Youssouf Fofana was interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport on his first day in Hong Kong. Here are his most notable statements:
How he’s doing:
“I’m doing well. I had time to rest and now I’m ready. We’re fired up. Last season is behind us and we can’t change anything about it. Now we have the right hunger for the new season.”
On Milan’s performance against Arsenal, Fofana said:
“We did fairly well despite having a young team. We’ll continue to improve in the future. We’re working hard, and playing against Arsenal will give us valuable experience.”
On Massimiliano Allegri:
“He has a good rapport with the group and stays close to us: we talk about football, but also other things. On the pitch, he makes a difference with what he teaches us—and we follow him. He’s exactly the kind of coach we needed: he’s won a lot in Serie A and had great runs in the Champions League, reaching two finals. It’s a big plus for the team to have him here.”
On the new midfield arrivals:
“Ricci is a very good player, both with and without the ball. He’ll pick up the right habits in no time. We’re all ready to make sacrifices for the Ballon d’Or. We can’t wait to train with him. Just by watching him play or talking to him off the pitch, there’s a lot to learn. He’ll give a lot to Milan.”
On the Champions League:
“Milan has to play in the Champions League every season. That’s not a request from the club—it’s a necessity. The advantage of not being in it? Yes and no, because 6–7 Serie A teams are in European competitions, while the others will have the same amount of time as us to prepare for league matches. We shouldn’t look at what Napoli did last season—we should focus on ourselves. The goal is to win every match we play and become competitive again.”
