Gattuso: “We can’t control our destiny but we can control our pride, finishing in 5th wouldn’t be a failure, Abate? He has always been an added value”

Gennaro Gattuso has insisted that his future doesn’t interest him at the moment, hinted tomorrow will likely be Ignazio Abate’s last San Siro game, and said he’s always believed in Suso.

The defining moment of the season could take place tomorrow night as Milan face Frosinone at San Siro (18:00 CEST kickoff), while Atalanta visit Juventus in Turin.

Should the Rossoneri win and La Dea lose on Sunday, it will be Milan who head into the last Matchday of Serie A in 4th place. The summer plans of the Diavolo depend on whether they finish 4th or not and the future of Gennaro Gattuso is also said to be tied to the standings.

“Tomorrow we’ll move over the one-million mark for fans in attendance at San Siro this season, I must say a million times thanks. To every single fan, for all their love. It’s an incredible number,” Gattuso told journalists in today’s pre-game press conference. “We’ve made them angry at times but we’ve also made them happy. There are still two Matchdays left and we are playing for an objective. We hope to finish well, we are determined to make them proud in our last two games.

“If the group is looking at Juventus-Atalanta? No, we can’t control our destiny but we can control our pride. Let’s not lose energy by looking elsewhere. We will face an already relegated Frosinone that will come to San Siro with nothing to lose. We’re thinking of our pride and getting as many points as possible. This team is doing good things, the campaign we had to have… there is talk about us as if we were 8th, 9th or 10th but we’re still in there, we have values and we’ve demonstrated them.

“Atalanta? We picked up just 7 points in 5 games, we dropped our guard. In this moment we can’t look back. We know how much we were struggling until a few weeks ago and how many mistakes we made. Atalanta have never let up. If they’re fourth, it’s because they deserve to be. We must do our best in these last two games, but they deserve to be ahead at the moment.

“If a Milan victory tomorrow can put pressure on Atalanta who play later [their game against the Bianconeri is at 20:30 CEST]? These are calculations that I don’t do, I only think of winning against Frosinone by deploying the best team. I believe in good faith. All the teams are putting in a lot of effort, even in the last few Matchdays. We must only think about playing our own game.

“If I met with the club to discuss my future? No, at the moment both the club and I have put aside the small talk and we are only thinking about the objective. There will be a time to talk, now the head is on the pitch. Staying on the bench in case of failing to qualify for the Champions League? I don’t know what I have to answer, I don’t have to prove what I’ve done. There are numbers that speak for it and right now there’s bar talk that’s been going on from July and is still happening, always about my future. I only think about coaching and make points, afterwards whoever needs to judge me will do it.

“The relationship with Leonardo, whose future has also been questioned? Don’t make me angry… I believe that many of you [journalists] don’t listen to me. I’ve already explained and I’ll repeat it: these are things that you write and say to fill the newspapers. There is no problem with Leonardo, I had problems with him as a player but not now. Since he’s arrived in management there’s never been anything, on a human level there’s great fairness and respect, and that’s that!

“The last San Siro game for Abate? I can’t say everything that I think of Ignazio, otherwise we’d be here for another hour. He hasn’t been a surprise, he’s been here since he was a young kid, every day I baptized him with slaps. But he’s given so much and I’m sorry for him should he not sign a new contract because he’s always been added value for me, for my staff and for the whole locker room.

“In the last matches Suso seems to be recovering his form? He is an important player. It was you journalists who asked to leave him out. I’ve always had faith in Suso. We can look back, who was the last to post double digits in assists? If I look at the numbers then he’s scored and has reached 10 assists. It’s been a decade since someone reached a similar number at Milan. A player can have ups and downs, it’s normal but for how he plays he’s very important for us.

“How was Piątek during the week? I saw him well, like in all the other weeks. He has to think about the good of the team, he has to put in everything he has and he not think about his small garden… in that sense I saw him very concentrated. The condition of Biglia? He is available, he’s trained in the last two days. He is not 100% but he’s available. Tomorrow he’ll be on the bench and be available.

“The De Rossi affair at Roma? The thing I’ve liked most about Daniele over the years, beyond the technical and tactical improvements that he’s made, is that he’s grown every year on a human level. He has always shown that he has an incredible human depth. This is what has always struck me. Every time he made a mistake he apologized with his face. There’s always been a good relationship with him. He already reasons as a coach, he says things as they are, even if he wants to still play. Kolarov is right in his words he said yesterday, Roma will notice how much De Rossi is missed in the locker room. He was an important figure in the dressing room of Roma and also in the national team.

“Allegri is leaving Juventus? The numbers and the trophies speak for him and for his journey. The relationship that binds us is unique, I’ve known him since I was a kid who didn’t even a beard on his face… we won [promotion] in Serie B together, so many stories, so many fights, lots of hugs and ups and downs with him, but he’s a genuine person. He’s a person who deserves the best and I think that tomorrow the players and fans will greet him with affection. But we must think about doing our own thing, not look at Turin. Juve have shown what team they are and what mentality they have.

“If finishing in fifth place would be a failure? Even now it’s not a failure for me, but you’re free to write whatever you want as you’ve already made the film in your head. For me it would not be a failure, not because I want credit for myself, but because it’d be incorrect. Plus, what would Roma and Lazio say?

“There’s regret because for two months we’ve had our fate in our hands and we dropped so many points, but it’s not a failure. We must do our best, pick up as many points as possible, then we’ll see.”