Andre Onana, the former Inter Milan goalkeeper now with Manchester United, has disclosed how Mike Maignan, AC Milan’s goalkeeper, played an unexpected role in his rise at Inter. Onana mentioned that Maignan’s standout performance in a Milan derby indirectly paved the way for him to replace Samir Handanovic as the first-choice goalkeeper.
During his single season with Inter in 2022-23, Onana’s impressive displays led to a €55 million transfer to Manchester United. His contributions were vital to Inter’s journey to the Champions League final.
Initially, Onana was not the preferred starter upon his arrival from Ajax. Samir Handanovic, Inter’s long-serving captain, remained Simone Inzaghi’s initial choice for the goalkeeper position.
However, Onana believes that Maignan’s influence shifted this dynamic.
In a podcast interview, Onana expressed admiration for his Milan counterpart. “He’s a very good goalkeeper and a very good person, someone I appreciate a lot,” Onana stated. “We’ve enjoyed playing against each other several times… I’d always say to myself: ‘Okay, there’s some serious competition’.”
“We have to go out there and take each other out, because we forget everything else on the pitch. If he has a good kicking game, I have to show that I am better. If he makes a good save, I have to show that I am better.”
Maignan’s Indirect Impact on Onana’s Inter Career
Onana described his initial “conflicted” feelings upon joining Inter. “The best matches were when I arrived at Inter. Mike Maignan was the guardian for our rivals. He won the Scudetto, he was the champion of Italy, the best goalkeeper in Italy. I arrived at Inter and Simone Inzaghi said: ‘Samir Handanovic will be my goalkeeper’,” Onana recounted.
“I arrived and I already felt conflicted, s***. I arrived as a number two.”
The turning point, according to Onana, was the Derby della Madonnina in September 2023. “Mike, indirectly, he made me a starter. We played the derby, Milan-Inter, and I’m on the bench… We lost 3-2, and Samir Handanovic didn’t play a brilliant game, but Mike Maignan was huge, and my teammates were already starting to push: ‘We have to let him play’, so it was this match.”
“We wanted to see who was best, who is the King of Milan. And from there, I started to play in the Champions League. I played against Bayern, it went well, I played against Barcelona.”
Onana subsequently played every minute of Inter’s Champions League campaign that season, remaining unbeaten in 10 of 13 games, with losses only to Bayern Munich in the group stage and Manchester City in the final.
He also cemented his place as the number one goalkeeper in Serie A, starting in 14 consecutive matches and featuring in numerous other league games.