The paths of AC Milan and Daniel Maldini will cross again tomorrow night, with the Rossoneri having a hand in whether his loan club Spezia stay up or not.
As it turns out it will be a rather stress-free night for Milan, who will debut their new kit for next season and will even get a chance to bid farewell to Zlatan Ibrahimovic after sealing a Champions League spot last week with the 1-0 win over Juventus.
The opponents Hellas Verona meanwhile are fighting for their Serie A lives. The Gialloblu are currently inside the bottom three and they need to better the result of Spezia – who are away against Roma – if they are to jump above them and preserve their status in the top flight.
Daniel Maldini is on loan at Spezia and hopes to score another big goal to confirm their Serie A status. He was interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport about the season he has had in Liguria and the relegation battle, with his comments relayed by RadioRossonera.
The last game will be decisive again, from last year’s Scudetto to hoping for survival…
“They are different emotions, but there is an important point of conjunction: Milan last year and Spezia now still have the chance to hit the target. A sign that in any case during the season the performance was positive.
“The result of the Verona match counts for us. But we must not let ourselves be influenced. Someone on the bench will be informed of the situation and maybe they’ll let everyone know, but to save us it’s essential to do our job well.”
A game against Roma awaits, who do not have much to play for…
“Maybe. But for Roma it is the last home game, they will want to say goodbye the fans in the best way. And then they still don’t know if next year he will play in the Europa League or in the Conference League.
“They will find the strength and put it on the field, as it should be. I honestly don’t know what’s better: whether to face a team with no aims but who play with a light heart or whether to challenge an opponent who still has great motivation.
“I think Spezia will be more motivated, but Roma will want to end the season well. It will certainly be a beautiful evening. A full Olimpico creates a crazy environment. Everyone will live it in their own way. I will try to enjoy such a beautiful stage, the presence of so many people is exciting and that there is a great goal for us to achieve.”
At San Siro there is Milan-Verona…
“I haven’t heard from any of the boys. But it’s no use. I’m sure they will do their job and try to win, as always. You don’t need to call them. And Dad… Well, I’ve talked to him, of course. But not about the games on Sunday.
“It was a normal phone call. Of course it almost seems like a sign of destiny: Milan and I meeting at a distance on such an important day. In any case, in Italy now everyone plays their best even in the last rounds: it wouldn’t be right to question someone’s professionalism.”
On Spezia’s season as a whole…
“Let’s just think about the match against Roma. The more experienced help the younger ones: the Spezia team is a wonderful group. We have had a linear path, we have almost always been in a position that guaranteed us survival.
“Unfortunately we lost some points in the last minutes of matches that we controlled well and paid for it. A play-off? It’s a real possibility, so thinking about it is inevitable. But one thing at a time: now the goal is to get a good result in Rome.”
Finally, on his season on a personal note…
“Yes, I felt good, but injuries are part of the game. You accept them and move on. Now I’m ready and I hope I can help the team. With Semplici we talked about my conditions and what I can give.
“I never played at the Olimpico. But the first thing is the team. I would like to celebrate survival. My experience at La Spezia has been very positive: I feel changed, matured, more ready to experience certain situations.”
