QUOTE
STRONGER THAN BEFORE
12/11/2008 5:06:00 PM
Today Gattuso spoke exclusively to Milan Channel of his state of mind: 'Now I have to fight, the most difficult thing is managing to stay put, but I have to do it to come back stronger than before.'
MILANELLO - Here are the declarations made to Milan Channel's microphones by Rino Gattuso, today at the Milanello sporting center:
Rino, how are you?
"Let's say I could be doing better. Throughout my career I had never taken into consideration the possibility that my knee would fail or that I would ever have an injury that would have made me stay off the pitch for so long. But since I arrived at Milanello this morning, I feel better - Rino continued smiling - Today my team mates made me feel good. I don't feel like I have a torn ligament, if in two or three days the liquid goes away, I might try to run. Also talking with Professor Martens, he told me that with the structure of my knee I could play, but since there are still four-five years before the end of my career, it's more right that it's operated.
I got my last knock in the match against Catania, the problem I had Sunday with my knee was not because of Sunday's match, I had been suffering from it for a while.
When I hurt myself on Sunday I immediately thought I had broken something, but then I came back and managed to stay on the pitch, and I thought I had escaped again. It's been two years that my knee has bothered me, but it's never happened that I had to stay out for such a long time."
Now you've explained how you are doing physically, can you tell us how you are feeling inside?
"I am aware of the fact I have to fight now, the most difficult thing is having to stay put, but I have to do it to come back stronger than before."
You've also received an encouragement from Marcello Lippi...
"My relationship with Lippi goes beyond the normal relationship between a national team coach and a player. He's always been a coach with whom I've had a relationship of great friendship and esteem."
Sunday there's Juventus-Milan...
"I will follow the match because I want to be close to and encourage my team mates. Who knows me knows I am a spontaneous person and that I transmit what I think. Against Juve it will be a difficult match, they are a tough team who never give up, with a great temperament and we will have to put them in difficulty with our class, we will have to be careful for the full 90 minutes."
How do you see this league season?
"In our season there are two injust results, the one in Lecce and the one in Turin. Especially in Lecce we gave away the match because after creating many chances we were unable to close it earlier.
Milan are a tough team and they have shown it on many occasions when they hung on to a 1-0 lead and brought home the result. Aside from the match against Catania, in the last few games we lacked a bit of physical strength, we know we always have to run. Inter remains the team to beat. They are able to take home the result also when they don't play well because on a physical level they are the best team there is. Our task is to play the games with the mentality of the team that must not concede goals."
Gattuso: Stronger than before - acmilan.com