Antonini: 27-years-old, at Milan since 2008

The Rossoneri defender believes Milan are starting now from zero, again, as he hopes to play on Saturday against Livorno

Milan right-back Luca Antonini didn’t start the new season, but he’s ready to play against Livorno on Saturday. The Italian man didn’t get enough minutes last season under Carlo Ancelotti, as in most of occurrence – he didn’t impress so much.

Antonini resume training on Wednesday, and then spoke with Milan Channel who asked him some specific questions. Luca Antonini told:

"I feel ready to play. I wait for the right moment to prove on the pitch what so far and in the second part of last season I wasn't able to prove.

"For all players it's difficult not playing, because you need to have the constancy of training always with your head, without losing the concentration so that you can then prove your worth at the moment in which you are called in action."

Milan have been looking for a further full-back while Luca Antonini isn’t seem to be getting to much play-minutes, if a new right-back will arrive. When asked about this issue, he commented:

"I think that there was an exaggeration. I can understand that there is a need for a push on the wings, but in the last game, apart from the first half hour, all of the team did not function and not just the full-backs.

"Now we are working a lot on the tactics, on the way of playing with vertically and on the positioning on the field in the defensive phase. From the next game, many things will change."

Milan will face Livorno on Saturday, after the international break they will be the first to go onto a Serie A match. Important match for AC Milan, it should give Milan more confidence.

"Yes, on Saturday we shall return to Tuscany where I played for four teams from a total of six. I hope to be called in action to prove my real worth and once I do so, it will be the coach to decide whether to field me again the next time," Luca said.

He added:

"Livorno is a well placed team on the pitch which lost a lot after the sale of Diamanti, but they still have great attackers like Tavano and Lucarelli. They play a lot of the wings for Lucarelli or from the defence with Lucarelli flicking towards Tavano.

"There's also Canderva who did very well in the last game. They are a good team who are fighting for survival. I went through with a team who was fighting not to relegate and I know that when you go on the pitch against teams like Milan you give everything.

"We must be good to wait for them and then counter attack, making their pressure our game."

When asked if there are improvement margins in this squad, the 27-years-old told:

"Yes, there are many, because we have great potential and maybe we must still understand what they are. We are doing so in these days now that there were no league games.

"In defence we're improving, then in attack there are great players able to score goals. We move forward and wait for the away game of Livorno, knowing what our qualities are."

Milan lost three main ingredients from AC Milan greatness recipe: Carlo Ancelotti, Paolo Maldini and Ricardo Kaka. We can say Milan start from zero this year, with new coach and different system.

"We started again from zero because we have changed coach, we lost players like Kaka and Maldini, and therefore we had to start again and with the coach we have imposed a different type of work, also athletic. We will now surely see the results," Antonini concluded.

By Meytar Zeevi, Rossoneri Blog