Following Milan’s match against Venezia, Alexis Saelemaekers spoke to DAZN to discuss tonight’s victory, in which he played a key role with an assist (and half an assist).
The great thing about having you in the squad is that you can play anywhere, but you seem to enjoy playing as a number 10
"I like moving inside, so when I’m on the left, I can cut inside onto my right foot. I feel better and more comfortable there, and today I’m happy to have provided an assist."
Has the coach told you anything about your role this season?
“We talked about it at the start of the season. He told me he saw me playing more behind the striker because I’m better in tight spaces, and I think that’s where he sees me. He knows that wherever he plays me, I’ll give 100%.”
Saelemaekers, how difficult was it after such a huge disappointment as last season?
"It was very difficult, especially because the World Cup was in the middle of it, so every player returned on a different date. When you come off a season like the last one, it’s never easy. We had a lot of expectations, but we weren’t able to achieve our objective. The coach did a great job of resetting everything, and I think you can see that on the pitch. Every player is enjoying themselves more, their minds are clear, and we have to keep going like this. It was very important for us to win today in front of our fans, in memory of Baresi, and we’re ready for the next game, which will be very difficult."
How much do you feel that high-pressing approach is part of your identity?
“It’s something the coach gave us straight away. We have the players to do it, so we have to take advantage of that. The first line of defence is the attack, so if we press well in the attacking third, we’ve already done 50% of the work. We work hard during the week, and that has already brought us several goals. We have to keep going like this and improve."
