Di Gregorio: Bournemouth's mentality 'does not change' in 3-0 Milan rout
Bournemouth goalkeeper hails fearless approach after Europa League demolition
Michele Di Gregorio declared that Bournemouth's "mentality does not change" even against the might of AC Milan, as the Cherries romped to a 3-0 victory in the Europa League at the Vitality Stadium.
The Italian goalkeeper, who joined Bournemouth over the summer on loan from Juventus with an option to buy, made only his second start for the club in the emphatic win. The match was settled by a pair of penalties from Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier, plus a late Amine Adli free kick, after Mike Maignan was sent off 28 minutes into the contest.
"We were at home this evening, we knew it was an important match against a top level team, we all know Milan, but our mentality does not change," Di Gregorio told Sky Sport Italia. "Bournemouth insist on being aggressive, facing every opponent with our ideas, our way of playing, and regardless of the incidents, we would've had that attitude."
Milan failed to register a single shot on target, leaving Di Gregorio with a quiet night on just his second appearance for the Cherries since the summer loan move. Asked whether he needed warm-up exercises in the heavy rain, he quipped: "I felt a bit cold in goal tonight! But when a goalkeeper keeps a clean sheet, it is the work of the collective, so I have to thank my teammates for that."
English intensity impresses the Juventus loanee
Di Gregorio was asked why English teams seem to enjoy such strong starts compared to the Italian tendency to study opponents first. "I think the big difference is here that every game is played with our own ideas of football, which means attacking and a different intensity to Italy. That leads to more open games and it doesn't matter who you are up against, whether it's the top of the table or rock bottom, you can risk defeat," he explained.
"Everyone here has their own ideas and they stick to them, no matter the opponent."
On adapting to the cultural shift of working in an English setup, the Juventus-owned keeper admitted: "It was a big change for me, there is certainly a difference in the training methods, but I feel the intensity is the biggest difference. Their grit, determination, attacking to win back the ball immediately, that's extraordinary to me."
Italy criticism and Bologna rumours dismissed
Di Gregorio left Juventus amid a flurry of criticism, and he reflected on what he does and does not miss about Italy: "Even if I am here, I still see some of what is said in Italy, and I am sad that things don't change or improve, but this is football now and we can only stay within the rules of that game. Fortunately, so far me and my family don't miss anything yet, we're very happy here, so it's all OK."
Reports surfaced on October 20 that new Bologna coach Raffaele Palladino had targeted a January swoop for the Juventus loanee, with the 29-year-old reportedly free to play for a third club this season under FIFA registration rules. Di Gregorio, however, moved to quash those rumours. "No, we have a good rapport and he might watch the games of those he worked with at Monza, we are fond of each other, but there's nothing more than that."