MASSIMO MACCARONE

“STEVE McCLAREN COMPARED ME TO DEL PIERO – THAT WAS TOO MUCH, BUT I DIDN’T FEEL UN DUE PRESSURE”

You made your first-team debut for Milan against Treviso in 1998, replacing the great Roberto Baggio. What do you remember of that experience?

I always have wonderful memories of that time, training from the age of 16 with icons like Roberto, Zvonimir Boban, Paolo Maldini and Dejan Savicevic. I was fortunate to learn my craft from them. I remember that friendly against Treviso; it was a fantastic experience under a top coach in Fabio Capello.

You were sold to second-tier side Empoli in 2000 where you were worked alongside Antonio Di Natale in a youthful front two. What was that partnership like?

After moving to Empoli, I