Alessandro Florenzi spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport, answering freely to the questions.
Florenzi was bought out from Roma following a very good season on loan last year, in which he helped Milan win the Scudetto – their first since 2011.
Alessandro spoke to Luca Bianchin of La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview which was published this morning:
Let’s start with the easy questions. During the training camp in Austria there was a great match of football tennis: Florenzi-Tonali vs Giroud-Gabbia. Being able to swap Tonali for another teammate, who do you choose?
“Nobody, I keep Sandro. He’s competitive like me.”
And at billiards, a typical sport at Milanello?
“Well, there I have no rival. Too easy… the second comes third. The strongest, after me, was perhaps Daniel Maldini. Then Tonali and Gabbia, although they sell me Messias is good. Of course, I hope they redo the billiard cloth. They say they can’t because Van Basten played there, but I mean…”
We enter a training camp. Who is the most silent teammate?
“Perhaps Messias.”
And the most chaotic?
“It’s like billiards. They don’t beat me.”
Given the looks of recent months, who has the most absurd hair?
“Come on, look at blond Giroud… he’s uglier than pink Theo.”
The pitch. Who is the fastest?
“The left flank. For me Theo is even faster than Rafa.”
And who takes the worst free kicks?
“Among those who kick them – Saelemaekers. But I’m not a phenomenon also…”
All right, we get the atmosphere. Was this the secret of the Scudetto?
“Yes, the group. The Coach told us a phrase: ‘Success changes people’. We have to make sure that it doesn’t happen to us. The Coach is very good at this.”
But is the Scudetto magic still there?
“Yes, it is there, I feel it. However, it has to be nurtured. Otherwise it goes out.”
The video “buy me out Paolooo” says a lot. Why did such a strong bond with Milan come about?
“Because Milan had faith in me when few would have. I have to thank especially Ricky Massara, who already knew me, but I hope Paolo liked me too. Besides, Milan had already been looking for me.”
When?
“When Boban was there, in January 2020, but I had given my word to Valencia two days before. Boban called me: ‘Would you not change planes?’ And I said to Massara: ‘Ricky, I love you, but I gave a word. If it has to be then it will be’. It happened.”
The bookies say Juventus and Inter are favorites. Is there annoyance?
“They were saying that also in 2021 and then… Let’s say it doesn’t bother me, it will bother me if they raise the trophy in June.”
Juve and Inter. Who is stronger?
“I know I am wronging Inter, but I say Juve: they have strengthened more. Di Maria is the strongest I’ve ever played with on my side. Better even than Salah, who had not yet exploded at Roma.”
Not a leader, they say. True?
“Mah… Kjær also speaks little, however when he says something everyone is at attention.”
By the way, what kind of Captain is Davide Calabria?
“A Captain who makes himself available and listens. A balanced person who speaks at the right time. There are many Captains here, however, Ibra, Kjær, me and also Maignan.”
And Leão, how strong is he?
“Rafa has to take a step at the level of his head, but not because he doesn’t have it. I’m talking about something else – the desire to stay in the game, not to dribble by force. He lacks this and it is little, because everything else is there. I see Mbappé in him, with one difference: Kylian never makes a mistake in front of goal. Rafa, however, is there. Rafa is a true player, but don’t tell him that.”
