Piatek explains why time at Milan turned sour but extends Scudetto wishes to ‘great club’

Krzysztof Piatek has shed some light on why his time at AC Milan started so well, and how changes seemed to undo it all.

The subject of investing in the right striker never seems to be far away from the newspaper pages in Milan, and it is once again the case now with Santiago Gimenez and Christopher Nkunku both stuck on zero league goals.

Piatek was one of the investments that many point to as being a failure, having arrived for €35m from Genoa midway through the 2018-19 season. What many forget though is how red-hot he was at the start, scoring in his first four games and getting the No.9 shirt that summer.

In the end things went downhill from there for the Pole, who ended up joining Hertha BSC, Fiorentina, Salernitana, Istanbul Basaksehir and most recently Al-Duhail in Qatar, where he has also started well. He spoke to Sky (via MilanNews) about his time in Italy.

What happened at Milan?

“The first few months were very positive. We had a coach [Gennaro Gattuso] with a clear vision of football and I felt comfortable with his playing system.

“The following year the coach and the management changed [to Marco Giampaolo], I was very young, they had bought me for a lot of money and I had a lot of pressure on my head and feet… it wasn’t easy. When I think back on that experience, I think I can do better.”

What’s your best memory from Serie A?

“The first few months at Milan and the six months at Genoa. I scored in practically every game there, and the fans were very attached to me. I’ll always have that memory.

“My start at Milan was also great. I arrived there as a young man, born in a small Polish town, and I found myself playing in front of 70,000 people.”

Do you still follow Serie A and your former teams?

“Yes, I watch Genoa, AC Milan, and even Fiorentina. Milan are doing great things and I think they can continue like this. Genoa must do better. I’m a big fan of these two teams and I wish them both the best.”

What message do you send to the Milan fans?

“I really miss the atmosphere at San Siro. I hope they win the Scudetto. Milan are a great club and deserves to win.”