Marek Jankulovski, the former AC Milan and Udinese player, shared his thoughts with La Gazzetta dello Sport on the upcoming Milan-Udinese match and the current state of both teams. The Czech international, who experienced the best years of his career with both clubs, will be watching the game with divided loyalties.
When asked about his expectations for the match, Jankulovski said, “It will be entertaining. Milan has more to lose because, after the defeat in Florence, if they want to fight for the Scudetto, they can’t make any more mistakes. Udinese is the revelation of this first part of the season: they’ve done very well and deserve their current position in the standings.”
Regarding Milan’s title chances, he stated, “They didn’t start well because they’re struggling to assimilate Fonseca’s style of football, but they have an important squad and there’s time to recover. I have confidence: with a winning streak, they can close the gap on Napoli, who are slightly favored over Inter and Juventus.”
Jankulovski praised Theo Hernandez, comparing him to his own playing days: “He’s a full-back I really like, one of the best in the world, and it’s no coincidence that he has equaled Paolo Maldini’s number of goals in Serie A. In Udine, I used to take penalties and free kicks, which is why I scored some goals, while at Milan, with all the phenomenal players there, I didn’t even take them in training matches.”
When asked about expectations for Hernandez and Leao, Jankulovski said, “They are two world-class players and they need to show it consistently. Everyone demands a lot from Theo and Rafa: you’ll see that they will be decisive.”
Commenting on Udinese’s performance, he noted, “The speed with which the new coach has transmitted his ideas is impressive. The team started strong and achieved important results despite departures like Samardzic, Perez, and Walace. Against Udinese, you can’t make mistakes because they have a team capable of beating anyone.”
Jankulovski also praised the Pozzo family’s management of Udinese: “They deserve a lot of credit. Every time I come to Italy, I stop to watch an Udinese match and greet the owner Giampaolo and his son Gino. They’ve been running the club since 1986 and have always kept it at excellent levels. You have to be good to succeed at that.”
Reflecting on his time at Milan, Jankulovski shared memories of working with Carlo Ancelotti: “An incredible coach, a guide for the group: we won the Champions League and then the European Super Cup, but the best match of all was the semi-final return leg against United: a clear and deserved 3-0 win.”
Regarding the current Milan management, Jankulovski observed, “Ibrahimovic is different because it’s his first experience as a director, but he has a crazy desire to win. I played with him for a year at Milan, and he didn’t accept losing even in training matches… I notice that he still likes to take responsibility and put his face out there by making certain statements. This way, the players are more relaxed.”
