Yesterday, a palpably pleased Vincenzo Montella initiated Milan’s Chinese Tour by means of a press conference. Talking widely about the club’s current and future moves on the transfer market, Montella inevitably addressed the Bonucci topic first. As reported on Milan’s website, Montella voiced his appreciation of the ex Juventus defender’s qualities: “Bonucci is a player of international caliber. Technically speaking, I think that, together with Sergio Ramos, he’s the best centre-back in the world. To be able to train him is a dream come true, thus why I must express my gratitude to Mirabelli and Fassone. Will he be the captain? In my head there’s more than one captain, so this matter will be discussed further with the board”.
Montella then addressed the club’s efforts on the market in more general terms: “The club is doing a wonderful job. Both experienced and young players have arrived. Many have joined us from other leagues and they’ll need time to adapt, but I’m optimistic. To be honest, I don’t feel too much pressure. For me it’s easier to train quality players. It’s true, we’ve changed the team round a lot, but we’ll need serenity and the strength to immediately form a solid group, which is what last year enabled us to have a satisfying season. There are teams in Serie A that are already established, like Juventus, Napoli and Roma. They’ll be the favorites in my opinion.”
The “aeroplanino” then talked about Milan’s new attacking jolly, HakanCalhanoglu: “Hakan is a creative footballer. He can play in numerous positions: he can start out wide and then cut back in, can play in a three-man midfield and even as number ten. We’ll see.”
Montella then addressed the team’s objectives for the upcoming season: “Our objective cannot but be the Champion’s League. Although, do bear in mind that we have to become a team and grow very quickly. The players I’ve got to know so far have displayed their excellent talents and certainly the arrivals of Bonucci and Biglia will enable us to approach the upcoming season with even more optimism. Playing the first Europa League qualifier away from home is not an optimal situation. We’ll have to evaluate the squad’s physical form and field the best possible formation.”
