AC Milan's Pervis Estupinan, has presented himself to the media in a press conference.
The idea you’ve always had of Milan, have you found it again in these first days?
"Everyone, not only in Ecuador, knows Milan is a historic club. I haven’t had many chances to be in direct contact with Milan before, but I know the players who have passed through here: in Ecuador there are so many fans. I’m extremely happy to be here, I’ve worked long and hard to play for a club like this."
Are you close to your best condition?
"I was talking about it the other day with the fitness coach, we laughed together because I practically arrived in Hong Kong with a parachute. In every team I’ve been in, I’ve been a physical player. I always try to keep myself in shape during the summer break, and thanks to this preparation, I arrived in good condition: I feel good and I can’t wait to play at San Siro and bring joy to the fans."
What does this transfer mean for you and your family?
"When we found out Milan was interested, it was emotional. My wife, my children, and the rest of my family were all delighted. Everyone in my family has helped me and they are fundamental to my career on a human level. I want to make the most of this opportunity, it’s a dream come true."
The sense of responsibility in inheriting Theo’s role, have you felt it?
"We all know Theo is an excellent player, with a fantastic left foot, and he’s left his mark here. I want to congratulate him. Now it’s my turn, I’m really happy and can’t wait to take on that flank. I’ll work hard to repay Milan for the trust they’ve shown me. I can’t wait to make the fans happy. I’ll do my best and I hope to win as many titles as possible with Milan, that’s one of my goals. I’m also happy to wear the number 2, which was worn by a legendary player like Cafu."
How important was Roberto De Zerbi?
"The first thing he helped me with was understanding Italian, I don’t speak it yet, but I understand it, and I’ll try to learn. On the football side, I’m very happy to have been coached by De Zerbi, a great coach who helped me enormously. Those were two excellent seasons that I remember with great fondness. I congratulate him on his exceptional human and tactical qualities. What I learned from him, I’ll try to put into practice here."
What is Allegri asking of you in terms of role on the pitch?
"As you know, one of my traits is that I defend but also push forward, I like to link up with midfielders and attackers. For now, I’m following exactly what the coach tells me. If we play with a back four, I can push forward and combine with the attackers, but I can also play in a back three. I’ve found a fantastic group here at Milan, and we’re all motivated to achieve big goals. In a four-man defense, I hope to defend well but also get forward a bit."
You were coached in Quito by former Milan player Borghi, did you talk about Milan?
"Our time together didn’t last long, and we didn’t talk about Milan. But in those brief moments, I learned a lot from him. He was great at the rabona and trained us full-backs a lot on crossing and long passes."
How do you think the connection with Rafael Leao will be?
"I’m totally ready, I can’t wait. We all know Rafa’s technical quality, playing alongside him is hugely motivating. The idea of helping him excites me. From the very start, he greeted me with a big smile, and I immediately understood we could do great things together. Hopefully, we can cause trouble for a lot of teams."
How is it working with Massimiliano Allegri? What would you like to improve?
"My first impression of the coach was that he’s very pleasant—he jokes with the players. But when it’s time to work, he’s very serious and wants to win, I like that attitude a lot. In the Premier League, I developed a lot, and in recent years I’ve improved in terms of providing assists. I’ll also try to score and set up goals here. My job is not only to defend but also to push forward and deliver valuable assists."
Why take the number 2?
"Many great players have worn this number. The reason I chose it is because I heard some very kind and motivating words from Cafu about me, I decided to honor him this way."
De Zerbi said you could be one of the best in the world if you improved your control—what do you think you still need to improve?
"I played two seasons under De Zerbi. The Premier League is a very intense competition, very different from the Spanish league I came from. In England, there’s a lot of running and constant ball movement. De Zerbi noticed I needed to improve my passing technique, we worked on many drills together and I improved. Here at Milan, I’ll keep trying to get better, there’s always room for improvement."
What kind of group have you found here?
"I feel really good. Since the moment I landed, all my teammates have given me the warmest welcome I could have hoped for. I feel the spirit of my teammates, they want to achieve great things. We all want to fight, and starting Sunday, we hope to begin on the right foot. We’re working hard, and the aim is to start in the best possible way. The coach is demanding a lot from us and wants to awaken our winning mentality for the good of Milan."
Your goal?
"To stay at this club for a long time, I’ve worked hard to reach a great club like this. I want to write history and contribute with assists and goals. I’m very happy about all this, thrilled to be here and to live in a beautiful city. The atmosphere in the center is great, and it’s wonderful to see fans wearing the Milan shirt. It’s going to be a great challenge, and I’ll try to put everything into practice."
What’s the goal for the season?
"In every match, I want to make the fans happy and proud. We have three competitions, and the goal is to win all three. I’m joining a great club, and I want to win titles. I have many dreams, and I know that if we do a good job, we can achieve them."
You’re the first Ecuadorian to play for Milan… Estupinan said:
"Yes, I’ve received a lot of messages from Ecuadorians who support Milan. Now everyone says they’ve been Milan fans since their first cry. Many Ecuadorians living here in Milan have told me they’ll come to the stadium to cheer for me. It makes me very proud. It’s another step toward making history and continuing my own story. I’m happy, my family is happy, everyone in Ecuador is happy, and I hope they’ll buy my number 2 shirt."
