to Valencia. Then the great opportunity of Paris Saint-Germain arrived. They changed me profoundly; in Rome, I was in a glass bell, everything changed. Another locker room, another language... Valencia and Paris gave me everything. Humanly, they taught me a lot. My first goal with Milan gave me a great emotion; I wanted to leave my mark. That free-kick goal was not beautiful, but the important thing is that it went in. The goal against Verona saved the day; I was coming from a knee injury and did everything to be there, even risking it. Then Sassuolo came; in that stadium, I had my first knee injury, and then this one in September, but I won the Scudetto and made my debut for the national team as captain. It's a field that reminds me of joys and pains, but the Scudetto was an indescribable emotion."
Florenzi on when he jokingly asked Paolo Maldini to sign him permanently last season:
"Can you redeem me, Paolo? It was a joke, but I cared so much about it. Even before winning the championship, steps had been taken towards my permanent transfer, and it was almost complete. There was a common desire to continue together. The guys were amazing with me, many of whom I already knew. Mike had taken away the championship from me (at Lille) when I was at PSG. I talk a lot, I'm outgoing, and I easily integrated into the locker room. Many young people observe us more experienced players and learn a lot just by watching, as I did. I had the example of Totti and De Rossi. I grew a lot with Pioli; he taught me to bring out the best in me in every training session, never to hold back. He motivates you with words and looks to never give up. I also experienced this with Conte in the national team. He knows how to use the 'carrot and stick' well; if you're not doing well, he tells you. The difference between the European Championship and the championship? The biggest difference is that one arrived in a month, and the other in a year, but the groups were very similar. Neither Italy nor Milan were favorites, but these are the most beautiful victories. You could feel it in the air, both with Italy and Milan. In the last few games of the previous season, we could have settled for a draw, but we always played as if they were the most important games of our lives."
Florenzi on the late Gianluca Vialli:
"I have a bit of trouble talking about Gianluca Vialli. He left a big void, a great memory, only beautiful things. He never made us feel the weight of his illness. He had a great quality, saying the right thing at the right time, as if he could read your mind. The player who fascinates me the most in Europe? Marco Verratti. I played with him in the national team and at PSG; when he's on form, everything is different. The volley shot? It all started at the sports center where my mother had her bar. I consider myself good at shooting volleys, but there's someone better than me: Fabio Quagliarella. He's a fantastic player in many ways and for this aspect, he's one of the best. But let me tell you where the legend of my volley shot comes from. What will I do after I retire? I have no idea in the world of football. Outside, who knows", as relayed via Milan Press.
