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Samuele Ricci has spoken about the ‘Tuscan trio’ that has been formed at AC Milan, while revealing a bit about his first impressions.
Ricci was the first new signing of the summer to be made official, arriving as part of the midfield rebuild that came after Tijjani Reijnders’ big-money sale to Manchester City. He joined from Torino after a long courtship and years of links to Milan.
Fabrizio Romano tweeted the terms of the deal: it will be a total package of €25m, which is broken down into a €23m fixed amount and then the rest in add-ons. We analysed what Milan fans can expect from the new addition, while against Bari on Sunday he had some impressive moments.
From the Granata to the Rossoneri
Ricci was interviewed exclusively by Cronache di Spogliatoio a few hours after the end of the Coppa Italia win against Bari, and his comments were transcribed by MilanPress.
What has left an early impression on you?
“The thing that’s struck me most in this first month at Milan is the intensity shown in training. A great internal, but healthy, competition is developing.
“I’ve only been here a short time, but friendships are already being forged, even with those who work behind the scenes in the Milan world. Even with the coach, he’s someone who knows what he’s doing.”
And about the coach?
“Allegri’s key quality is that he knows how to win and he’s passing it on to us. I felt involved right away, which really struck me. He loves joking off the pitch, he always brings a smile. But on the pitch, he values work ethic and attention to detail.”
Allegri is from Livorno and you are from Pisa…
“For that matter… his assistant is also from Lucca! At least we have the same sense of humor.”
You made your debut on Sunday…
“Yesterday against Bari in the Coppa Italia it was emotional to enter San Siro as a Milan player and not as an opponent.”
You were good at shielding the ball, where did that come from?
“Lots of coaches tell you that, but many don’t even pay attention. Coach Spalletti told me that first and foremost. When I get the ball, I have to be on the edge, well positioned between the two attackers, and look ten times first because if I look at four, it’s no good… .
“These are the things that make the difference. Spalletti is very attentive to detail, and in this respect he’s improved me a lot, even though we spend very little time together. He pays a lot of attention to this aspect.”
Are you now used to playing under pressure?
“I’m a player who likes to have the ball, even when there are moments in the game where you don’t get it and you have to go looking for it. Serie A is a fairly complicated league; there’s a lot of tactics and teams play closed-off.
“It’s hard to find space, and being a high-level league, there are also strong players. This aspect is complicated: often the ball doesn’t reach you and you have to try to free yourself well with your body, spotting first. The higher the level, the more difficult it becomes, although I’ve noticed that in Serie B it’s even more complicated in this regard.
“It’s a league where it’s very difficult to play the ball, because they put a lot of pressure on you and then you might find teams that are deeper when they play at home, a characteristic of the Italian league. Those who come abroad find these difficulties again. I’ve had the opportunity to talk about it with many.”
Has Modric told you his secret?
“Actually, for now… we’ve only talked about houses and rents in Milan! Luka asked me a lot about Italian football. He was intrigued by the differences with Spain. I noticed that many of us already rely on him.
“Modric is a very humble person and is important in the dressing room, even though he’s only been here for a short time. Honestly, I never expected to play alongside him one day! He does certain things with the ball with such naturalness that it’s impressive.”
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