AC Milan's Youssouf Fofana has granted an interview to the microphones of the club's official channels. Here are his statements:
Is this a dream come true?
"It's a dream. Everyone knows Milan. I've been following them for a long time; I dreamed of playing for this shirt, for these fans, in this legendary stadium. It's incredible; I can't wait to get started."
You chose the number 29; is there a particular reason?
"Yes and no. It was one of the available numbers and I liked it. My first number was 22, the second was 19. 22, 19, 29: that’s it. Moving forward, taking a step forward."
You're the latest French player to join Milan. Have you talked to your fellow countrymen: Théo Hernandez, Mike Maignan, and the others? Fofana answered:
"Yes, I talked a lot with the French players here during the summer. They spoke very highly of the club, the stadium, the fans, and that helped me in my decision."
Is there a past Milan player you look up to?
"I don’t look up to anyone specifically because they had different characteristics. But I admired Gattuso, Pirlo, and I really liked Seedorf. For me, these three, along with Kakà in front of them. Those were my four players."
Does your celebration have a meaning? Fofana replied:
"There isn't a particular explanation. My two friends and I decided to make these three gestures to say that I don’t hear what’s happening around me, I don’t see, and I don’t speak. I let the pitch speak."
Close your eyes and tell us about your first goal with the Milan shirt...
"At San Siro. Soon, I hope, with a shot from outside the box. Not with power, but with precision. In the bottom corner. And it has to be a win because if I score and we don’t win, it’s pointless. I hope to score around ten like that."
At one point, you were almost going to quit playing football. What made you keep going?
"It was the people around me. Often, we have a negative image of city neighborhoods, especially in Paris. But it gave me a lot of strength. The people I grew up with always supported me and pushed me to continue. They wanted to see me play on TV, and they didn’t know what level I was playing at. They were just waiting to see me on TV. I did it for them, and I hope they are proud of me."
For those who don’t know you: what kind of player are you?
"I’m a player who likes to bring dynamism. I like to change pace defensively and especially offensively. I do my job in both halves of the field and cover as much ground as possible. In any case, I aspire to become, I’m working on it, and in the future, we’ll see if I can; but if I achieve all this, I think I’ll be the best player in history."
