Samuel Chukwueze spoke to the media at his official presentation earlier this afternoon. He discussed his move to AC Milan, his new teammates and also shared some background on the phone calls with Stefano Pioli.
The winger arrived from Villarreal at the start of Milan’s pre-season tour in the US and his official presentation thus had to wait until now. He made his debut for the club last night as he came off the bench against Monza, showing off his quick feet.
Speaking at the press conference, which was broadcasted on Milan’s youtube, Chukwueze shared his thoughts on the move to Milan and explained why the fans meant so much. He also heaped praise on Yacine Adli for helping him settle in.
On the fans…
“They have been fantastic, they have been lovely. I think they are the best fans I have had in my career, they made me want to sign for Milan. I was so determined to join the club, I told my agent ‘you have to make it happen’.”
On his new teammates…
“I have great feelings with them, it felt like home the first time I saw them. Especially Adli has been nice to me, he’s so funny. They all make me feel at home. They have told me what I need to do, it shows me what family is all about.”
On the history of Milan and which player comes to his mind…
“I think about Kaka, I watched him when he was playing and the goal he scored against Man Utd in the Champions League was fantastic. He was a fantastic player.”
If he has found some as funny as him…
“I have found one like me: Adli. He’s very funny and I think he’s a fantastic guy. He asks me about everything and if I don’t understand something, he’s always there to help. Noah Okafor is also close to me, just like Leao. If I want to dance they come to me (laughs).
On Pioli and the role…
“He showed me how I’m going to pay, I think he’s a fantastic man. He called me and told me all the tactical things I needed to know before I signed. He told me that ‘I want you in my team’ and that pushed me to join Milan. He’s a wonderful coach, I believe in his project.”
13 goals last season, can you do better this year?
“Every season, everyone grows, you always try to do better than last season. I want to make history here and this is a challenge for me. It’s a great opportunity for me to showcase my talent and everything. I’m ready, it’s not to be scared about.”
On San Siro…
“They have told me about the stadium, my teammates and Pioli. They told me about the atmosphere, I just want to experience the love of the fans.”
A right-winger who inspired him in his career…
“I have no particular players apart from Robben, he’s one of the best players I have seen in my life. He’s quick and he can dribble so well 1v1. I watched his clips to learn everything.”
Difference between Villarreal and Milan…
“For me, I think it’s a bit different. There is so much media and so many fans, Milan is a bigger club. When I landed at the airport I saw so many fans chanting my name, that’s when I realised I had joined one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everything is different.”
Last year, you scored two goals at Bernabeu. Any challenges in Italy?
“I can’t wait to get started, the first thing is to win the first league game. Juventus and Inter are big clubs but we can beat them, I’m ready to win the Scudetto. I came here to win trophies.”
On writing history in the Champions League…
“That’s why I’m here, I didn’t come here to watch from the sidelines. They signed me so that we can win trophies. My work is to play football and make history for Milan.”
How important was Osimhen…
“He’s my best friend, we have played from U17 together. I asked him about Serie A and he said that Milan is a very big club. He said that I’m going to kill it in the league, but he told me to speak to Pioli and make sure I’m a key part of the project. Osimhen is a great guy.”
On pressure…
“It motivates me, it makes you give everything. There’s no pressure, having played professional football for so long. I’m just here to enjoy myself, have fun and the rest will come with it. That’s when you can do your best.”
Milan will face Trento behind closed doors this evening and Chukwueze is expected to play from the first minute. The game will not be streamed but a highlights reel will be published by he club afterwards.
My naija Robbin🔴⚫️
Pioli is a fantastic man and a wonderful coach, he says. Clearly something is wrong with the translation or his head. This can’t be true. All the experts in the comment section has assured us that Pioli is bad man #1. How can this be?? /s
Everyone who comments here most are Inter/Juve fans in disguise, it’s evident!
He might be a nice guy but when it comes to his job, he’s not that gud, especially with developing talent. We need a coach like Gasperini
#1 We are not aiming to be a development club.
#2 These are some players who was under 23 when Pioli started coaching them at Milan: T. Hernandez, Calabria, Bennacer, Kessie, Leao, Tomori, Kalulu, Dalot, Diaz, Tonali.
@Daniel Asuquo, do you guys hear yourselves sometimes? How many times has Pioli defeated Gasperini’s Atalanta? Yet you want Gasperini at Milan? Pioli is a genius, take it or leave it. He has done so well for us so far. I hope he can maintain same feat now that Maldini and Zlatan are no longer with us
Humans are truly insatiable. If Pioli wins the league, he’s a great coach, he doesn’t; crucify him…
It’s amazing to see sm1 bear same name as me @daniel Asuquo, lolz dats my name as well waooo
From the looks of it, it seems like everyone in the squad likes Adli, except Pioli :-p Giroud, Pulisic, Chukwueze, Leao etc.