Pierre Kalulu spoke about the impact of winning the Scudetto last season and how he feels playing for Milan.
The 22-year-old French defender joined the Rossoneri in September 2020 from Olympique Lyon in a deal worth around €1.2m. He hardly featured in his first season, making only seven Serie A starts, but an injury to Simon Kjaer last season allowed him to become a regular under Stefano Pioli, where he impressed.
Kalulu is now a core part of the Milan defence and another symbol of their smart work in the transfer market.
Speaking to NSS Sports, Kalulu first discussed the psychological impact of the Scudetto on the Milan squad.
“To have arrived and immediately win the Scudetto was a great joy. We’re all young in the team and we don’t realise it, because when you start doing something and succeed straight away it seems like that thing is so easy, but it’s not.
“When you are a defender you have to like dirty work and risk as little as possible, but every now and then trying something more with the ball gives you a feeling of joy, but then if you succeed you are too strong and if you fail you are too poor.”
The French centre back then spoke about how he feels playing in Italy and the relationship with the fans.
“I feel very little pressure. In my opinion the real tension, the one that stops your stomach, you have to feel it as soon as you enter the field, not before.
“For example, we played on Sunday at 20:45, if it’s not 20:35 I don’t feel anything yet, then I get the right feelings and I enter in the match atmosphere. When you’re my age you might not always realise that.
“At the same time you are already an example for a lot of people, a source of joy when you are on the pitch. Football in Italy is very important for the fans, so it’s right to do your best for them.
“Maybe when you’re Italian and always live in Italy for you it’s a normal thing, but if you go abroad you understand how it’s a very strong passion.”
The 22-year-old Kalulu has made 68 appearances across all competitions for Milan since his arrival in September 2020. The Frenchman is contracted to the club until 2025 and is a core part of Pioli’s squad.