Mattia Sandri, a player who joined this summer and is currently with Milan Futuro, gave an interview to the club's official channel to discuss the first part of the season for the Rossoneri's second team and his journey.
Here are his words:
"My career? I started at Torino, where I went through all the youth ranks from the academy to the Primavera, even getting a taste of the first team. I was fortunate enough to train with great players in Serie A, even though I was only part of the squad. Then I realised I was too young for Serie A, so I told myself to go back to Serie C, which is a tough league where young players grow a lot because it’s a crucial competition. For me, it was a very positive experience. I’m from 2001, so technically I'm considered a veteran, but I’m still young. Serie C has given me a lot and helped me grow in many ways. My dream is to have the chance to return to Serie A."
On Serie C, Sandri, the central midfielder, said:
"Serie C requires a lot of character. There are many opponents from higher divisions, and you play on difficult pitches. This factor can help our young players grow a lot. The difficulty between Serie C and the Primavera championship is very different, so we’re trying to adapt to the category, and little by little, we’ll aim to achieve the results we all want."
On the start of the season:
"In the last match, there was a red card after 5 minutes. It shouldn't be an excuse, but it did influence the game in a certain way. As for the other matches, we’ve all seen that it’s a tough league, so we’ll have to give our all in every game. Slowly, the guys are improving a lot. We need to match the level of the competition, and after that, we’ll have many satisfying moments."
On coach Daniele Bonera, Sandri said:
"I’m very happy with the coach and the staff in general. Having all this trust from them makes me feel proud. I try to give my best, listen to them, and pass on their concepts to my teammates, which can be hard to grasp for those just starting out. I don’t feel much pressure because, even when I was younger like some of my teammates, I was always a bit of a leader. I’ve always tried to motivate my teammates and push them further, and that makes me very happy", as relayed via Milan Press.
On the Milan environment, Sandri commented:
"It’s a wonderful world; I didn’t expect all this enthusiasm. I immediately noticed a great sense of family, which makes me very happy. Preseason? I knew there would be many talented guys, some of whom have even made their first-team debuts, but we know it’s a tough and long journey. Milan Futuro is designed to help our young players grow, and that’s what we’re working on."