Samuele Ricci believes that AC Milan must play the perfect game to beat Inter, but the main aim remains a Champions League return.
Ricci arrived during the most recent summer window as one of the first signings, along with Luka Modric. The aim was to help rebuild the midfield after Tijjani Reijnders’ exit, but the Italian has had to be patient in truth, especially after the additions of Adrien Rabiot and Ardon Jashari later on.
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Starts have been quite hard to come by for Ricci, with Massimiliano Allegri also preferring Youssouf Fofana as the final midfield piece at times. That being said, he has had more minutes as a mezzala in recent weeks, all building to what will hopefully be a positive season finale.
Ricci spoke to SportMediaset in an interview four days before the big game at San Siro to give a bit of a preview and also speak about Milan’s season so far this point. MilanNews relayed what he had to say.
When you look at the table, are you looking up or down?
“We’re definitely focusing on our goal: getting the club back into the Champions League. We agreed on that in July. We’re in a good place now, even though we’ve dropped points in the past that we might have avoided.
“We definitely have a good lead right now, but it’s not over yet, and we still need a lot of points to qualify for the Champions League.”
But is the Scudetto dream there?
“Yes, the dream is always there, we live on dreams. Now let’s think about the match, as I said, it’s still a derby and we need to approach it perfectly. We need a perfect match against them.”
Would Allegri like to slowly bring you into the role of regista?
“I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. I think he sees me as a midfielder now, and that’s what the team needs. Luka and Jashari are doing really well in the middle. Either way, it’s the same for me. I just need to play and come on to contribute to the team.”
Did being Tuscan make it easier for you to get along with Allegri?
“Yes, yes. We have the same sense of humour, the same way of joking. We always have a joke ready, even with the staff because there are Tuscans there too.
“I have to say that I found the staff excellent in every way and we have a lot of fun: but obviously when it comes to thinking about the game, we think about the game.”
Is your partner, the presenter Eleonora Incardona, an Inter fan?
“No, now she’s rooting for me (laughs). I don’t know if in the past she was rooting for the other side. But now she’s on my side.”
What is your relationship like?
“We try to talk as little about work as possible. She also has a somewhat unusual job: she’s always out and about and travels a lot to go to matches, and she also hosts studio shows. But these two jobs mesh well, even in terms of free time, and that’s a plus for us.”
You’re writing a thesis in business administration: should we call you Dr. Ricci?
“No, doctor?! (laughs). Always Samuele Ricci. My studies have always been something I’ve tried to focus on. My family has always tried to put my studies first, especially when I was younger. Now I’m independent, but my studies are an important part of my life.”
Do you still strum the guitar?
“I’ve given up a bit now, but I’ve strummed around in the past: I took a few lessons for some fun and, above all, to try something new. I still have a little left…”
