Milan's Keisuke Honda believes Italian football is 'too attached to the past', whilst looking ahead to the game against Juventus.
The Rossoneri will play the Old Lady twice again this season, the first game being tomorrow evening at 19:45 UK time.
The second game, however, will be the Coppa Italia final, and the Japanese player believes that's the bigger game.
“If I must choose, then I have no doubts,” he told the Gazzetta. “I'd rather win the Coppa Italia. But I'd like to win them both.
Milan's Keisuke Honda believes Italian football is 'too attached to the past', whilst looking ahead to the game against Juventus.
The Rossoneri will play the Old Lady twice again this season, the first game being tomorrow evening at 19:45 UK time.
The second game, however, will be the Coppa Italia final, and the Japanese player believes that's the bigger game.
“If I must choose, then I have no doubts,” he told the Gazzetta. “I'd rather win the Coppa Italia. But I'd like to win them both.
“Something I don't like about Italian football? The mentality. People only think of winning, so they prefer not to run any risks.
“This holds you back. Italian culture is too bound to the victories of the past. There's a lot of historical memory.
“But they could do with a general renewal, of the kind that already happened in other European championships.
“We had it in Japan, too. I played two World Cups, the Champions League, and I'm not 30 yet. But people already discuss my team after me.
“Here things are different. Italian football remains attached to the model which brought them so much success in the past.”
Honda was then asked for the reasons behind Milan's crisis, which has been going on for several years now.
“There are many reasons. But you mustn't mistake this Milan for the one that used to win everything. When I came here, I realised it wasn't the same club I'd seen on TV.
“We're trying to return to those levels, but it's a long road. When I watched Milan on TV I admired not just their technical skills, but their personalities. The individual had an identity within the group.
“Technically speaking I cannot be compared to those champions, so I must be even more professional. This is the mentality that the club should convey, and we the players must stick together and build the new Milan.”
“The four Coaches I had here at Milan? They were all very different, but I must thank them all. It was nice to know them, especially such superstars as [Clarence] Seedorf and [Pippo] Inzaghi.
“[Current Coach Sinisa] Mihajlovic is very careful and honest. He gives you trust and courage. The club needs him, he's going to develop this team.”