Carlos Bacca says Vincenzo Montella changed Milan: 'There's a sense of fun now! I want Europe and the top-scorer title'.
The innovative young Coach was called in to give a fresh start to the Rossoneri, and his first 3-2 victory over Torino in Serie A certainly made for an entertaining game.
While it's far too early to assess what Montella brought to the environment, several sources within the club say he's changed things for the better, and Bacca added his voice to the consensus.
Carlos Bacca says Vincenzo Montella changed Milan: 'There's a sense of fun now! I want Europe and the top-scorer title'.
The innovative young Coach was called in to give a fresh start to the Rossoneri, and his first 3-2 victory over Torino in Serie A certainly made for an entertaining game.
While it's far too early to assess what Montella brought to the environment, several sources within the club say he's changed things for the better, and Bacca added his voice to the consensus.
“I have a lot more fun with him, because football is played with the ball, not just by running,” Bacca told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “If you're just there to run, you might as well train with Usain Bolt.
“I like his game because the team is built to attack, which gives me more scoring opportunities. Against Torino there were five or six, and then I can really throw it in three times.
“If you only get one opportunity, everything becomes a lot more difficult. That's how it was last year, which meant I had to be super-concentrated.
“Things are different now, there's a sense of fun in the changing room, on the coach, in the hotel. Last season it wasn't there.
“Montella did his part in convincing me to stay. He told me clearly that he would have been sorry to lose me, that he thinks I'm strong, a leader, and that I score a lot, just like he used to do.
“I perceived his trust and I knew I'd fit into his type of game, no less than I'd fit into the game of any Coach. I'm a person who adapts and works hard for his team.”
In spite of the trust expressed by his Coach, Bacca was left home for the team's tournee in the USA.
“He told me I'd have remained to work in Milanello because I was going to get some better training at home than in America. I stayed put and I worked hard, so no problem. Montella was always very clear with me.
“I like the trident with Suso and [M'Baye] Niang very much. I'm happy for Niang, we missed him when he was absent. And Adriano is also fantastic, but unfortunately only eleven of us can play.
“When I'm going to stop playing, I wish to stay in the world of football, but I'll be a director and not a Coach. I really couldn't bear sending people to the bench, it's a ghastly duty.
“I definitely have my eye on the top-scorer rankings. At the very least, I want to score more goals than I did last year, but I want people to consider me with a balanced perspective. A hat-trick doesn't make me a phenomenon, nor does missing three sitters make me a flop.
“When that happens they'll tell me that my head is elsewhere, but in truth I'm always the same. It bothers me when people judge me only in terms of the goals. Though of course I have to improve, especially when shooting with my left.
“I want Europe with this team, and that's what I'm working for. My mentality and the club's is European, it's an obligation for Milan.
“I'm proud to be in this club and to be here now. Five years ago it would have been easy for anyone to choose Milan, I did it when it was more difficult. Now it's time to change the situation and bring things back to what they were.
“Scoring by rabona? I can do that again. Some won't like it, but if it works out then they'll all say that I'm amazing.”