Do you follow English football?
Sometimes, I always follow what happens with the English teams in the Champions League and occasionally the Premier League too.
How does English football compare to Serie A?
Italian football is much more violent, they want to hurt each other. It is different for the supporters too, we don't buy merchandise so much, maybe only the club flag sometimes.
What was the last United match you saw?
Manchester United vs Manchester City. It was a good match, but City were very bad. Now they think they are going to be big, I am not so sure.
What do people in Italy think of MUFC?
Italian teams are very worried when they have to play Manchester in the Champions League because they are always very strong. AC and Inter can win maybe but people think a little bit differently after the game against Roma. That was a major result in Italy. I hope Man U beat Inter this year. I hate Inter.
What do you think of Mourinho?
He never seems to smile but I think he is a man who knows what he wants. I prefer Mourinho to Mancini, he was too soft, nobody really respected him.
Do you think Ronaldo is the best player in the world.
No. I think it is Ronaldinho, not just because he plays for AC but because when he is healthy it is just such a joy to watch him play. It really is a pleasure.
Who do you think will win the Champions League this year?
Probably Manchester, anybody but Inter to be honest. United have probably go the best team this year.
What do you think of Rooney?
I saw him playing for England, I have to say I don't really like him much. He is always angry, I think he is still too young maybe.
Is English football the best in the world?
No. It is Italian. We are the world champions and that is a good reason to think your football is the strongest. But Spain have the strongest team right now, they have a lot of really good young players.
Tell me about the Milan lab?
It is not a mystery, it is just a very good system. Every single player has a personal doctor, the whole complex is very advanced. It is why we can keep players like Maldini playing for longer.
Is Maldinin Milan's biggest hero?
Baresi is the greatest for us. He also has the same birthday as me so I like him even more.
What do you think of first when you hear Manchester United?
Ferguson. He always wins. He has been there for a long time, we all know about him.
Mark Payne writes about football for a variety of media outlets. He reported on the 2010 World Cup for Australia’s ABC network and worked at one of the FIFA fan sites. He has been ESPN’s Manchester United correspondent for four years. His writing attracts a worldwide following and in 2011 this blog was nominated for an award. To contact Mark for football discussion e-mail him on markpayne.editor@hotmail.com at any time. He wears lucky socks on match days.
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