Catanzaro sporting director Ciro Polito gave MilanNews.it's Lorenzo D'Angelis an exclusive interview in which he discussed various topics surrounding Alfajo Cisse, a former Catanzaro player who transferred to AC Milan.

First, I'd like to ask you: You worked with him at Catanzaro last season. What kind of person is he in your opinion? Because no matter what happens, we see him on the field very, very calm, even a bit introverted, consistent and independent. But for you, who spent time with him in the dressing room, what is his true personality?

How should I put it? He's a quiet guy, but at the same time very likeable and has a great sense of humor. He's very intelligent and sharp. You know, how should I describe him to you? He's good at making jokes, very popular and highly valued within the team. He's a very serious and down-to-earth young man.

The enormous impact Cisse has had on Serie A, particularly at AC Milan... because he arrived very quietly. People even thought he'd be on loan, but he became almost an absolute starter in Ruben Amorim's squad. And normally, before all this... he suffered a serious injury.

After such a serious injury, the first thought is often that he's lost his chance. But later he met a great coach (Amorim), who completely overlooked the fact that he'd been out at Catanzaro for five months with an injury. The coach observed him, appreciated his talent, and confidently placed him in the starting lineup.

If you then ask me: "Did you expect him to have such a big impact?" I can tell you that his own quality, in my opinion, is extremely impressive. Of course, you also need a bit of luck in life to be in the right place at the right time. But when I signed him, many people internally... at one point even questioned my decision, because I had to wait a whole month to sort out his contract rights. But I stood by him from beginning to end. Even though we already had some players on the team at that time, I still had to say that I would definitely sign him, because he's a strong player, and we'll see what happens next.

But even I didn't expect him to explode immediately with such amazing impact. In his first five months here, he almost single-handedly carried the team in matches. Yes, yes, he showed excellent statistics, amazing abilities, and extremely high talent in front of goal. He knows how to strike the ball, has excellent physical qualities, and possesses all the attributes of an excellent player. Young people need to be given a chance, folks. If you don't watch them on the field, you never know what amazing things they can achieve.

Indeed, what do you think are Cisse's most outstanding technical qualities? Personally, when I watch his recent matches, I find him extremely strong when he receives the ball under pressure with his back to goal. It's hard for opponents to take the ball off him, which is really impressive...

He executes many amazing movements when he has his back to goal and receives the ball in midfield. He can control the ball, perform tricks, and dribble past opposing defenders three times in a row, so that eventually the opponents give up tackling, and then he accelerates powerfully, with opponents unable to catch him. But you know what you're describing there, he can do that at AC Milan, and he could do it at Catanzaro too. He's a player with many excellent qualities, you understand? That is, he has world-class shooting technique, excellent ball control and first-touch ability, incredibly talented.

In fact, what he demonstrates is no accident, like the goal he scored against Juventus, where he had his back to goal. You see, he didn't even look at the goal, but placed the ball precisely in the corner, which is exactly the work of a top star.

Yes, and overall it was also an extremely technically brilliant goal. His first touch, the way he controlled the ball with the inside of his left foot, he executed that touch with almost glove-like precision...

Yes, absolutely correct, so precise. Because his ball control on first touch is so strong, and his physical build and frame are also very good. He is – no, he's simply an extraordinary player who keeps getting better.

If you had to describe him to AC Milan fans with three adjectives, which three words would you use? Fewer than three work too, if it fits, even just one word...

But he plays like a veteran; he makes everything complicated look effortless. He possesses incomparable talent, I can tell you it's "talent", and also extremely strong "quality and boldness". He doesn't seem to feel any pressure playing for AC Milan. For me, his playing style at AC Milan is exactly the same as when he played at Catanzaro. That's pure talent, and there's nothing you can do about that.

Of course, how proud and satisfied must Catanzaro be internally to see two talents like Cisse and Liberali, who once played for Catanzaro, move to two major Serie A clubs?

And Favassuli too, don't forget him.

Yes, Favassuli went to SSC Napoli, very true. I was just thinking about the AC Milan area, because AC Milan also strongly pursued Liberali this summer, but he ultimately went to Como...

I know, I know. Honestly, all three are a huge source of pride for us. Personally, as the one who personally scouted, developed, and made every effort to sign them for the team, it fills me with an immense sense of success and satisfaction. Because this doesn't always happen; you couldn't have imagined beforehand that these guys could be playing for top Italian clubs within just seven or eight months. And it's also excellent news for Italian football overall, because they're all young Italian talents. You can also see that as long as they're given a chance, they can prove their talent.

Regarding Liberali: Did you expect him to choose Como over AC Milan this summer? Do you think Liberali made the right decision by moving to Como?

Whether it's right or wrong, I'm not entirely sure. AC Milan did their best to get him back, and in my opinion, this could be related to how he was treated before or a matter of principle. But in reality, that's how it is, and I've explained these situations to them. Nonetheless, AC Milan showed genuine willingness to sign him at any cost. So if he had gone to AC Milan back then, he might be playing for AC Milan today and could even be an undisputed starter... We'll never know these things. But these are decisions they made themselves, and whether this decision was right or wrong, time will tell – that's the truth of the matter.

Übersetzt von KI.

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