Catanzaro sporting director Ciro Polito gave an exclusive interview to Lorenzo De Angelis from Milan News, discussing various topics about former Catanzaro player Alfajo Cissé, who joined AC Milan.

First, I'd like to ask you: after working with him last season at Catanzaro, what kind of person is he in your eyes? Because, from what we've seen, he appears very composed on the pitch, quite reserved, stable, and self-reliant. But for you, who spent time with him in the dressing room every day, what is his personality really like?

How should I put it? He's a quiet kid, but at the same time, he's very fun and has excellent humor. He's very intelligent and sharp. How can I describe him to you? He's great at making jokes, very popular and well-liked in the team. He's a very serious and humble young man.

Cissé has made a huge impact in Serie A, especially at AC Milan. He joined in a rather low-key way, and everyone even thought he'd be loaned out, but in the end, he's become almost an undisputed starter in Rúben Amorim's squad. Regarding this, he did suffer a serious injury previously...

After a serious injury like that, people's first instinct is usually that he's lost his chance. But then he met with a great and extraordinary coach—Amorim—who didn't care that he'd been out for five months at Catanzaro with an injury. The coach observed him, appreciated his talent, and firmly put him in the starting lineup.

If you ask me: "Did you anticipate such a huge impact from him?" I can tell you that, in my view, his abilities are very strong. Of course, in life you also need a bit of luck—being in the right place at the right time. But when I signed him, many people internally questioned me because I had to wait a full month to complete the contract transfer. But I waited for him from beginning to end. Even though we already had many players on the squad, I decided we would sign him anyway, because he's a strong player, and we'd wait and see what happened next.

But even for me, I didn't expect him to explode with such stunning impact right from the start. In his first five months with us, he played almost alone. He showed very good statistics, exceptional skill, and very high talent for shooting. He knows how to strike the ball, has outstanding physical qualities, and possesses all the characteristics of a very good player. So young players must be given opportunities, you know. If you don't watch them on the pitch, you'll never know what amazing things they can achieve.

Indeed, so what would you say are Cissé's most outstanding technical characteristics? Personally, watching his recent matches, I felt he's very strong when facing pressure with his back to goal; opponents can barely dispossess him, which is truly impressive...

He creates many incredible plays with his back to goal, dropping to midfield to receive the ball. He can trap it, feint, and dribble past defenders three times in a row, until the opponent finally gives up trying to tackle him, and then he accelerates powerfully, with defenders unable to catch him. But look, what you're describing—he can do that at AC Milan, and he could do it at Catanzaro too. He's a player with many outstanding qualities, you understand? That is to say, he has top-level shooting technique, excellent ball control, and outstanding first touch—truly talented.

In fact, what he's shown isn't coincidence. For example, the goal he scored against Juventus, when he had his back to goal, look, he wasn't even facing the goal, but he placed the ball perfectly into the corner—that's pure top-star execution.

Yes, and overall, it was also a very skillful goal. His first touch, that almost outside-of-the-boot touch with his left foot, the way he executed it was so perfect, as if he were wearing gloves on his feet...

Yes, absolutely right, very precise. Because his first-touch control is very strong, and his physical frame and structure are also excellent. He's—no, he's an extraordinary player, full stop.

If you had to describe him to AC Milan fans using three adjectives, which three would you use? Even fewer than three is fine, if you prefer—even one word is acceptable...

He plays like a veteran, making everything complicated look easy. He has unmatched talent—I can tell you that's "talent," and also "quality and courage" of great strength. He doesn't seem to feel the pressure at all playing for AC Milan. To me, his style of play at AC Milan is exactly the same as when he played for Catanzaro. It's pure talent, and there's nothing you can do about that.

Of course, how proud and satisfied must Catanzaro be to see talents like Cissé and Liberali, who played for the club, now joining top Serie A sides?

And Favasuli too—don't forget him.

Yes, Favasuli went to Napoli, that's true. I was thinking mainly about AC Milan's scope, since this summer AC Milan also worked hard to get Liberali, but he ended up going to Como...

I know, I know. To be honest, all three are a great source of pride for us. Personally, as the person who scouted them, developed them, and did everything possible to bring them into the team, it gives me tremendous satisfaction and fulfillment. Because things like this don't always happen. You could never have imagined that these kids would be playing for top Italian clubs in just seven or eight months. And it's also fantastic for Italian football overall, because they're all young Italian talents. You can see that if you give them the chance to play, they can prove their talent.

Regarding Liberali, did you anticipate this summer that he would choose Como over AC Milan? Do you think Liberali made the right decision joining Como?

Whether it's right or wrong, I'm not entirely sure. AC Milan certainly tried everything to sign him back then, and in my opinion, it may have been because of how he was treated before, or for some principle-related reasons. But that's how it turned out, and I've already told them about the situation. Nonetheless, AC Milan showed genuine intent to sign him at any cost. So if he'd gone to AC Milan at that time, maybe he'd be playing for AC Milan today and might even be an undisputed starter. We don't know. But it was their choice to make, and whether that choice was right or wrong, only time will tell—that's the truth of it.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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