Former AC Milan captain and director Paolo Maldini was interviewed on the sidelines of the 40th Viareggio Award, where he will be a guest this evening. Among the various topics discussed, there was inevitably Milan, Sunday night’s derby, and former Rossoneri coach Stefano Pioli.
Here are his statements, as relayed via Tuttomercatoweb.com.
Has Milan started to taste the flavour of the old days again?
"It seems so. Naturally I always struggle a bit to speak about Milan and the topics tonight will be different. But I am pleased that the league table looks better."
The national team, will we go to the World Cup?
"We hope so for the new generation, for the kids who have never seen a World Cup, for Rino and for all of us who always support the Azzurri shirt. Gattuso? When they appointed him as head coach I thought it was an excellent idea because he embodies the spirit of the Italian national team. Times have changed, many teams have improved, there is progress from all the other national sides and we need to keep pace."
The derby is on Sunday… Maldini commented:
"It will be balanced. The derby is strange. We lost six or seven in a row and won the league title, then we started winning them again and things did not go well. The derby does not determine the final outcome."
A comment on Stefano Pioli (who was sacked from Fiorentina recently)?
"A pity. Honestly, understanding the reasons from the outside is very hard. Florence is not an easy environment but I honestly thought and hoped he would do better."
There has been talk of you possibly joining Fiorentina in Pradè’s place:
"My cousin who lives in Tuscany called me and I told him, ‘Look, I know nothing’ (he laughs). For me in Italy there is only one club and it will stay that way.”
So Maldini returning abroad?
"In Italy and abroad” (he laughs).
On the title race, Maldini commented:
"Conte is under pressure. This is how he deals with his life and his football. In the end I think Inter, Juve and Napoli will fight for it. If Milan manage to hold this position in the table, when you are up there you try.”
Does a new Maldini exist?
“Comparisons never help. Everyone needs to be themselves. I know because I was compared first to my father and then to Cabrini for many reasons, but comparisons never help.”
Football no longer has one-club players?
“Football is now more open to foreign clubs and the same goes for players. When I started there was only one foreigner, now there are many.”
Can Raffaele Palladino's arrival at Atalanta help your son Daniel? His best period was with him at Monza.
“We hope so. He started as a starter, then he struggled more to find space. Daniel definitely needs playing time.”
