On the occasion of Monza - Milan fixture, the attacking midfielder who is on loan from the Rossoneri to Palladino's team, Daniel Maldini, has spoken to the microphones of Corriere della Sera and said the following words
"Facing Milan will always be a special emotion, it can never be just another game. My dream has never changed: to return to Milanello one day, as a protagonist."
On the presence of the Maldini family at the stadium for Monza-Milan:
"Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer of us who belong to Milan... (laughs) Mom will come, she's always there. Even my brother Christian, he's my shadow. As for my dad, I don't think so: he was at U-Power only for my first game, against Inter."
On how his transfer to Monza came about in January:
"It had been talked about for a while. The talks were very quick: at 2:00 PM they presented me with the opportunity, and by 6:00 PM I was already in Milan."
On why he chose to leave Empoli for Monza, Daniel Maldini replied:
"As soon as I felt Adriano Galliani's desire to bet on me, I felt at home. Plus, I had a complicated situation in Empoli, so it was easy to opt for this solution."
On the advice sought from his family for his move to Brianza:
"Yes, my mother, Adriana, was enthusiastic because I would be returning to live in Milan. But the final decision was mine."
On the environment he expected to find in red and white:
"Galliani's presence facilitated the operation but wasn't the only factor. I felt that from a technical and growth perspective, it would be the best decision."
On comparisons with father Paolo Maldini:
"Like any child with a parent. He gives me his opinion on both football and life."
On his childhood dream of playing football:
"No one pressured me, it all unfolded naturally. I never had a plan B in life, I just wanted to play football."
On the responsibilities of having grandfather and father as great footballers:
"I never felt pressured to prove my worth, if that's what you mean."
On Milan memories tied to his childhood:
"I see myself as a child at the Vismara center for training. Or at the stadium watching my dad. I have blurred images of the 2007 Athens final, I was six years old."
On former teammates of his father, Paolo Maldini, whom he considers like uncles:
"Angelo Carbone and Ibrahim Ba have been visiting our house for years."
On any potential awkwardness for having his father as a director at Milan:
"No, there was a beautiful group, many young players. None of my former teammates made me feel uncomfortable."
On Milan teammates he still keeps in touch with:
"I saw Rafael Leão, Theo Hernández, and Olivier Giroud a few days ago, and I often hear from the Italians."
On the reproaches received from father Paolo for mistakes made after a match:
"Yes, it happened, but not recently... when I was little and we were in the car on the way home."
Are Milan still in the Scudetto race?
"They're going at a good pace, but Inter is even stronger. It will be nice to see everyone tonight, even though last month, in Empoli, we already met."
On who is helping him integrate into Monza:
"Lorenzo Colombo, whom I knew from Milan, and Dany Mota Carvalho. There's a great group of young guys. The environment is perfect."
On what he likes about coach Raffaele Palladino:
"He talks frequently with each of us."
On the goal he wants to achieve at Monza:
"To help the team climb as high as possible in the standings."
On returning to Milan to stay, Daniel Maldini said:
"It would be the best. I have to feel good and play here, then we'll see at the end of the season. I haven't heard from Stefano Pioli in these months, we said goodbye in Empoli last month."
On the goals scored in the past against Milan and Inter, Daniel Maldini replied:
"I don't know why I excel against the big teams. It's a coincidence, it happened, and that's it. Of course, I'd like to repeat it."
On older brother Christian, studying to be an agent in Giuseppe Riso's firm:
"He always had the temptation to pursue this profession. Now we talk even more often, we're much closer."
On how much Paolo Maldini misses football:
"Who knows, maybe a bit. Now he's on vacation and doing well."
On the possibility of his father returning to the environment:
"I don't know."
On Paolo Maldini being sacked from his position as technical area director of Milan:
"These are things that happen. In work, relationships sometimes end. But don't make me say more."
