Gerard Deulofeu reflects on his “super positive” loan spell at Milan, and says Barcelona are going to Juventus to win.
The winger spent the second half of last season on loan with the Rossoneri, before the Blaugrana activated their buyback clause to bring him back from Everton in the summer.
“What did I take from Italy? Many things,” Deulofeu told Gazzetta dello Sport’s Extra Time supplement.
Gerard Deulofeu reflects on his “super positive” loan spell at Milan, and says Barcelona are going to Juventus to win.
The winger spent the second half of last season on loan with the Rossoneri, before the Blaugrana activated their buyback clause to bring him back from Everton in the summer.
“What did I take from Italy? Many things,” Deulofeu told Gazzetta dello Sport’s Extra Time supplement.
“It was a super positive experience for me. I was content, happy. Everyone welcome me straight away: the Coach, the staff, my teammates… I needed that, the warmth of the people.
“It was four or five wonderful months and there wasn’t a time I didn’t enjoy playing in Milan. I started feeling good on and off the pitch.
“Milan gave me everything, I was bad in England and with Milan I saw the light again. I played, I went to the national team – something that seemed a long way away in England – and Barcelona took me back. Now I have to take advantage of that.”
Deulofeu was then asked for the difference between Spanish and Italian football.
“It’s a different story. The pitches in Italy are more sparse and the ball doesn’t travel as quickly, and I think there are players of a much higher level here.
“In Italy they overcome that deficit with organisation, and the defences are much harder to overcome.
“There are clubs like Juventus, Napoli, Roma or Milan who also have a lot of talent, but you can’t compare them to the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in recent years.
“In the last four or five years La Liga has dominated in Europe, winning almost everything.”
Barça were knocked out of the Champions League by Juve last year, but they beat them 3-0 in this season’s group stage and face them again tomorrow.
“We’re in a difficult group,” Deulofeu admitted.
“We’ve already drawn with Olympiakos, which shows that any team can cause you problems. Just took at Atletico with Qarabag.
“We’re fine, we’re missing a point to reach the objective we set, the Last 16, but we’ll to Turin to win, as we always do.
“The Bianconeri were my first opponent in Italy, I hadn’t even unpacked my suitcases and I found myself playing against Juventus in the Coppa Italia.
“I had a dozen minutes which according to you journalists were positive… We were drawing, then we lost but it wasn’t a bad start.
“Then I played against Juve in the league and lost again, Juve are very strong. They’re a solid, organised team with a Coach who knows what he’s doing.
“I repeat though, we’re going to Turin to win with our weapons and our play.”