The French midfielder Adrien Rabiot landed yesterday in Milano to start his new chapter with the Rossoneri after the obligations with the France national team.
Today, he speaks to the media in a press conference to present himself.
Follow his words live with Milanreports.com:
"Of course, I have a great desire (to play), I'm ready and trained. I came here to lend a hand, if the coach puts me on the field right away, I'll do everything to win on Sunday"
On the relationship with coach Massimiliano Allegri:
"We've shared a lot with him, I felt good right from the start. He has a lot of ambition and desire to win, the right mentality. He lives with passion for football, like me, so there was an immediate connection. Even when he left Juve, we continued to talk and see each other. Before being a great coach, he's a great person, I'm happy to find him again."
On the AC Milan teammates:
"Great, young players eager to learn and also the experienced ones. I felt comfortable already yesterday in the first training session, there's a good atmosphere. Even those working around the team treated me well right from the start."
On the negotiations with AC Milan and how the deal happened, Rabiot said:
"It happened at the of the transfer market. I was talking with the coach since his arrival at Milan, but I was at Marseille. Then, when what happened happened, the coach called me right away, we talked about the project here and the coach's ambition to build a great journey, and in the end, everything moved quickly."
Have you heard from other former Milan players?
“Maignan spoke well of Milan, and Theo told me I would feel comfortable because it’s a big family. Allegri has already worked here and is very connected to the club. I don’t want to say they convinced me, because we’re talking about a great club, but it’s still important to get feedback from those who are here or have been here. Everyone spoke well of Milan. I was sure I was making the right choice."
Rabiot, what stage is Milan in your career?
“At PSG I won a lot, at Juventus I played a lot. At Marseille I had a top year. I want to keep my hunger for winning and for scoring goals and assists. I also want to help the younger players, there are many here. I’m here to help Milan win again and achieve great things. Last season was tough for Milan, which always has to fight for trophies. I bring my leadership and character. Coming here was the right choice. We want to play in the Champions League again next year.”
For the third year in a row, you chose a club that doesn’t play in the Champions League. Why?
“Playing at Milan is more important than playing in the Champions League with other teams that can’t aim to win or go far. I preferred to come here with the coach’s project and have a strong team next year that can compete in the Champions. Not just play in it, maybe not win it because it’s difficult, but have the ambition to achieve great things. I could have joined other clubs in the Champions, but Allegri’s project convinced me to come here.”
Has Allegri told you if you will start on Sunday?
“He hasn’t told me anything yet (smiles). Of course I hope so, but the coach decides. Allegri called me in the summer, but I was under contract with Marseille. Then he called again after that situation at Marseille. We haven’t had time to talk properly, but I know him well, I know how he and the staff work, so I’m ready.”
What do you want to say to Marseille fans? Rabiot replied:
“I said everything I wanted in a post on Instagram. I was there only one season, but it was intense, it was all very good.”
You face Jonathan Rowe on Sunday…
“There’s nothing special with him, we sent messages after he went to Bologna and I went to Milan. We’ll see each other at San Siro on Sunday, it will be nice. He’s a good guy. What happened in Marseille can happen anywhere, it didn’t change our relationship. I’ll be happy to see him, and he will be too.”
From the outside, how do you judge this team?
“There are experienced players and young ones, there have been changes, it’s not easy to build a group quickly, but we’ll try. There is great quality in this team, and the right mentality. The pitch will decide, but I’m confident. We have players like Modric, who has huge experience. With Mbappé in the national team, I talked about Modric and he said he’s a great person. We’ll need to get to know each other better, but I’ve found serenity and a strong will to work and perform well. The foundation is good.”
What do you think of Juventus? Can they compete with Milan for the Scudetto?
“I’m here to achieve great things and win the Scudetto. If you come to Milan, it’s to win. I will do everything to help the team reach the top. In February and March we’ll see where we are, for now we just have to work and follow the coach, who knows how to run a club like this. Juventus signed strong attacking players; they are one of the contenders for the Scudetto.”
Rabiot, what do you think of the San Siro stadium?
"It's a stadium I like, it brings me luck, and I hope to score goals and achieve great things wearing the Milan shirt. It's a beautiful stadium with extraordinary fans. I know the fans are a bit upset at the moment, but we need them and their support in every match. Our fans are an important part of the team."
What position do you prefer to play?
"I can play any role in midfield. With De Zerbi, I have even played further forward. I can do everything, it depends on how the coach wants to set up the team. In a 5-3-2, my preferred role is left central midfielder, but I can also play in a two-man midfield or behind the striker. I haven’t spoken in detail with the coach yet, but I am willing to play anywhere."
Have you set a minimum number of goals to score?
"In my last year at Juve I scored 10-11 goals, same as last year at Marseille. I like scoring and assisting. Last year I scored ten goals without playing in the cups, so I’ll try to repeat that. The coach encourages me to push forward and be decisive with goals and assists. I want to score at least ten goals like last year, and if I can score more, even better. In recent years, talking with Allegri and De Zerbi, they convinced me that I can be the kind of player who makes runs into the box and scores."
Was Milan in your destiny?
"Everything I did with Juve and the French national team, I hope to do with Milan. What I did in the past no longer matters, now only Milan counts. I have a good feeling with San Siro, so I hope to do well."
Any regrets about leaving Marseille? On Sunday you will face Rowe again… Rabiot commented:
"As I have already explained, I had and still have a good relationship with Rowe. We moved past that incident, we also talked about other things. I am happy to see him again on Sunday. I have no regrets, these things can happen. Life can change quickly, I think I left a good memory at Marseille and with its fans. I always gave my all, I arrived there with great ambition, and we brought Marseille back to the Champions League. I wish Marseille the best."
