AC Milan
·17. Februar 2025
IBRAHIMOVIĆ: "FOCUSED, AGGRESSIVE, CLINICAL"

In partnership with
Yahoo sportsAC Milan
·17. Februar 2025
Following our win against Hellas Verona, it's time for the Rossoneri to focus on a crucial European fixture. Feyenoord are coming to San Siro for the return leg of our Champions League play-off after our defeat last week away from home. Ahead of the match, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Fikayo Tomori held a press conference at Milanello.
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIĆ
THE FANS' SUPPORT "I'm here filling in for the Coach, who is on his way back from Portugal. Our fans are important, and I'm confident that they will spur us on to produce a different performance, both those at the stadium and those watching around the world. The team need to be pumped up to deliver the best performance possible."
INCONSISTENCY "In difficult moments, it's important to work at our best to create a team mentality that is present and strong even in the most delicate situations. I talk to the Coach and the players every day, but what truly counts is delivering through actions and not words."
THE RIGHT APPROACH "The team need to be focused, aggressive and more clinical compared the the match in Rotterdam. The players have to take to the pitch as if it were a final. It doesn't matter how you play, the important thing is to win. We absolutely need a result if we're to go through. Great teamwork will be required."
BEING A DIRECTOR "I'm a winner, I want to deliver results and make a difference so that history is written. This is the AC Milan standard, and anyone who works at AC Milan is here to do the same. From the outside, we get right behind those who step onto the pitch, Tomorrow, this will be especially important because, for us, it’s a final."
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE NEWCOMERS "We expect a lot from them; they are well-established players who can grow and become even stronger. João Félix can do even better, while Bondo and Sottil have room to improve. Gimenez is ruthless, but he also needs to run hard; if you don’t do this, you can't play under Coach Conceição. As Galliani used to say, 'Players must focus on the pitch, and we’ll take care of the rest'."
JIMÉNEZ AND THE GROWTH OF THE YOUNGSTERS "Alex is an important player for us. He's made the step up from Milan Futuro, together with Bartesaghi, Camarda, Torriani, Zeroli - who has gone to Monza - and Liberali, who has already made his debut. This is our strategy; we want to give playing time to our young players. I'm sorry that Alex isn't in our Champions League squad list, but only three changes were permitted."
THE SUPPORT OF THE OWNERSHIP "I talk to Gerry Cardinale every day. He's motivated and fired up, and he wants to win with AC Milan. He's very involved but lets us do our jobs. In return, he asks for results."
WHAT TO DO TO WIN "We need to take to the pitch with the right attitude. The first leg didn't go to plan, but we know what we have to do to win and progress tomorrow. We're ready and fired up."
THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT CONCEDING "We play every match with the aim of keeping a clean sheet. It'll be important not to concede tomorrow, but, if it were to happen, we can't afford to lose focus. Instead, we'll need to keep playing like we know how and believing in what we're doing."
WALKER'S PRESENCE "Kyle and I talk a lot. He's brought a sense of calm and experience, and the entire team has benefitted from this. We're happy to have him with us because everyone listens when he talks. He's making strides forward thanks to the Coach's instructions, but he's done some great work to help the team grow."
THE DIFFICULTIES IN ROTTERDAM "We discussed things immediately after the first leg, and now we need to understand what we did wrong and what we need to improve, and this involves revisiting the first fixture. However, it's just as important to look at ourselves and focus on the aspects that we can improve."
AC MILAN'S DESIRE "I've felt at home ever since I've been here, and that has never changed. I'm focused on AC Milan. It's a source of pride and a pleasure to wear this shirt, and, on my part, there was no desire or need to leave in January."
FOUR ATTACKERS "Our objective is to always win, whether three, four or five attackers are on the pitch. To do so, you need to run and fight, starting with the starters and then those who come on."
The AC Milan Fourth Kit for 2024/25 is available: buy it now!
Live