Gabbia answers questions on derby goal, renewal and Italy aspirations at meet and greet

AC Milan’s derby hero Matteo Gabbia was present at the club’s new store on Via Dante to meet some of the fans, signing autographs for them and taking pictures.

Gabbia experienced a dream night on Sunday as he netted the winner for his boyhood club against Inter, and further good news may arrive soon regarding a renewal and potentially even an Italy call-up.

The 24-year-old himself will focus on building off a dream night on Sunday and getting in the starting line-up with more consistency, starting with Friday’s game against Lecce at San Siro which he will surely be a candidate to start in after neutralising Lautaro Martinez so well.

Today he was at the new shop in the city centre to do a meet and greet with supporters, many of whom wanted to express their gratitude after the goal that he scored. He also spoke to reporters, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

You said it was the best day of your life. A few hours later did you realise what you had done?

“I’m very happy, yesterday was a very very beautiful day, I received so much affection, both from all the fans and from all my teammates. Today we started to think about what will have to happen on Friday.”

It was a very special celebration under the fans…

“It was a really nice celebration. The history of my goals with Milan has always been a bit strange, they were never goals that led to a victory, we were already winning. I was a bit unlucky on that, but let’s say that the goal the other night made up for everything and I enjoyed it fully with the fans. Feeling all that warmth was really special.”

Have you put Milan back on track?

“The spirit hasn’t changed, I said it after the match too: we’ve always worked well, giving our all. This is what we have to do. We want the season to go as well as possible but that depends on us.”

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Spalletti was also in the stands on Sunday. Are you hoping for the national team?

“I haven’t heard from Mister Spalletti. It’s a dream that I hope can come true in my future. Let’s say that the national team is not my priority at the moment, my priority is Milan and Milanello and trying to do the best I can for this shirt because that’s the most important thing. Milan is my priority.”

Was it a dream to score under the Curva Sud in the Derby?

“Absolutely yes. Honestly I was just hoping for a great team win and a great performance, then what happened was fantastic. I’m happy for the goal but I’m even happier for the team win which is what we needed.”

What would Matteo as a child say?

“Matteo obviously dreamed of it as a child, but it was difficult to imagine it as beautiful as it was.”

It has been a practically perfect 2024, could the renewal be the icing on the cake?

“As I said before, I have a contract with Milan, I don’t know what the club will do. They know what I would like, I have this shirt on and I’m happy with it. However, at the moment I don’t have the need, I have a contract. I’m calm and relaxed, the important thing is to continue to do well, which is the priority for me, for the coach and the club.”

What did those six months on loan at Villarreal give you?

“They were a part of my growth. They gave me the chance to play more consistently and learn about new football. My journey has been beautiful also for this reason, every stage I have taken has helped me in something. Now I am back at Milan and I try to enjoy every moment to stay here as long as possible.”

What is your overall assessment of this start to the season so far?

“We are certainly not very happy with the points we have in the league, but looking back at the past is not important at this moment here. We have to look to the future to try to get satisfaction, aware of the fact that everything we do at this moment can lead us to a good path at the end of the year. It is still early, everything is still possible.”

Does this victory help the group to find their way back together?

“Honestly, the defeats in the derbies have obviously bothered us a lot, many times people think that we just play, but many times the disappointments stick with us too. I think it was an important thing to win the match against Inter the other day, but we still have the clarity to understand that it’s still worth three points. To make sure that this match can be important for us, we still have to follow up.”

Are there any messages you didn’t expect?

“That I didn’t expect, no. I received many messages, many very beautiful ones. Many people who I am close to and who have been part of my journey wrote to me, sent me a message and a thought. I tried to answer everyone, but in any case I want to thank you again, it was nice to receive a thought from them.”