The former Rossoneri and Azzurro full -back tells his memories between Naples and Milan, analyzes the moment of the two teams and declares how his heart is divided in half.
Sunday 30 March at 20:45 a challenge will be staged that smells of history and great emotions: Milan-Napoli. Two teams that live different moments, but who remain linked by a common thread made of ambitions, tradition and passion. Who better than Marek Jankulovskiformer full -back who has dressed both shirts, can tell the sensations of this game? The former Czech defender, protagonist of the great Milan from 2005 to 2011 and growing football a Naplesspoke exclusively to our microphones, analyzing the match, the glorious past and the uncertain future of the two clubs, without saving words about Maldini’s farewell and the current difficulties of modern football.
The words of Marek Jankulovski exclusively to our microphones
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Marek, Milan-Napoli is played on Sunday: a challenge with an important specific weight. You had the opportunity to dress both shirts. What are the most vivid memories than to keep of each experience? There are many. Naples is the first team that gave me the opportunity to establish me. I lived beautiful moments, I heard great affection and a lot of enthusiasm from the first day. I feel this game a lot, because in Naples I started my career and I finished in Milan. It is not easy to look at it without getting excited, because we are talking about eight years of life …
If you close your eyes and think in Naples and Milan, what is the first image or the first memory that comes to mind for each of the two cities? The sea, the sun and the food come to Naples. Milan is a completely different city … fashion reigns (laughs ed).
Retracing your career, 2007 was a special year: Champions League, European Super Cup (in which you even scored). What memories do you have that year? They are the most beautiful memories of my life. Winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and then the Club World Cup (in 2008 editor’s note) was incredible. I crowned all my dreams, because in the end you play to win and raise trophies. 2007 is undoubtedly the most important year of my career.
You recently took part in Milan’s glories match against Tottenham, with Seedorf, Pirlo, Dida. How do you see this Milan compared to the one you played in? Very different. I was lucky enough to play with already established champions such as Maldini, Gattuso, Pirlo and Seedorf. Today’s Milan has completely changed, but it is not only the club: it is football in general. Before there was more attachment to the shirt, now everything is faster, we change often, both among the players and at the managerial level. It is difficult to make comparisons with an era that unfortunately no longer exists.
After Istanbul there is always Athens … and you have lived it. What is missing to this Milan to return to win a Champions League? Do you see it possible in the next 10 years? I really hope that Milan return to the levels of the past, but it is not easy. We need time, serenity and clarity, which are missing at this moment. When Maldini was seen, a clear project was seen … Today there is too much talk about corporate situations. To return great, stability and players with experience and heart for the shirt are needed.
Speaking of Maldini … what idea did you do on his dismissal? Have you heard it most? Whenever we can, we feel. When he was at Milan we met several times. For me, from the outside, it is difficult to understand: a legend like Paolo, who leads you to win a championship, to get to the Champions League semifinal and enhances players like Theo and Leao, is sent away from one day to the next … it is strange. But it is part of the life of the manager: there are pressure and perhaps the vision of the company was different from his.
They look at the present, Milan has to chase a place in Europe. Will it make it? You have to believe it, but we need victories. Little is missing and every point is fundamental. It is difficult to imagine a Milan outside Europe, but it will be hard for the Champions League. I hope that Sunday we start to make a result.
Napoli, on the other hand, can repeat themselves in the championship after two years? I believe it. Even if they have lost points, they remain a very strong team. In addition, Inter have more commitments between the championship, the Champions League and the Italian Cup. Napoli can take advantage of it. It will be a fight until the end.
Who comes better for Sunday’s challenge?Difficult to say. Napoli plays at home and must win to stay in the running race, Milan for the Europe area. I think it’s a 50 and 50. It will be a beautiful game. I cheer for both: without Naples I would never have arrived at Milan.
It is August 2025, the series A 2025/26 begins: who will be the coaches of Milan and Naples? Conte is sought by everyone, it’s normal. Conceição? Difficult to say if it remains. It will depend a lot on how the season will close. If Milan arrives sixth or seventh, the company will have to make assessments.
You arrived at Milan to replace Maldini, then climbing the hierarchies you became the left -wing full -back. Just today in that area Theo Hernandez plays, who is experiencing a complicated moment. What advice would you give them? He is a very strong player. When the team struggles, we tend to speak only of him and the Lea, but football is a team game. It seems not very peaceful to me also for the renewal. He must find tranquility and help Milan in this season finale.
After the farewell to football played you became DS so you know this difficult role well. Milan started the casting for that of the next season. Is there a name that more than others convince you? I am carefully following what is happening. Beyond the names, the fact that Milan is looking for a figure in this role means that within the company it has been understood that someone is missing with these skills, and it is essential to find the right person to make the team even stronger. The important thing is that a professional is able to bring Milan back to the top. I am of the idea that it is not necessary to have played football to do well in clubs, but I believe that figures who have made the history of the club, and that bring it into the heart, are always precious. All the more so if the property is foreign: someone who knows the environment is needed, who understands football and who embody the Rossoneri spirit.
We talked about Scudetto and Europe race, but just below there is a team that you know well: Udinese.Udinese has a clear mentality: discovering young talents and enhancing them. They are doing well, but in the end they sell the best and start again. It is their model and it is perhaps the only club in Italy to succeed constantly.
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