Fofana: ‘Milan ready to sacrifice ourselves for Ballon d’Or winner Modric’ | OneFootball

Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana has said that the team “are all ready to make sacrifices for Ballon d’Or winner” Luka Modric, after the 39-year-old joined the Rossoneri from Real Madrid this summer.

Speaking to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Fofana also wished former Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba “all the best in the world” after the Frenchman joined Monaco.

epa12100654 Youssouf Fofana of Milan (L) and Santiago Castro of Bologna in action during the Italian Cup final soccer match between AC Milan and Bologna FC in Rome, Italy, 14 May 2025. EPA-EFE/FEDERICO PROIETTI

Fofana: ‘Milan fired up after last season’

Milan had a disappointing 2024-25 Serie A campaign; the Rossoneri finished in eighth place and therefore failed to qualify for any European football. Fofana said that Milan are “fired up” ahead of the new season, “last season is behind us and we can’t change anything now.”

Fofana added that the team “are ready to do our best” for new head coach Massimiliano Allegri, who the Frenchman described as having “a good rapport with the group and stays close to us: we talk about football but also about other things. On the pitch, the way he explains things makes a difference and we are following him.”

Fofana admitted the Rossoneri needed someone like Allegri to lead the club, “He has won a lot in Serie A and in the Champions League he made two finals. It is great for the team to have him here.”

VERONA, ITALY – DECEMBER 20: Grigoris Kastanos of Hellas Verona competes for the ball with Youssouf Fofana of AC Milan during the Serie A match between Verona and AC Milan at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on December 20, 2024 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

‘Maybe I’ll watch a TV series while the Champions League is on’

Fofana was in good spirits, joking with the Gazzetta interviewer who asked him what he’ll do while the other teams are playing in the Champions League, “Maybe a TV series.”

Despite this, the Frenchman confessed that the club can’t afford to miss out on Europe’s top competition again: “Every season, Milan must be in the Champions League. It is not a request from the club. For Milan, there is no alternative.”

He was then asked if there is any advantage to not playing in Europe, especially after Napoli won the league in the same scenario last season: “Yes and no. Six or seven Serie A teams are in the European cups but all the others will have the same time we do to prepare for the league games. We shouldn’t look at Napoli, we should focus on ourselves. Our goal is to win every match and get back to being competitive.”