The AC Milan defender Pierre Kalulu has sat down with those at La Repubblica as he granted them an interesting interview. Here are his words:
On qualifying for the next Champions League round:
"Percentage? Qualification in the Champions League with Milan at 98%. It will be difficult at Tottenham's home, but it is a tournament that belongs to Milan's identity. I didn't grow up in Italy, so I would speak of modern, offensive play, with a lot of running and intensity in duels: 20 minutes of the Champions League are more intense."
Kalulu on his opinion of Serie A:
"A tactical championship? It depends on who you face, but it is true that coaches pay more attention to the defensive phase. In France, there is more defending as a block, while here it's more individual, one-on-one, which sometimes is more of a risk. However, matches against Napoli and Inter are always the most European. You feel you are at the same level, but the pace must be higher, everything is faster, the effective time changes, and you feel it on the pitch. As for money, it helps, but it's not the price that makes talent."
On his arrival at Milan:
"I was in the second team at Lyon, and Maldini and Massara told me enthusiastic things about my way of playing in a video call", said Kalulu. "Only someone who had observed me for a long time could have said those things. This flattered me. As much as I pretended not to care, it was really nice: they told me that Milan would wait for me for 2 months, 6 months, 1 year or 1 year and a half..."
But he also reveals who didn't want him to leave Lyon, such as former NBA star Tony Parker:
"He video called me from the US: I thought I was hallucinating, it was a 45-minute conversation. He said to me: I know your talent, the choice is yours. Having his number in the agenda is not something that everyone has... I'm proud to have proved myself stronger than people thought."
Kalulu on the new stadium project of AC Milan:
"In Lyon, we went from the old Gerland to a futuristic stadium. San Siro is different, but if the club decides to abandon it, it means we need a new one. If there is a new one, I hope to see it before leaving Milan."
Mbappé said if he comes to Italy, it'll only be for AC Milan...
"And who wouldn't want him?"
