Maldini on ‘ambitious’ Milan and the pride of Theo Hernandez
Director Paolo Maldini is “very proud” to see Milan stars Theo Hernandez, Olivier Giroud and Raphael Leao shines at the World Cup, while the club “need to be more ambitious” after winning the Scudetto.
The Rossoneri are currently in Dubai for their hot weather training camp during the 2022 World Cup break in Qatar.
Serie A fixtures resume from January 4, while Stefano Pioli’s men will also face the Italian Super Cup against Inter and the Champions League round of 16 with Tottenham.
“The team is training well and we will have many games, so the objective is to be ready for January 4. The warm weather also helps those who are injured to recover faster and it is ideal conditions for double workouts,” Maldini said. Milanese television.
“We can and must be the protagonists of the four tournaments, because it will be six very intense months. We have to face these competitions in Milan style and that means we always want to win.
“It’s no secret that the Champions League is our most important goal, but also the most difficult to achieve, but for now we will take it one step at a time.
“In February, the games with Tottenham will tell us a lot about what our Champions League journey could be like.”
There will be two Milan players taking part in the World Cup final in Qatar on Sunday, while Théo Hernandez and Giroud were decisive for France.
“I haven’t heard of them, I’ve only spoken to Raphael Leao,” Maldini replied. “In international duty, you never know what the calendar is, so I prefer to let them enjoy this incredible moment in their career like participating in a World Cup, a really fantastic moment even for a player. We will see each other when it is the good moment.
His performances and his goal in the semi-final against Morocco saw many label Theo Hernandez as the best left-back in the world.
“He deserves so much credit himself. He had an extraordinary start to his career, then got a bit lost. He decided to come to Milan, giving up a lot of money from his previous contract, challenged himself and rediscovered that spark he needs in a quality player.
“In my opinion, he can and must still improve a lot. In his own way, he’s a unique player.
While Theo Hernandez and Giroud shone for France, Raphael Leao has never been more than a substitute for portdaughter.
“Rafa still played his part, because two goals in the World Cup are nothing to sneeze at. It was a shame he didn’t play a lot, but I still think it’s a great experience for him at the highest level.
“Olivier and Théo have been protagonists with France from the start and have really proven themselves. We are very proud to see them on the verge of starting a World Cup final.
Milan are the defending Serie A champions and sit second in the standings behind Napoli entering the winter break.
“Our three-year project started in 2019 with the aim of becoming competitive again and it resulted in the Scudetto. Naturally, we are talking about Milan, so we can’t just rest on our laurels after a Scudetto, we have to be more ambitious. .