1 week ago
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AC Milan central defender Koni De Winter seems to be doing the media rounds at the moment, and has given another interview this morning.
Having signed from Genoa in the summer mercato, De Winter initially had to make do with being the fourth choice centre-back, with Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic all ahead of him in the three-man defence.
However, in the past few weeks – and after some difficult appearances in the first few months – De Winter has established himself as perhaps the most in-form of the quartet. He has become a reliable asset for Massimiliano Allegri, and doesn’t look like losing a starting spot any time soon.
De Winter gave a long interview to Tuttosport in which he talked about his first few months with the Rossoneri, but also about his passion for the club that came about thanks to his father. MilanPress relayed his responses.
How did your arrival at Milan come about?
“It all happened so quickly: it was August 10th, and I remember I was walking on the beach in Camogli with my grandfather and cousin. My agent called and asked if I wanted to join Milan. Of course, I said yes right away, and thirty minutes later, I had all the news on my phone’s social media.”
Did you like Milan growing up?
“As a child, I watched Milan’s Champions League matches on TV and played the Rossoneri on my PlayStation. My dad watched them even before I was born.
“He liked Seedorf and wanted to name me after him, Clarence (and he points to a photo of Milan, the one where Ancelotti’s team celebrates their victory in the European Super Cup against Sevilla on August 31, 2007).”
What was it like to meet Allegri again?
“Great. I have a great relationship with the coach. He’s as friendly with us as you see him from the outside, but above all, he’s a very balanced person. He’s clear about his goal, he knows what he wants, and he goes straight to achieving it.
“Confidence in football makes all the difference, and hearing it spoken by your coach, and then putting it into practice, helps a lot.”
Where do you prefer to play?
“I’m more comfortable on the right flank or in the middle. As a full-back in a back four? I can do that, but if I can, I’ll stay in the middle (laughs)”
Adrien Rabiot is another who has ended up at Milan, who you know from Juventus…
“I remember when I was in Empoli and we were supposed to face Juventus in Turin. They asked me on the eve of the match who we should be wary of.
“I said Rabiot, even though he wasn’t going through a great period. The match ended 4-0 with a brace from Adrien. He’s incredibly strong, you can see that even in training.”
You played with Cristiano Ronaldo, and now Luka Modric…
“I’ll have a lot to tell my kids in the future! They’re two legends of this sport, and it’s a blessing to see them up close. Ronaldo never let his status show, and Luka does the same.
“He always says the right things, jokes, but works hard. And he’s humble despite his career. To think that often at smaller clubs, players who haven’t achieved anything act differently…”
Are we seeing the best De Winter at the moment?
“I don’t think I played that badly in the first half of the season. I messed up two games, against Lazio in the Coppa Italia and against Napoli in Riyadh, but that happens to everyone. Lately, I’ve found consistency, and perhaps from the outside it seems like I’m playing better.”
Was the goal against Roma the best moment at Milan?
“No, I choose to sign the contract, that’s where my career turned.”
Why do Milan struggle against bottom-half teams?
“Something went wrong in those games, it’s true, but we’ve analysed everything and we know what to do.”
What would make you happy between now and the end of the season?
“If we’ve given everything we could and if we get back to the Champions League. The World Cup? A wonderful experience that I hope to have. Milan can help me be stronger and therefore get called up.”
English (US) ·