Samuele Ricci, Milan midfielder who has returned to the national team, gave an interview to Rai Sport, where he spoke about both Italy and his start with the Rossoneri.
"These have been months of growth. I came from a club where I always played and had plenty of space, then I moved to a team where competition is naturally much higher, and I found less playing time. Fortunately, in the last few matches I managed to gain continuity and minutes, earning my way back to the national team. That’s very important for me."
The impact with Gennaro Gattuso?
"Very positive. Even in the months when I wasn’t called up, he stayed in touch with me, which isn’t something you should take for granted. It shows he values those who stay home too. At Coverciano, I haven’t had much time to interact with him yet since I arrived only yesterday."
Have you spoken with Luciano Spalletti?
"He’ll always be the coach who gave me my first national team call-up. I’ll always be tied to him. I wish him all the best with Juventus. We had a great relationship, and I think that applies to other members of the group as well."
You’re seen as a player capable of doing everything. Do you embrace that?
"Yes, you need to give continuity to the work being done, especially at club level," said Ricci. "With the national team there’s little time, only two training sessions and then maybe a match. I believe the national team starts from the club level, that’s where you work on the key aspects and fix weaknesses."
Deep-lying playmaker or mezzala?
"Good question… I think I can play both roles depending on what’s asked. Nowadays, many teams use midfielders who can both insert themselves and help build play. I can do both."
Unlucky to draw Norway or victims of ourselves?
"I think Norway are a great team, and we saw that. Maybe we had an off day at the wrong time, and unfortunately, we lost. But now we need to focus calmly on the two matches ahead. Wearing the national shirt means giving importance to every game."
What does playing with Luka Modric give you?
"Luka is the best player I’ve ever played with. Beyond his quality, what strikes me is his humility, the respect he shows every teammate, and how available he is. At forty years old, that’s not something you often see, and those are the traits worth learning from."
Ricci, what makes Luka Modric special?
“Many things. His technique stands out, but his intelligence impresses me even more, especially without the ball. As I said, at forty, it’s not normal to run as much as everyone else, if not more," as relayed via TuttoMercatoWeb.
How are things with Massimiliano Allegri?
"We understand each other well, we share the same sense of humor. Things are going great, he’s a top coach and I don’t need to say it. He’s building something important. Milan came from a complicated year, and I think we’re doing well now. We’ve also had difficult moments and dropped too many points, but you can clearly see the coach’s influence."
Milan have the most dominant player in the league, Leao. Does he know it, and do you believe in him?
"Yes. Rafa doesn’t even know how strong he is. I’m enjoying watching him, he’s working hard for everyone. Maybe in the past that was harder for him, but now I think he’s 100% focused on Milan and on doing well."
