Pulisic on Milan and Chelsea ‘opposite’, Leao’s ‘secret’ and bad strategies

Christian Pulisic says he’s felt trust from ‘everyone’ at Milan since day one, opposite to what he experienced at Chelsea, admits he’s scored many goals thanks to Rafael Leao but feels the strategy against Roma and Inter was ‘not perfect.’

The American star released an interview with Il Giornale less than a week before the end of the Serie A campaign.

The ex-Chelsea winger has had an excellent first season in Serie A with the Rossoneri, scoring 15 goals and providing nine assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

Pulisic on Milan and Chelsea ‘opposite’

How does he explain such a big impact?

“There is a simple explanation. During the previous two seasons at Chelsea, I had suffered injuries and some managerial changes that didn’t help me,” Pulisic told Il Giornale, as quoted by Milannews.

“Here at Milan, it’s been exactly the opposite. I’ve felt the trust of everyone from day one, and it was a big turning point.”

Pulisic said he’d rank himself “above 7/10” for his first season at San Siro, where he’s been playing mostly as a right winger.

“It’s true, and sometimes we joke about it with the staff members. I can no longer play on the left!” the American star joked.

Pulisic on ‘secret’ Leao

“The truth is that I’ve become accustomed to playing on the right, and I’ve been scoring goals thanks to a little secret: it’s called Rafael Leao. I’ve studied and understood how he moves. Usually, he attracts two or three opponents, so the defence is not so covered on the opposite side. Therefore, I can move towards the middle of the box and I am sure I will receive a perfectly-timed pass.”

Milan fans staged a silent protest in the last two games of the season, demanding clarity about the club’s future targets, starting with the new coach.

“The fans pushed and supported us with noise and enthusiasm for the whole season. For this reason, I respect how they feel now,” said Pulisic.

Milan already secured a second-place finish in Serie A but were eliminated from the Champions League group stage and the Europa League quarter-finals by Roma.

To make matters worse, they lost a sixth consecutive derby against Inter, which allowed the Nerazzurri to mathematically become Serie A champions in April.

Pulisic questions Milan’s strategy

“I can say that we have played these matches [against Roma and Inter] without appropriate organization; we didn’t always defend properly, and perhaps the strategy was not perfect,” Pulisic admitted.

“We became vulnerable, leaving the defence exposed due to our desire to attack at all times.”

However, the ex-Chelsea man remains on good terms with Stefano Pioli who convinced him to sign for the Rossoneri last summer.

“During that chat, Pioli explained exactly what he expected from me and in which role I would play. Contrary to some of his colleagues, he always kept his word and I am on good terms with him,” Pulisic concluded.

Pulisic has bagged 12 goals in 35 Serie A games this season and he was the best Milan player against Torino on Saturday, despite a 3-1 loss.