Mirabelli in 360° about Milan, Raiola, Belotti, Conte and much more
Massimiliano Mirabelli was hosted by Radio Rossonera as part of an initiative in which the Rossoneri’s sports director was granted a special dinner in which he answered several questions.
He started talking about Milan’s summer market that brought eleven new faces in Milanello and has also seen many players depart: “It was a very difficult market. It was not easy proposing immediately and giving certainties to whomever we called, to both the clubs and the players we wanted with us. One of the most difficult things was the renewal of Donnarumma. We found it easy with so many players who wanted to come to Milan.”
Then he faces the theme of Mino Raiola, agent who has repeatedly criticized the rossoneri project carried out by Marco Fassone and Mirabelli himself: “Raiola is one of the most important agents in the world, he is not an inexperienced one. We faced an important reality. When he told us that Donnarumma would not renew we were all uncomfortable, but we fought and we managed to reach an agreement. He is a bit like an actor, he likes to be protagonist and say these things because talking about Milan means staying in the newspapers. Saying those things is an offense to some players he represents. Gigio never said he wanted to leave.“
The rossoneri sports director was asked by Antonio Conte, Chelsea coach, who has been linked to Milan in this weeks for the next season: “We already have a coach like Montella that we appreciate a lot, we can not think of Conte or other coaches.“
Andrea Belotti is also an important question for Mirabelli: “It is well known that we tried to bring him to Milan. It was a difficult operation for various reasons. He is a Milan fan, who knows perhaps in the future he can wear the shirt he dreams since he was a kid.“
The sports director of the club in via Aldo Rossi also commented on the skepticism around Milan: “Milan’s rebirth is annoying some people, as we want to become protagonist in Italy and in the world. Everyone has their own idea. “
Mirabelli gives his judgment on Pietro Pellegri and Eddy Salcedo: “They are two good prospects. But Genoa has become a shop a bit expensive. Genoa have signed Lapadula to a fairly important figure. They needed to make this kind of investment and now they are trying to create money with these two guys because they have to monetize (laughs).”
Hachim Mastour’s name pops up in the conversation, he is still under contract with Milan until 2018 and technically still part of the team: “We have a duty to try and recover everyone. We did not manage to loan him because he has a pretty high salary (about 500,000 euros net per year) for a player born in 1998.“
Anecdotes referring to the negotiation that led Leonardo Bonucci to the rossoneri: “It could not be a planned purchase, because I had no idea that there was the possibility of taking him from Juventus. I did not think Juve would be deprived of an important player like him. Then when I was talking to Alessandro Lucci, his agent, about Bertolacci’s transfer to Genoa, he repeatedly made me laugh at this possibility. I told him not to waste my time, until I spoke directly with Bonucci and I saw that he had a great desire to join us. There was a good possibility, I talked to Fassone and either we closed a deal within 24-36 hours or he stayed at Juve.“
