AC Milan's French goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, has spoken to the media in a press conference ahead of the Coppa Italia final against Bologna.
Question: You know everything about the team you captain. You know its soul, the tough moments. How much desire do you have to bring this trophy home?
"We are very hungry because we want to bring this trophy home, for all the Milan fans, and we know how important it is to play in finals and win trophies for Milan."
You’ve been at Milan for many years: can you tell us about the mood in the squad?
"We know that tomorrow is an important day for this season, for this moment, and also for Milan, because we have the chance to write a page in the club’s history. But we must not put too much pressure on ourselves, we need to keep the cool head that allowed us to get this far. Of course, we are focused on giving our all tomorrow, but without playing a different kind of game than the one we know."
Do you think this back three gives the team more solidity, more confidence, or is it more about the improved physical condition?
"I always have confidence, whether we play with two, three, or one at the back. I always trust my teammates. There are moments when the wind blows in your favor and even if you put nine players behind the ball, if the wind turns against you, you can still concede. Right now, we are in a good moment and we need to take advantage of it and keep going like this, because it hasn’t always been this way."
Are you aware that it’s been a tough season, but tomorrow could be the night that changes the mood?
"Honestly, everything that happened before no longer matters. Only tomorrow matters, and tomorrow we have to be fully focused on this match, not think about the past, not think about what we did three days ago, not think about the games that will come against Roma and Monza. We only need to think about tomorrow's match. Of course, if we win it will be positive, so the only goal is to focus on what we can control tomorrow."
This is the only Italian trophy you’re still missing... Maignan replied:
"For me, as for anyone who’s hungry for victories, it’s very important to win every trophy."
