Mike Maignan thanked Inter for their 3-0 win in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg which he said motivated Milan to win Serie A. Inter progressed comfortably to final, having drawn the first leg 0-0, while the title destiny was in their own hands as they sat two points behind Milan but with a game in hand. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Maignan said:
“Thank you to Inter: after the 3-0 we had the bit between our teeth. That defeat really motivated us.”
He added: “When Inter tripped up at Bologna, we knew it was over for them because, by that point, we were focused only on ourselves.”
Despite an impressive season on a personal level where, as well as the Serie A title, Maignan also won the Best Goalkeeper award, there was negative note as Mike was subjected to racist abuse during a match at Cagliari. Asked about the incident, he said:
“It’s something which has been going on for years and I won’t be the last. After Cagliari, I was called in to give my version but nothing happened.
“I was fortunate