AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori has set two targets that he wants to achieve on the field with the Rossoneri, and praised team-mate Rafael Leao.
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The Englishman certainly put in an excellent performance during last night’s 4-0 Champions League win against Red Bull Salzburg as he and Simon Kjaer along with the rest of the defence fought hard for a clean sheet that secured passage to the last 16 of the competition, earning an 8 in our ratings.
Tomori spoke during an interview with the well-known Milan journalist Carlo Pellegatti for StarCasinòSport, with his comments relayed by MilanNews and translated below.
How was last year’s Scudetto won?
“I tried to stay calm and think match after match: this was the approach of the whole team, not having, for many of us, experience in this situation. We learned a lot from Ibrahimovic. After the match against Lazio it is something clicked in us: there we understood that yes, we could win it, because we have the fire, the mentality and hunger to win.”
What is it like to play at San Siro?
“Every time I hear Pioli is on fire there is a vibration. It is a special place. When the fans sing, the whole stadium vibrates. When we score – I remember the match against Fiorentina and Atalanta when Rafa scored – the stadium… wroooooom. My parents were at San Siro they told me that after Leao’s goal the whole stadium: wrooooom. In England it’s different: here there is an energy that you can almost touch.”
How is it working with Pioli?
“Differences with Lampard? Pioli has more experience in coaching; at Derby County, Lampard was learning his job. Pioli started from the bottom and has now grown with Milan.”
How do you feel being at Milan?
“We get a lot of help from the coach, from the staff, from Maldini, from Massara, from Gazidis and from the fans. There is an excellent feeling: we all go forward together. This is ideal for me, as a player, because we know both that we win, whether we draw or lose, the team is with us. So you are not afraid to go on and win something.”
What is the difference between Italy and England?
“Italians are more passionate: in training you give everything to win, in the match there is more passion, more tactics; for the defenders you have to think more, while in England it is more intense and there is more energy. In Italy it’s more than thought, it’s like in the NFL: there is a pattern and you have to do that to win the game; you go here, here and here to win the game, while in England if a player goes beyond you have to go beyond.”
Which team-mate have you bonded with the most?
“With everyone: Milan is a family! Ibrahimovic is an excellent professional. I have enormous respect for him: he is an extraordinary point of reference for me.”
And Leao…?
“My friends asked me some player who surprised me the most. Rafa is the player who surprised me the most: he is so strong that even he has not yet understood his real potential. He is a bit relaxed, but when he wants to score a goal he takes the ball and goes. Now the whole world can see how strong Leao is.”
Who is your Idol?
“It’s Thierry Henry: he was different, he played with gloves and socks above the knee. I see some of his class in Rafael Leao”
The most difficult opponents to face?
“I say three: Lautaro, because he identifies many different movements to put you in difficulty, Abraham, because he has known me very well and for a long time, and Vlahovic, because with his physical structure he is difficult to deal with.”
What is your dream?
“Winning the Scudetto to get the second star and the Champions League!”
