Higuaín: “I found what I was looking for at Milan, a win in the derby would be important for the future, it is an honor to be trained by Gattuso, Juventus…”

Gonzalo Higuaín believes that Milan have the means to win the derby and go on and have a great season, and claims it doesn’t matter if he scores.

The Derby della Madonnina is in three days and the excitement is already in the air, as a win would get the Rossoneri very close to the Top 4 and a place that leads to next year’s Champions League.

Many players have claimed that this is the strongest Milan that they’ve played for, and a lot of it is thanks to Gonzalo Higuaín, who arrived in the summer from Juventus and has given Milan a much needed quality upgrade.

El Pipita, who has scored six goals in his first seven games, gave an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport and MilanTV this week and he discussed the derby, his move from Juve and other things.

“I’ve already played 36 derby matches in my career in Argentina, Spain and Italy? All derbies have a special flavor,” Higuaín said. “It’ll be the same this time, and because it’s my first for Milan it’ll be nice to play in it. We’re waiting with tranquility, concentration and the desire to do well.

“The fact that San Siro will be almost totally on their side will be extra motivation for us. I always liked playing at San Siro, also when I came here with other teams and now that I play for this club I enjoy it even more because I have all the fans supporting me, so it’s a really great feeling.

“This is a passionate derby, it’s like the one in Madrid. We are determined and confident, we want to play at our best and we can win this game. It would be important for the future. The important thing is that we win, if I score, even better. It’s important to take home the three points, for the future.

“The Milan world expects continuous wonders from me? I always try to do my best and do what the coach asks me. I feel good, I’m going through a moment of great form and I’m taking advantage of it thanks to a coach who is able to express football that I like. I hope that everything continues like this.

“Romagnoli said that the team would die for Gattuso [you can read his interview here]? I agree with Alessio. Gattuso has something different, he looks at you and you feel how much he loves football. To think that I played against him in the Champions League when I was at Real Madrid…

“Gattuso is trying to get the best out of me, and I really appreciate those who do that with me. The team is on his side, he’s a very intense person who would die for his players. I don’t think all the coaches are like that, there aren’t many. It is an honor to be trained by him, I made the right choice because he is improving me. Who is the coach with whom I was the best in my career? Certainly Sarri [the Chelsea boss coached Higuaín at Napoli]. He’s the one who made me express myself at best and Gattuso seems a lot like him, he has a crazy desire to win that I love to death.

“I said that I made the right choice by coming here? I chose Milan because I liked the conviction with which they sought me out and the conviction in their project. In addition, Leonardo, Maldini and Gattuso know Milan really well and Elliott made a huge effort for me.

“I really liked the approach they took to get me. There was talk of Chelsea? Yes, but there was a fundamental difference: everyone wanted me here, from the club to the coach. At Chelsea only the coach wanted me [Higuaín already said similar things when he was initially presented].

“Gattuso says that when I don’t touch the ball for too long I go get it in midfield because I get tired and it shouldn’t happen? It’s true [smiles shyly]. I don’t like being without touching the ball so I feel like I’m bored and I try to track back. But now we have improved and we are playing ‘shorter’ [closer to each other] so we have gained meters and the chances of being near the goal have increased.

“Berlusconi continues to argue that I’m not supported like I should be [Silvio says Milan need to play with Suso alongside Higuain]? At the start perhaps in happened that the team had a very low center of gravity, but I’d like to remind you in that the last games we scored 10 goals in 3 matches. We are a team that scores a lot, obviously we have to concede less. In that respect, we must improve.

“Icardi? We’re not playing tennis, it is football. It is 11 vs 11, not striker against striker. Teams win, not players, but he’s been doing well for several years, he’s scored a lot of goals, and he is young and has room for growth. It’s up to him to continue like this. I wish him the best.

“What would I take away from him? His ability in headers and his timing in the penalty box, he’s a killer. If Icardi and I could be a compatible pair? I would say yes, also because it’s not a problem for me to play with another striker. I’ve played with a lot of strikers and I’ve had to adapt to all of them, just like they’ve had to adapt to me. If we have a relationship outside the pitch? No, we don’t speak.

“Who was my childhood idol? All life long, Ronaldo [O Fenômeno]. I’d take everything from him, he was incomparable and there’s nothing I can do better than him. The most talented players I’ve played with were Messi and Guti. Everyone knows all about Leo and it was an honor to play with him, but Guti was the one who surprised me most. A possible arrival of Ibrahimović in Milan? These are things to ask the club. I can only say that I like sharing the pitch with great players and he is one.

“De Vrij and Škriniar? They are both tough defenders, and it is nice playing against players like that because it gives you stimulation. Especially when you score goals… Nainggolan said that Inter have many players at a higher level than Milan? It’s obvious that he says things like that, it’s OK. Everyone defends the interests of their clubs. I can only say that we have the means to win the derby.

“The medium-term goal? Milan must try to win everything we take part in. My objectives are to take the team into the Champions League, score as many goals as possible, and win the Europa League and Coppa Italia. Milan has a duty to fight for all the objectives, we are talking about the second team with the most Champions League wins, so our history demands it, always believe it.

“Challenging for the Scudetto? For the Scudetto we maybe lack something, it’s a competition in which consistency counts. If we’re not close to Juve it’s due to our own mistakes. But the Europa League and the Coppa Italia are shorter competitions and we must try to win them.

“There are the examples of Leicester and of Sevilla, if you do things right then you can bring it together. However, we are missing five points because of the games against Napoli and Atalanta. With those five and maybe three more in the game against Genoa [played on October 31] then we’d be just four points behind Juventus. The truth is that if believe in our means then we are inferior to no one.

“If things at Juventus took a bad turn for me from the Coppa Italia final [which Milan lost 4-0]? Inside me, since that day, I had a feeling that yes, maybe I knew something was broken. And then they took Ronaldo. The decision to leave wasn’t mine, I gave everything for Juventus and won a lot of trophies. Then Cristiano arrived and the club wanted to make a leap in quality and they told me I couldn’t stay, and that they were trying to find a solution. The best solution was Milan.

“Feelings of revenge against Juventus? No, not one. I only feel affection because they treated me very well. My teammates and the fans treated me really well, but I never asked to leave. Basically, as everyone says, they kicked me out. I immediately felt great love from Milan and they convinced me.

“If there’s something I would take from Juventus and transfer to Milan? They score and then they win, whereas we’re a team that scores but have to think about winning 6-3 or 7-4. We have to score and win like they do, and have their winning mentality in the defensive phase.

“We need to learn to score and then close out the match like them. At Juve, they’re war machines, they prepare you for that. Obviously they also feel pressure when their opponents score, but so far no-one has been able to take the Scudetto from them. How did Allegri leave me? He improved me in some aspects, how to help the team defend and how to attack the goal.

“The transfer seems to have been good for me as I’m in great shape and almost look younger? It’s absolutely true. At Milan it’s as if 4-5 years have been removed. I’m back to the times of Napoli [where he broke the record for most Serie A goals in a single season] and I’m happy. Milanello is football, Milan have given me something more after a bad World Cup, and I found what I was looking for.

“I’m part of the list of those who didn’t leave on good terms with Aurelio De Laurentiis? No, but it’s all of our faults, not his… Lavezzi left badly, Cavani the same, when Sarri was on the bench another coach was contracted. And for me he took €94 million. Everyone has problems with De Laurentiis and people insult each other. I have nothing negative to say about the fans of Napoli, there were three beautiful years, they loved me and now they hate me. One day I’ll say what I think but now I can’t…

“What’s going on with the Argentina national team [Gonzalo hasn’t been called-up since the World Cup]? Nothing… I’m thinking of Milan. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar? I’m thinking of the present. There are four years until the next World Cup and I don’t even know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.

“The management said that the time frame to returning to win is three years? I’m here now and I’m thinking about winning this year. I can’t wait for three years. We must be aware that we can win something already this season, because Milan has the means to do it. And if we don’t succeed then we’ll see next year. But we must make the fans understand that we are able of having a good year.

“The Milan dressing room? A beautiful approach, it’s true. I’m just sorry about the table because we deserve to be higher. But otherwise I feel good and this is a very good moment of my life mentally and professionally. If I ever wanted to be captain? I don’t like the idea of being a captain, I couldn’t be one. I like helping the team in all that I can but the captaincy is a very big responsibility.

“Cutrone considers me a teacher? But I don’t consider myself nobody’s teacher. If he sees me an example then I’m happy, it means that I’ve done things well in my career. Hopefully training with him will help him improve, it’s a pleasure to hear that he enjoys training with me.

“Biglia [who spoke before about how good Higuaín feels at Milan]? He and I go back a long way, playing together for Argentina and now he’s playing with continuity, he’s doing well, he’s a friend and I’m really happy we are back playing together and working together every day.

“Inzaghi, Shevchenko and Kaka all scored on their first derby? It would be extraordinary to join this club, but the important thing for me is to win, not who scores. Two years ago Suso promised that in case of winning the derby he’d walk home from San Siro? Beautiful strength, he lives 50 meters away from the stadium… I promise only the three points and then a few days of tranquility and then Betis.

“I also live in the stadium area with my five Lara and daughter Alma who’s 5 months old? For me, the family represents everything. If I am what I am then it’s thanks to them. Since the birth of my baby I’ve changed positively. I get angry as little as possible and I try to get pissed off as little as possible and sometimes it’s hard because I’m impulse. But I try so my daughter doesn’t breathe the negative energy that we adults carry from outside.

“Milan will win if they have the awareness of not being inferior to anyone. If we have it, we’ll bring the game to our side. The goal is that Milan win the derby, this is the main goal for all of us.”