Ousmane Diop is ready to take back Olimpia Milano

Interviewed by Luca Chiabotti on “La Repubblica – Milano,” Ousmane Diop spoke about his current physical condition: “I am better, it is true that I am still not 100%, however, I believe that at this time of the season, after such intense months, no player is at his best. At All’Armani there are so many champions and if you get injured, getting back in is more difficult than elsewhere. Also because, with so many games, you don&#8217t have the chance to train as much to recover. That’s why the key thing is to be strong mentally, to be there with your head every day, to do well when your turn comes. Among the many ups and downs, also because of injuries, I consider my Milan experience very positive, because I am working a lot and learning a lot. I try to understand my mistakes and take care of aspects of the game, details that, before, maybe I considered little but that at Olimpia are fundamental if you want to play. It is not easy at all, because being in this society is really different, you can never relax, even in training, And tough, it takes time to learn how to do it but I think I have improved and I am more ready even if it is true that I am not yet who knows what player…”.

Diop also talked about his experience in the Euroleague this year: “It was very good, the game is very physical, timing is decisive, all the teams take great care of every little detail. Unfortunately, we were not continuous and, in the end, we stayed out of the playoffs. It was a disappointment for everyone, but we can&#8217t stop to mourn because there&#8217s still the championship to be won and life goes on. Now we have to recover the injured, find ourselves, give continuity to our performance, push to get back to the level of our best moments. We all have playoff experience, we know how they should be approached and, of course, we&#8217re at Olimpia to win.”

For Ousman, there are no regrets about choosing to come to Milan: “Because I always thought a lot before making a choice. In fact, it really makes me happy to test myself in such an important team and at a higher level. In 2015 I left Senegal and did not see my family again for 9 years. There is no greater challenge, today nothing scares me.”