‘It absolutely wasn’t me’ – Allegri names who Milan must thank for Maignan staying

Massimiliano Allegri has shared some background regarding Mike Maignan staying at AC Milan, following his heroics against Roma.

Maignan was heavily linked with an exit early in the summer transfer window when Chelsea came calling before the Club World Cup. He is believed to have been in favour of the move but was ultimately talked into staying as a fee was not agreed between the clubs.

The problem is that this is the last year of his contract, and an agreement over a renewal does not appear anywhere close to being reached. Thus, these could be the final few months of the Frenchman’s time at the club, and he provided a reminder of his magic with a penalty save last night.

Allegri spoke to reporters who gathered in the press conference room at Milanello after the full-time whistle to share his thoughts on what was another big win for his side, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

A memory of Galeone…

“I had the pleasure and honour of sharing a 35-year professional and personal relationship with him. Galeone didn’t consider himself a coach, but a football teacher.

“Thanks to his teachings, I was able to make them my own and do what I’m doing as a coach. When I heard the news, it was a sad day for me. I’m close to his wife and send him a big hug.”

He would have appreciated this victory too…

“Roma absolutely deserved the lead in the first 35 minutes: we made a lot of technical mistakes, they put us under a lot of pressure, and they became boring. Once we broke the deadlock, we adjusted our defensive posture and had several clear chances.

“In the final 25 minutes, we struggled little, apart from the free-kick and the penalty. It’s an important victory. Now we need to recover to prepare well for Saturday. Between Pisa and Cremonese, we only got one point, so we need to prepare as best as possible for the trip to Parma.”

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

How did you convince Maignan to stay?

“It absolutely wasn’t me. It’s all thanks to Claudio Filippi, who is one of the best coaches around. And then the club, who really wanted to keep him.”

How is Ricci growing?

“He’s a pleasant surprise in a new role. He’s sacrificed a lot, he’s very intelligent, he provides the right coverage. The first 35 minutes are also worth watching. We need to grow in self-esteem and belief in our abilities.”

Does the group thrive under these difficulties?

“You have to thrive in difficult situations. Especially when you have to defend. I would have been disappointed to equalise from a penalty kick at the end. Then we got a good win, but you shouldn’t get too excited.”