USMNT and AC Milan star, Christian Pulisic, has granted an interview to those The Athletic and discussed several topics.
Here are his words:
"The 'Pulisic' docuseries? When I was watching that part of the first episode, I was like, wow, I’m really awkward, and everyone sees me as this boring guy who doesn’t want to show into his life. I hope people can see that there is some more to me."
Why did you decide to make this docuseries?
"One of my biggest goals is inspiring that next generation of soccer players and my country back home and getting people excited. I look at the timing of a World Cup coming up in the U.S. and the sport is the biggest it’s ever been. It seems like the right time."
Pulisic continued:
"Some of us are more introverted, some of us are more outgoing. I hope some people can see this documentary and think, ‘I relate to him’. Hopefully, they see how I am as a person and realise, ‘OK, maybe not all football stars are wanting to be so glamorous and in the spotlight all the time’. I hope they see that I’m kind of the opposite of that and see some of the struggles that I go through on a day-to-day basis as an American battling in Europe to try to be one of the best players in the world."
In the documentary, Christian's father, Mark, questions whether it will ever change in “our lifetime”, describing it as a “stigma”. Pulisic says in the series that it “p***** me off”, claiming he has “seen it in front of my eyes” and arguing that 50-50 decisions by coaches — about whether to select an American player or not, may have been impacted by it.
Pulisic also told The Athletic:
"It just inspires me to work that much harder and to have to be better, not even giving them a decision to make and saying, ‘This is the guy that we want playing’. So that’s always pushed me. I think it’s in a better place now. I hope I’ve had a say in that and other people look around and say, ‘This guy’s American and he is doing it at the highest level, so we need to respect some of these guys’. Look how many Americans in the last five to 10 years have come over to Europe. We have players in the Champions League and some of the highest leagues in the world. It is not our biggest driver of wanting to prove them wrong. It’s just something that is out there.”
On doing the trump dance after scoring a goal with the USMNT:
"I honestly don’t feel any differently now than when I did it. To me, it was a viral dance trend, (the type of which) I’ve done multiple times in my career. Whether it’s a dab or a funny other dance that people still make fun of me for because my dancing skills aren’t very good, I don’t feel any type of way about it. It wasn’t any kind of statement in any way. It was just a fun trend that I was doing. Anyone who looks more into it should really just not because it’s just not there."
Were you surprised by the reactions? Pulisic answered:
"In the way that the political climate is, especially in the U.S., maybe not. I’ll be honest, beforehand, I didn’t really think about it either. But with the way people react to things, I guess it doesn’t surprise me that much, now I think about it."
Did the 'U.S Soccer' talk to you about it?
"Honestly, no. There was no reaction at all from that side. I think they know me as a person. That’s how we should judge people."
On his father's approach, Pulisic said in the docuseries that he knows how to get to him, how to motivate him and that sometimes, he gets on his nerves. On the other hand, his mother uses a different approach and her texts are the same before and after the matches, no matter what happens on the field. Here's his comment on that in the interview to The Athletic:
"That’s being harsh on my dad, though. He did a good job of drawing the line. He never made me hate the game or want to stop and want to quit. He was not so over the top parenting that it was out of control. It was never like that. But definitely he prodded me. He pushed me. He knew how to get the best out of me, always."
Pulisic added:
"He was my coach growing up. He would treat me as he would any of his other players, probably even a little bit harder. At this level now, he’s not constantly trying to do it. But he knows my game better than anybody else. So he was constantly trying to push me to play with bravery, with no fear."
The former Borussia Dortmund player said confidence “can depend a lot on your environment, form, trust from your coaches, from your club, how you’re feeling”. He says this has been restored at Milan:
"It’s not to say it’s easier now (at Milan) than it was with Chelsea, but there was a time in Chelsea where I felt on top of the world and I was playing great and that confidence and that no-fear mentality was easy to have. And there was also a time when that was extremely difficult because I wasn’t getting the time. I felt pressure that I needed to do more when I did get on the pitch in some kind of way. Now, I’m in a really good head space where I feel quite confident. I feel a lot of trust from the club in a lot of ways."
Is Chelsea the first real setback? Pulisic replied:
"For sure, it was difficult. I became very used to my environment in Chelsea. I learned so much, won a lot and was really happy with how things went in certain ways. But when it’s time for a change, you can feel it with all of your being. If I wanted to reach that next level, this is a step that I had to take."
How do you handle some comments?
"Getting older (smiles). And understanding that the best in the world are so clear in the head that, for example, if they miss a chance, it doesn’t feel like the end of the world. Their whole body language does not define them. They know they’re going to get another because they’re that good and they’re getting into positions. It is about a clear head and understanding that you’re going to have better moments ahead."
And perhaps understanding that nobody can expect things to go perfectly all of the time? Pulisic replied:
"But the mind does crazy things to you. You have a little bit of success and you’re like, ‘Man, this has got to be what it’s always like’. Then when something doesn’t quite go the way you want, it’s funny how your mind takes you right back there. It’s not easy. We all work on it every day. The best in the world who seem like they’re scoring every week also have mental droughts and battles they’re dealing with. It just may not seem that way. There’s a lot of parts to it. This career, this profession, I’m extremely blessed to be able to do it, but it’s a lot on your brain. It’s a lot on your body, there are games all the time. It’s hard work.”
On whether this season is the best one for him in his career so far, Pulisic said:
"In each area, I’m getting a little bit better. Whether that be finishing, crossing, defending, tactically growing and understanding the game better. I feel like I’m improving and becoming a lot stronger mentally, knowing that when tougher times do hit, I’m able to not let it affect me as much, making the less confident moments become a little bit shorter. So it’s just also about consistency and taking care of yourself."
In the docuseries, Pulisic spoke to Zlatan Ibrahimovic about Copa America, saying that there was good and bad things, likely referring to the quality of the pitches and crowd management. He commented to The Athletic in the following way:
"That was obviously fresh off the emotions of that whole thing. It was tough to lose and to go out in the way that we did — just a really unfortunate second game (a 2-1 defeat against Panama) that we like to think we should have won. That put us in a really tough spot. The conditions as well can be tough in those games against these types of teams with the fields and all those things. It was just a quick statement. It’s not like the whole thing was a disaster. I enjoyed the experience a lot as well... You could see the hype around the tournament. It was extremely exciting. You could see in that final (between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which was delayed by 82 minutes owing to extreme overcrowding) there were people coming in through the vents and it was all kinds of madness."
Pulisic continued:
"Of course, we wish we (the USMNT) could do better. We want to be there to have the American people behind us. Trust me, no one wants it as bad as I do. And it sucked that we couldn’t deliver. That’s why it was just so disappointing for us. The more success you have, the more your country is going to get behind you.”
On Mauricio Pochettino:
"He has a very demanding style. He wants us to play an attacking style, where we have the ball, create chances, be very dynamic and also work extremely hard. As soon as we lose it, to win it back and definitely a more higher up pressing style. So, yeah, it’s crazy to say it feels like he’s been the coach for a while and I haven’t got to spend a whole lot of time with him. But it has been a good start so far."
If you were to make another docuseries in 10 years, what would you say? Pulisic replied:
"I would love to be able to say that I have been a small or big part in taking soccer in America to a whole other level and hopefully bringing us to a point where we are one of the most respected countries in the world. That would be an incredible goal for me. If we’re in that conversation and competing as a national team at the highest level and in some of the biggest competitions in the world, that would make me extremely proud and just hopefully we can be in a position where the sport has become what some of the other big ones are in America."
