By Anna Italia
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@ItalianSerieA
AC Milan new player defender Adil Rami is officially presented to the press on Friday 10 January 2014 at 15.00 with the event being streamed live on the club’s official YouTube channel.
Adil Rami making 26 appearances for the French national side including Euro 2012 matches and big seasons spent with Lille and Valencia. Rami completed his transfer market to AC Milan which is a dream come true for him.
AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani welcomed the journalists to the press conference and started by saying the following:
“This is the second big addition of the transfer window after Honda the other day. Now Rami has arrived on loan until the end of season. He has important characteristics and will be a useful addition to the team. He has been training for some time, he has fit in well and is ready to go. However, this is not my presentation, I’ve been here for 28 years and now I want to let Rami speak”
Rami was firstly asked how he had fitted in: “I feel very good, lucky to be here at an enormous club. It was a big ambition of mine to come here.”
Speaking about his objectives: “To win, the ambition is to win, I’m still young as a player and this is a big step forward for me.”
Apart from with Constant and Mexes how have you settled in with the others?: “I’m getting on well with everybody, it has been easy to integrate with the others, the club have helped me a lot in this respect, I’m an open person and that has helped a lot.”
Galliani was asked whether Rami was a player they couldn’t let get away: “Yes, and I want to thank the Valencia President as well who helped us get our hands on him, I want to thank him personally. It is a loan deal with the option to buy, and we hope he forces us to take up that option to buy him.”
Rami was asked what the number 13 shirt meant to him and he said: “I chose it as it was up to me, and because I was always inspired by Alessandro Nesta as a player, he had great class, he gave his all and it’s a pleasure to have his number.”
Galliani was asked whether this was the right month for Milan to get back on track: “We have a lot of games coming up this month, one or possibly 2 in the Italian cup, as well as the league matches, and I hope this is the month we get back on track ahead of February before the Champions League gets going again.”
Rami also spoke about being in the same side with his friend Kevin Constant: “Constant and I have been friends since childhood, we grew up in the same neighbourhood, Constant started early as a professional and to find him again here at Milan is a pleasure.”
He was also questioned about his opinions on Serie A at the moment: “I have only followed it from afar and I am yet to really play, once I have played more I will be able to answer. I have seen Paul Pogba who has great potential for the French side.”
Asked about a potential first start on Sunday against Sassuolo, he commented: “I have to make my full debut at some point, I can’t wait to get out there and help the team and hopefully as soon as possible.”
Galliani was then asked about the transfer window and he said the following: “It’s not definite that a midfielder will arrive at the club, but given the fact that Montolivo and Muntari are suspended for the Champions League matches, if one does arrive it would be better if he could play in Europe.”
On the subject of the Champions League, Rami was questioned about Milan’s next opponents in the last-16 of the competition Atletico Madrid, given his time spent at Valencia and in Spain: “I know the team well, they have a lot of personality, and are combative, strong and fast just like their coach.”
The player also had a word to say about the reception he received when he made his debut against Atalanta as a second half substitute: “It was a pleasant surprise their welcome, it’s an extra source of motivation for me to show the club what I can do and that they did well to bring me here.”
There was inevitably a question about the other January arrival Keisuke Honda and Rami’s impressions of the Japanese midfielder: “I don’t know him well yet, he speaks English and I don’t, so speaking is hard at the minute. He sits near me in the changing room though and we do exchange the odd word when we’re able to.”
Click the video to watch the AC Milan defender Adil Rami official presentation on Friday 10 January 2014.
