Milan star Ante Rebic has taken aim at Juventus’ players, ‘who are big and strong yet stay down for three minutes whenever they’re touched’.
Rebic recently helped Milan come from behind to beat Juve 4-2, and he was particularly disappointed with how Gonzalo Higuain and Federico Bernardeschi applied themselves.
“There are two Rebics,” he told Sportweek.
“In private I’m very quiet, a little withdrawn because I don’t like people talking about me.
Milan star Ante Rebic has taken aim at Juventus’ players, ‘who are big and strong yet stay down for three minutes whenever they’re touched’.
Rebic recently helped Milan come from behind to beat Juve 4-2, and he was particularly disappointed with how Gonzalo Higuain and Federico Bernardeschi applied themselves.
“There are two Rebics,” he told Sportweek.
“In private I’m very quiet, a little withdrawn because I don’t like people talking about me.
“On the pitch there’s another Ante, which breaks everyone’s balls. At one point during the win against Juve, I said something to Higuain.
“I’m not a fan of players like him, who are big and strong yet stay down for three minutes whenever they’re touched.
“The same goes for Bernardeschi and the same thing happened against SPAL. Ibra takes lots of beatings too but gets up immediately and without a whimper. Others cry too much.
“I say something to Higuain and Szczesny tells me: ‘You’re 2-0 down, don’t get cocky.’
“I didn’t answer him. Normally I would’ve replied, because another thing I don’t like is people underestimating me.
“This time, however, I didn’t open my mouth. I replied to Szczesny in a different way… I’m strong mentally: whoever attacks me, fires me up.”
The Croatia forward has already worked with incoming Rossoneri chief Ralf Rangnick, who helped bring him to RB Leipzig for the 2014-15 campaign.
“I did well at the World Cup in Brazil so he, as head of Red Bull’s football division, called my agent and told him he wanted me.
“He came to Florence for me. ‘Welcome to Red Bull. Do you want to play for Salzburg or Leipzig?’
“I chose Leipzig: they were in the second tier at the time, but the project Rangnick illustrated to me was important and the facts proved him right.”
Finally, the 26-year-old admitted his side ‘needed’ Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his leadership qualities.
“We need him. Ibra’s a leader. Before the Juve game, he said to us: ‘I’ll show the Juventus players how to play football.’
“It was his way of getting us fired up, Begovic and Kjaer too. They’re experienced players who know how to calm you down or spur you on.”