Gabia: Thank you Pioli for trusting me Ibrahimovic is our role model

In an interview with Polish media outlet Przegl d Sportowy, Milan defender Gabia talked about Ibrahimovic, Pioli and his own growth.

About your own growth

Whether on and off the pitch, I can say that my mind is clearer. Whether as a player or as a normal person, I have grown. However, I feel that my ability can be further improved to become a more comprehensive player.

About their grandparents

My grandparents played an important role in my upbringing, they were fans and Milan fans. As a child, I used to take the bus with them and my cousins to the San Siro to watch the race. I was born in Fagnano Olona, a town that is reluctant to be away from Milan. Every weekend, I watch milan matches. Then, when I was a teenager I came to the Milan Academy, I realized my dream with them.

About choosing the number 46 shirt yourself

1946 was the year my grandmother was born and she influenced my passion for football and I was very attached to her. My father was also a Milan fan, but my mother wasn't very interested in football.

Milan once again showed good form after entering the New Year

We proved our strength again, we won three in a row and played some great games. We are still in the ranks of competing champions. We've always focused on correcting our mistakes so as not to make the same mistakes again.

About the goals of Milan

Milan are an ambitious club and winning a title would be a good reward for the team's progress over the past two years. We will do everything we can to make this happen. We have to stick to what we've done before.

About Pioli

On a tactical level, everyone sees how we present ourselves on the pitch. Every player felt his or her importance and the manager made a significant contribution in that regard. I remember when I didn't play much on the team, Pioli let me participate in every game, he gave me advice and trusted me. I think he's been nice to me and I'm very grateful to him for that.

About Ibrahimovic

I visited Old Trafford in Manchester and in their dressing room I took a picture of Ibrahimovic in my shirt. A few years later, he became my teammate. This seems like an impossible thing to happen. I've been watching how he prepares for the game, how he trains, and he's always very focused. He was very demanding of himself and helped us to raise our standards. He is our role model.

About your teammates in the backline

Kyal is a leader who knows what he has to say in every game throughout the season. Now that he's injured, I wish him all the best. Tomori is energetic and fast on the pitch, he is a very good player and Kalulu shares the same qualities as him. Romagnoli is a very clever defender and he knows what to do in any situation.

(Two monsters)