Pulisic reveals his Milan ‘secret’ after Chelsea exit and questions big game ‘strategy’ | OneFootball

Christian Pulisic has reflected on his first season with AC Milan during an interview published today, and he also revealed details of Stefano Pioli’s phone call before he arrived.

Pulisic is experiencing the best season of his career and it is only his first with Milan, given that he has 12 goals in Serie A and 15 in total across all competitions.

His previous record was in the 2019-20 season when with Chelsea he scored nine goals in the Premier League and 11 in total. He also has nine assists for the Rossoneri, for a total of 24 goal contributions for the season.

The purchase of Pulisic for €20m from the Blues proved to be an excellent investment for Milan, who had long since needed an upgrade on the right wing. Now, he could potentially be worth double what was paid.

Pulisic gave an interview to Il Giornale given that we are almost at the end of his first season at Milan, and his comments were translated by us below.

Fifteen goals and nine assists in his first year of Italian football. Dear Pulisic, not bad. What explanation do you have?

“A very simple explanation: in the two years before Chelsea I suffered a series of injuries and some changes in coach which didn’t help me. The exact opposite of what happened at Milanello: from day one I received everyone’s trust, it was the turning point.”

You arrived at Milan after a spell playing on the left. At Milan, however, you played immediately and well on the right and if sometimes you go back to the left you are no longer as successful as before. It’s an oddity: how do you explain it?

“It’s really true and sometimes, with the coaching staff, we joke about it. I’m no longer capable of playing on the left! The truth is that I got so used to the right and I definitely benefited from it even in scoring goals thanks to a little secret: his name is Rafa Leao.

“I studied and understood how he moves. He usually draws one, two or three opponents onto himself and then the defence is left undefended somewhere else, so I move, I go to the centre of the area, sure as I am that I will receive the right pass there at the right time.”

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Footballers coming from England have a positive impact on our football, while Italian players heading to the Premier League don’t always manage to break through: is there a reason?

“My hypothesis is that Serie A is much more tactical, the English league much more physical and technical. If you come from the Premier League with these qualities, you can immediately perform at your best.”

What effect did the protest from the fans and the Curva Sud have on the dressing room in the two matches against Genoa and Cagliari?

“The fans have pushed us and helped us throughout the season, with noise and enthusiasm, with a full house: for this reason I respect their current state of mind.”

The widespread skepticism about the future and the disappointment about the present are the result of the elimination from Roma and the six derbies lost in a row: how do you explain them?

“I have no certainties on the matter. I can think that we faced these matches without the right organisation, we didn’t always defend in the right way, perhaps the strategy wasn’t perfect, we became vulnerable, leaving the defensive phase exposed due to the desire to always attack.”