AC Milan are about to begin their Champions League campaign at Anfield Road against Liverpool after the official line-ups were announced not long ago.
Before the start of the match between the two prestigious sides, Milan’s technical director Paolo Maldini spoke to the media, addressing the club’s return to the top-flight of European football and more.
“Milan is Milan. It’s not mine but of the people who love it and I’m one of them. You can hear the game, the atmosphere does the rest. After 18 months without an audience, making the debut in this stadium is an important sign,” Maldini told Sky Sport (via milannews.it).
The former legendary footballer went on to talk about his feelings with regards to the club’s return to the Champions League as well as how experiencing such matches felt as a player.
“This is an exciting day for the Milan galaxy. Only those who have tried it can know what a thrill it is to play games like this. Having contributed to returning to this competition is a source of pride,” he added.
Maldini went on to talk about Milan’s objective for the season, but also revealed a conversation he had with Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp before the beginning of the match.
“Every year we try to improve what we did the previous year. Being in the top 4 is our main goal. We are not yet at the level of the strongest but we have to compete. Milan must enter through the main door,” the director clarified.
“Klopp? We met, he was very happy with Milan’s return to the Champions League. There is always a lot of respect between people who have lived through these experiences.”
Maldini went on to comment on the atmosphere at Anfield Road and also spoke about how the factor of the fans at the stadium can influence the game. Finally, he also revealed what he told the team before tonight’s match.
“Anfield could be a factor. We saw our team at the San Siro, many argued that a good part of our last year was due to the empty stadiums. Playing a match like this, for many boys the first in this competition, will be incredible. It could, unfortunately, be a factor for Liverpool.
“What I told to the team? Nothing in particular. We aim to keep our fighting spirit. We must be careful because they are dangerous, but we know that they also have defects. We must be ourselves and try to exploit them,” Maldini concluded.
