The long-awaited derby between AC Milan and Inter is now just a few days away and the tension is rising. It’s a gave that means a lot not just for confidence, but also for the standings with the two teams close to each other.
The Rossoneri suffered a tough defeat against Spezia but somewhat recovered against Juventus, although one could argue they should have won that. In that sense, the derby has double meaning: to bounce back and also get that derby confidence boost.
In an interview with DAZN, as cited by MilanNews, Milan’s vice-captain Davide Calabria shared his thoughts on the derby, his future with the club, and one player he would remove from the Inter squad on Saturday.
On his first derby…
“Having grown up with this shirt on, it was certainly a special day. My whole family are Milan fans.”
On the old derbies, full of champions…
“I remember the great teams in the days of Ancelotti and Allegri. I grew up with that Milan, with those great players and for a Rossoneri fan it was a wonderful period.”
On the photo with Maldini…
“I have one with Maldini, but I asked him after 6 years of playing with his son. At Vismara we sometimes saw him hiding in the woods behind the central court. He didn’t go to the stands, but he went behind.”
On preparation for games…
“At this level, you prepare all matches in the same way. Obviously, there is an even better side to the derby, I think it’s the best derby in the world, perhaps the best game in the world.”
On the first derby played…
“The first derby I played was the one from the Chinese era, at 12.30. I remember when we got the news about the derby being played at 12.30, we said that maybe it was the first time in history. It was a good game anyway, we were down 2-0 and then we drew in the 97th minute with Zapata. It was a great emotion, there were a lot of fans. A good memory…”
On Calhanoglu’s penalty…
“Honestly, from the pitch, I would never have said it was a penalty on that occasion. However, I experienced it as a moment of the match against us and that led us to concede goals, but we did not take it on personally.”
On the future…
“I’ve been here for a lifetime and I hope I’ll wear this shirt forever. Then it’s not just up to me to decide, there will be so many things and I feel that way today.”
Who would take a decisive penalty…
“I think these are really delicate situations. If I had to decide, whoever feels up for it at that moment can shoot.”
On Inter’s possible mini-climb…
“It’s still early to think about this. We want to win and potentially we can be much closer. We’ll talk about it from Sunday.”
On the defeat against Spezia…
“The Scudetto is won in those games when it seems like something isn’t working, but then at the last moment, you bring home the three points.”
On the presence of the fans…
“The fans really create an exciting atmosphere. You enter the stadium and you feel galvanized by the crowd. To have them or not to have them is two different games. Of course, it’s always a derby and it is a fundamental match.”
If he has ever been in the Curva Sud…
“I never went to the Curva. I used to go to the Inter corner for Milan matches because it was cheaper, in fact, the secondo verde was my place for this.”
On the new stadium in Milan…
“This thing is under everyone’s eyes. There is more income, there is more economic power and consequently more results in having its own stadium.”
On Theo and Leao…
“They are young players but they really have a lot of talent. They are probably realizing their talent now, but I think they can become two top players in their respective roles in the future. In the defensive phase, they are working well and I think that was the missing piece. They are improving and they give us a big hand.”
On Ibrahimovic…
“He is a strong player who attracts the attention of the defence. Having him or not makes a difference and if he plays at this level at this age, it’s always better to have him on your side.”
On which player he would remove from Inter…
“I think their strong point is the defence. Upfront they have talent and great players. I would remove a defender, probably De Vrij.”
The derby is scheduled for 18:00 CET on Saturday, which isn’t exactly a usual slot for that game. Hopefully, Stefano Pioli’s men will put in a great shift and send an important signal to the rest of the teams fighting for the top four.
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Do Milan a favour and get the hell out of Milan. You are a below average player and you will always be. Sometimes you are good at defense but Davide you are one of the worst at offense. No dribblon no passing no crossing no finishing. Just long passing
The most horrible comment have seen lately, such a disappointment you are
Exactly, David! I doubt he is a Milan fan! I can’t believe anyone could talk ill of. Calabria!
I see lots of trolls lately.
lmao go back to your room, kid.
David you are very stupid to be a Milan fan, you are probably inter fan, how will you talk bad about a player that give his all for Milan even when he is not 100% faith
So someone is even calling out Calabria. It’s like we are watching different matches.. imao!
Lol…I wonder
I was at his first derby. Saturday, Apr. 15, 2017, also my dad’s birthday. I was in Italy for a three week trip, proposed to my wife, then my dad met up with us in Milan for a weekend to celebrate his birthday, our engagement and watch the derby. It was a game we could have won too, as we had a couple of good chances in the first half.