Juraj Kucka, former AC Milan player and current Slovan Bratislava midfielder, shared his thoughts in a press conference before the UEFA Champions League match between Slovan Bratislava and the Rossoneri. The match is set for the fifth day of the group stage, and Kucka expressed his excitement about facing his former club.
When asked about his current condition, Kucka said, “I feel good. I’ve been training regularly for over a week and played a half on Saturday. I’m looking forward to the game, as is the rest of the team. I hope it’s a good match for us and maybe we can snatch at least a point from Milan.”
Reflecting on his connections with AC Milan, Kucka mentioned, “There’s only one person left, one of the kit men, but I’m not in contact with him.”
Discussing the current state of AC Milan, Kucka observed, “It’s very difficult to evaluate what kind of team they are; their results are what they are. Sometimes they play well, other times not so much. We need to be very careful. It won’t be an easy match, but we’ll fight until the end.”
When asked which current Milan player he would like to play alongside, Kucka replied, “It’s hard to choose one. They have a lot of quality up front. I really like how Pulisic plays, and Leao is very strong too. When I was at Parma, I thought Leao wouldn’t go far, but something changed in him and now he’s become a great player. I used to see him walking on the field as if he didn’t want to play. Now he’s changed and become an international-level player. The only one I’ve played with who is still at Milan is Calabria.”
Kucka also shared his reaction when Milan was drawn as their opponent: “No words are needed for that celebration: I was too happy. I’m a Milan fan; I’m attached to Milan. Playing against them here in the Champions League is something special.”
Recalling his time at AC Milan, Kucka stated, “I always tried to give my best; you can’t win every game. But in terms of commitment, I gave everything and the fans liked that. I fought for the shirt. The best moment was winning the Super Cup against Juve. I bonded a lot with Luca Antonelli, but there are many others I’m attached to.”
Looking ahead to the match against Milan, Kucka hopes for a challenging encounter: “I hope for a Milan that struggles a bit, as usually happens against slightly weaker teams.”
Reflecting on his experience at Milan, Kucka concluded, “I had the opportunity to play in one of the biggest clubs in the world: it was my dream. You can see it in everything, even in what happens around the field.”
