Youssouf Fofana gave an interview to 'L'Équipe' in which he spoke about his change of role at AC Milan, moving from a deep-lying playmaker in front of the defense to a right-sided midfielder:
“It’s as if for years I had been watching football in a certain way, and now my perception is changing because I no longer see the pitch from the same angle, I don’t have the same reference points. For example, before, when I played in front of the defense, I knew I had two players behind me, one diagonally to the right and one to the left. Now it’s completely different. I play as a right midfielder. When we don’t have the ball, I’m very advanced, almost like a forward. When we do have the ball, I position myself between the lines.”
Since joining Milan, Fofana knows he has improved a lot:
“In my first year at Milan, I learned a lot tactically. Before, I was a more instinctive player; today I’m more disciplined and I try to follow the coach’s instructions better and read the game more effectively. I try to do what the team needs, which means not only winning the ball back, but also being able to build play, help my teammates, and be well positioned. I’m at the team’s service. I’m available to the coach. I’m taking a step forward in my career with a great Italian coach. Have I changed my mindset? Yes. Before, I was more fatalistic. Now I don’t think that way anymore, I’ve understood that you have to go out and get things. I now work more on analysis, I try to understand the game better, and I also listen more to coaches. I’ve become much more demanding of myself.”
On the current season and his World Cup dream, Fofana explained:
“Numbers are important, and I think I can be much more effective than this. Am I aiming for the World Cup? Playing in a World Cup would be a dream. Yes, I want to go, but I’ll have to earn my visa (laughs). The France coach hasn’t called me up for a while? At first, I was disappointed and wondered why I wasn’t being selected. Then I thought, ‘Okay Youssouf, there are many strong players in your position.’ First, I have to perform well with my club. I need to finish the season even better than I started it, opportunities will come. It all depends on me.”
