Alessandro Nesta believes that AC Milan have their identity back but they are still a few signings away from being able to compete in Europe.
The Rossoneri ended their 11-year wait for a Scudetto by finishing last season with six consecutive wins and 9 clean sheets in the final 11 matches of the season to beat their city rivals Inter to being crowned champions of Italy.
Now, however, the challenge is two-fold: to go further in the Champions League after a disappointing group stage campaign in 2021-22, and to also try and recreate their success domestically be that through winning the league again or ending the Coppa Italia dought.
Nesta gave an exclusive interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport and he spoke about the Rossoneri, providing a positive but also realistic outlook on where they are now, with PianetaMilan relaying his comments.
Which Italian team should make the most progress in the Champions League?
“Inter, then Juventus. Milan still have to add some important pieces to make a different Champions League, they have just started a path. Napoli have lost their soul a bit. Kalidou Koulibaly and Lorenzo Insigne are great champions who keep the team together even off the pitch, replacing them will be difficult.”
Have Milan rediscovered the spirit that was there at the time when you played there?
“Each group has its own dynamics, but I think a family has been recreated with Stefano Pioli, Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara, who have put together a detached environment. This is Milan’s great strength today.
“Ibrahimovic is a heavy and positive presence both technically and in the locker room. It is right that he has renewed, he also makes it clear how grateful the club is to the players who have given so much, elsewhere they would probably have let him go after a new injury.
“This management has given Milan an identity, but it cannot be the same as it once was, when Silvio Berlusconi bought the strongest player around without even knowing how much he cost. Now to reach the Champions League and compete with the English and Spanish teams, you need ideas and money.”
He said it all
I love Sandro, but when I read Insigne as a great champion, I stopped reading because that was first class trolling. To put him in the same quote as KK is so disrepectful for the senegalese…