Former French footballer and well-known Canal+ commentator Laurent Paganelli, spoke to Milannews.it about Mike Maignan. Here's what he said:
Laurent, you are very close to Maignan. What will Mike Maignan do at the end of the season?
“I think he will not stay at Milan and will go to the Premier League. The problem with players today is they want to try every league. Mike has reached a crossroads, he has this desire to *bouger* (leave). That is what I think, maybe it is not the reality. But... Knowing him, I believe he will leave.
In recent years there has been a real epidemic called the Premier League. Why do all players who are not there, including young ones in Ligue 1, want at all costs to move to the English top flight?
“We all think England is England, the ‘mother of football’ and a place where you feel you must have played at some point in your career. It is incredible because I do not think the best football is played in the Premier League. Especially for a goalkeeper, England is difficult...”
Looking back, famous goalkeepers like Barthez, Mandanda, Taibi, Onana all failed there...
“But that is how things are now and players are attracted to the Premier League. They are fixated on playing there at least once in their career. Then they are paid weekly there, so it suits them (laughs). But I think Mike is attracted by the league itself...”
In fact, in June Maignan asked to leave to join Chelsea.
“That is true and maybe one day he will regret leaving Milan. People can say what they want but Italy is Italy. I grew up with Serie A and I have always loved football, and yours is special. Yours is something big, and Italian coaches are outstanding. When you talk about football, real quality comes from Italy. It is the most complete league.”
But it is no longer like the eighties, nineties, and early 2000s when top players and international trophies almost all went to Italy.
“Sure, but in terms of discussions, the way of approaching things and seeing football in general, it is the top. And you have great coaches...”
Max Allegri proves that. Milan does not play great football, but they always manage to win by ‘corto muso,’ the trademark of the ex Juventus boss. What do you think of his football?
“The big problem today is that analysing football is becoming harder. Because there are so many matches, we want spectacle. But a coach does not see it like that. For him, the only thing that matters is winning by giving priority to organisation. Then opponents are analysed in detail on a tactical level thanks to all the available video.”
Surprised that Rabiot is so influential?
“Not at all, I have known Rabiot since he was very young. From the Toulouse days (on loan from PSG, in 2013). I know his technical, tactical, and mental level well. He is a great player.”
Is OM regretting his departure?
“I do not think so, but maybe the club regrets not being able to keep him. I don’t think they could keep him, let’s put it that way. They would have liked to keep him and extend his contract, but little Adrien is smart. He knows what he wants and where he wants to go. He has ambition, and maybe the club was not fully aligned with him. Of course he has his personality, his ideas, and you have to accept that. But this explains why he is a top player.”
What does Rafael Leao lack to reach the level of your colleague at Saint-Étienne in the 70s, the great Dutch winger Johnny Rep, twice World Cup runner-up?
“Johnny Rep was the exception! (Laughs). He was pure talent by definition. I remember once the coach suspended him for two matches because he was truly crazy. But when he came back he was devastating. He later joined Ajax, Johan Cruyff, Stefan Kovacs, and the Dutch total football. He had every quality to become a genius.”
Like Rafael Leao:
“Yes, the same applies to Leão. But again, we are talking about a great player. Only Johnny could do everything. He could look right and pass left. Johnny Rep was that. Sometimes he produced actions you could not anticipate and you did not know were possible in football. He had two good feet, two strong legs, and he was handsome. All the women were his...”
