Gonçalo Ramos, Milan’s new centre-forward, signed from PSG for a club-record fee, gave an exclusive interview to DAZN ahead of Sunday evening’s big match against Juventus. Here are his full comments.
On his expectations at Milan:
"I’m here to make history with Milan, just like anyone who comes here: we want to make history ourselves. Milan already is history; we want to make it even greater and win more trophies, more matches and everything else."
On being the most expensive signing in the club’s history:
"I don’t think too much about the price they paid for me, but rather about the trust the club has placed in me. For me, it’s a good sign that they paid so much for me; it means they believe in me and trust me. So I have to prove my worth and help the club win. It’s motivation and pressure, but it’s positive pressure. I don’t think there’s a solution for dealing with pressure: anyone in this situation feels it, and it also depends on the individual. I really like pressure. These are positive and important moments: there is no pressure when nothing is at stake. You train every week and every day, but there’s no pressure in training: you can make mistakes, you can improve... But when you get to a match, there is pressure, and I really like it. It’s a good sign because it means you’re doing something important and that you can achieve something important."
On the importance of scoring goals:
"Do I have the arrogance to want to score? I like to think about it this way: my job is to score, but that also shows my mentality and the way I work every day, not just during matches. I try to do everything the right way to get as close to scoring as possible. Obviously, it doesn’t feel good to miss chances: nobody wants to miss, but it’s important to manage that situation because if you miss a chance in the opening minutes and then you can’t help the team or score the 1-0, you can’t be important. If you let those things affect you, I think your match is already over."
On the mentality he wants to pass on to his teammates:
"I believe I’m already an experienced player because I’ve learned a lot from the players I’ve played with throughout my career: with the national team, at Benfica and in Paris. I’m still learning every day here too. I’ve already won some trophies, including some very important ones, so it’s good that I can bring some of that winning mentality to the team. The best way to do that is to work hard every day, because then it becomes contagious. I want to try to do that."
On the feeling of scoring his first goal at San Siro, Gonçalo Ramos said:
"It was a fantastic feeling to score at home, to hear the fans and feel the magic of the stadium. It was also great to show a bit of myself: they were able to see me working and scoring a goal. It was nice to send that message to the fans and feel their support.”
On his target for the season:
"For me, it will be a positive season if we win the Scudetto. I don’t care about the goals. If we win the Scudetto, it’s a positive season. If I score 100 goals and we finish seventh, it means nothing. I want to win rather than score goals. For me, that’s the most important thing, even if I don’t score that much."
On his first memory of Milan:
"I don’t really have a first specific memory of Milan, but when I was young, my father always talked to me about Milan. It was his favourite club. He grew up watching Milan win everything, and his dream was to play for Milan one day. For me, the memory is of my father talking to me about the club, rather than a particular match or goal.”
On his relationship with his father:
"Whenever I play, I always talk to my father. He’s the first person I speak to after a match to see what I can improve and what I did well and badly. He’s my coach in life. I understand him very well and I’ve learned a lot from him. It’s great to have him by my side because he only tells me the truth and wants to help me; he doesn’t tell me positive things just to make me feel good. He always wants to put me on the right path. His best advice? There isn’t one particular piece of advice, but I think it’s everything he tells me every day, after every match, when he talks to me about the things I can improve."
On his family, Ramos said:
"Family is extremely important to me. They are always there for me and help me switch off from football a little, because it’s important to enjoy some time with your loved ones, spend time with them and do things together. I don’t think it’s healthy to think about training and football every day, so I need to enjoy time with my family. They are with me in both the negative and positive moments. It’s great to have that stability in my life. I think my son will only remember Milan because he’s too young to remember Paris or what has happened with the national team so far. He’ll start remembering things from now on."
On his first football-related memory:
"As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had a football at my feet, playing since I was two years old. When I was four, I joined a team called Olhanense in the Algarve. I remember my first training session: they didn’t even have a team for me, so I had to play with children who were two years older than me."
On how difficult his journey to Milan has been, Ramos commented:
"I think moving away from home to live on my own at 11 or 12 was difficult. I never imagined leaving without my family, and even my parents didn’t think I would be away from them for so long. It was difficult during the first six months, but after that you chase your dreams, you play, you train and you spend every day with your teammates. The hardest part was the first few months, but after that I was ready and you no longer think about giving up on that dream. My dream is to win many things with Milan and help the club start winning trophies again, to create some magic with my teammates."
On the weight of the number 9 shirt:
"Everyone has talked to me about the curse of the shirt, but I don’t think much about it. Olivier Giroud played here not long ago and he wasn’t affected by it. For me, it’s an honour to wear Milan’s number 9 shirt. It’s a prestigious shirt. I really like wearing it and I hope to score many goals."
On Ruben Amorim:
"When Amorim called me, he told me that he was counting on me and that if I came here, I would be an important part of the project. He told me that I could help Milan with goals. He called me while I was at the World Cup, in July. I went to my room and we spoke. It was very easy. It’s a moment I will remember forever."
On his teammates, Gonçalo Ramos said:
"I had the best relationship with Rafa, but he has now moved to another club. In general, I get along well with everyone. We have a lot of players in the dressing room who speak French, and then there’s Diego Moreira, who speaks Portuguese with me. There’s Mario Gila, with whom I speak Spanish. I also get along well with Chukwueze, but in general I talk to everyone. It’s easy to be in our dressing room and part of our team."
On whether he prefers 'The Pistolero' or 'The Wizard':
"I prefer The Pistolero. They used to call me The Wizard when I was younger in Benfica’s academy, and it was just a little joke among the people there.”
