Nelson Dida has praised Mike Maignan for the season that he is having so far, and also offered his thoughts on the Scudetto race.
Dida enjoyed a decade-long spell at Milan in which he became a club icon in a very successful era. He joined from Cruzeiro and it took a bit of time before he became a starter, but by 2003 he was saving three penalties in the UEFA Champions League final as the Rossoneri beat Juventus.
The Brazilian made over 300 total appearances for Milan, and he holds the distinction that during his 10 years he won every major club trophy available, from the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia to the Club World Cup and the Champions League.
So, there are few who know more about what it takes to succeed, and Dida actually returned briefly as a goalkeeping coach to work with Maignan. He gave an interview to La Repubblica in which he spoke about Milan, their Scudetto chances and Maignan, with his comments via MilanPress.
Is Maignan among the best in Europe?
“Yes, also for his consistency. Then I’d put Donnarumma. Another one I like is Arsenal’s Raya. Maignan, Svilar and Carnesecchi are proving to be the best in the league.”
How do you see the Scudetto race?
“I think Inter are still favourites, they’re a great team. Milan must continue to play their games, aiming to stay in the top four. Of course, there are many games left. Anything can happen. The gap is the result of stumbles against the small and medium-sized teams.
“They’ve shown against the big teams that they’re strong, up to the task. As happened twice against Inter. But that level needs to be maintained in every match. Today they could have been closer to the top.”
Who is the symbol of the resurgence?
“I don’t want to name just one player. It’s teamwork that makes the difference. Everyone tries to help each other. The system has changed this year; everyone tries to do something extra. They go above and beyond. Both in defence and in attack.”
