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AC Milan coach, Paulo Fonseca, spoke at a press conference on the eve of the crucial league match against Vieira’s Genoa.

Paulo Fonseca, the coach of AC Milan, addressed the press just over 24 hours before the match at San Siro against the new Genoa of Vieira. The match, scheduled for Sunday, December 15 at 20:45, comes after harsh words from the Portuguese coach following the Champions League game against Red Star directed at some members of the squad.

A far from serene atmosphere is evident at Milanello.

AC MILAN’S DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER THE GAME (photo KEYPRESS)

AC Milan, Fonseca’s words

How have these days been?

“For me, it would have been easy to talk only about the victory against Red Star, but tomorrow Milan celebrates 125 years and we must live up to this history. And for me, after Wednesday, we were not. With the attitude of Wednesday, we could not live up to a club that has made history in football. I spoke to the team, I spoke to the players I wanted to speak with and we are ready for tomorrow”.

Will Theo play?

“I have nothing to add to what I said on Wednesday. I will not mention names here, but I spoke to the players, I told them what I think face to face, and we need to move forward”.

What is the atmosphere like?

“After the game, in the locker room, everyone had the same feeling and for me, this was very positive. The team has worked well, the atmosphere is good. We are a family, the problem needs to be solved in the locker room and that’s what we did”.

Has the management supported you?

“As always, we have talked. We attended the youth sector party. As always, I felt the support of the club”.

I repeat: Will Theo play?

“Tomorrow the best team that I think can win the match will play. I do not know who will play tomorrow”.

Why did you speak publicly?

“Firstly because I always tell the truth, it is difficult for me to hide what I feel after the game. Secondly: these are important messages to convey. You are not inside, you do not know everything, but I felt the need to speak publicly”.

Will the young players play tomorrow?

“The Milan Future project is important to have more players ready for the First Team. What I can say is that we will see some players on the field tomorrow”.

Did you expect these problems with the senior players?

“Yes, at this level it is normal to have these situations. I am paid to solve problems. I do not close my eyes to problems, I work to solve them. In all families, there are problems, and we are a family”.

Are you not showing signs of weakness?

“I am not worried about what others think outside”.

Van Basten will be there tomorrow. How much would the first goal of Camarda mean for Milan?

“You are right to ask me this question. We need to help Camarda grow with balance. Expectations and pressure on young players are not good. Please: let’s not create pressure on Camarda. He is a balanced boy, let him stay balanced. I am attentive to his work. I always have to think carefully about when and how to use him. These players need to play at the right time. He has quality, but he needs to continue to grow. He should not have the burden of being decisive. Let him go through the journey of a young player”.

After five months, are the same defensive mistakes being repeated?

“I did not talk about tactical or technical issues on Wednesday because the problem was not tactical. The only problem was the attitude. They practically did not create anything, but I think the team defensively is much better”.

Have you experienced a similar situation before?

“Yes, and often that’s how they get resolved. These are normal things. Maybe here it is an even more specific issue”.

When you signed with Milan, did you expect to face these kinds of difficulties?

“Yes. Obviously, if we know we are at this level, we cannot think that everything will be smooth sailing”.

Did the club know what you would say on Wednesday?

“The executives did not speak to the team. I spoke with the club, as usual”.

What is missing from this team? What is the problem?

“We have already done this exercise here, but we can do it again. I came here and was brought here to change the way of playing. I arrived here with 15 players, we went to the USA with 15 players and many young players: many of the players present were not the most important ones, who were on national duty. We trained, we did things well, things went well. But not with the players who were on national duty. They arrived 8 days before the first league match. In 8 days, we cannot change everything, not even much. After that, it was difficult to train, we play every three days. The steps I want to take need more time. But for me, we have already changed things that are important to me and we have played good games. In Italy, we have not had the results we wanted, but we have played good games. And if we analyze many tactical aspects, there has been progress.

The problem for me is mental, I feel it is like a rollercoaster. Matches like against Empoli, against Sassuolo… Even in Bergamo we did good things: they created more against Real than against us. The problem was the second half, where we did not attack. Then came the Champions League and we did not have the mental ambition to continue to grow. It seems to me that when the team thinks they have an easy life in games, as against Red Star, they have this presumption. And that’s the problem. I went back to the time when I was not here. The last ten games of last year and I saw that the same things were being said: nothing has changed. It cannot be said that it is only this year. I heard that the team’s attitude was being discussed”.

Do you need to find new leaders? Who will wear the captain’s armband tomorrow?

“I have my opinion. When I arrived here, Milan already had three captains. Calabria, Theo, and Rafa. Imagine if I change the captain, you would kill me because I changed the captain. I trust the captain we have. Whether I agree with it is another thing. But I have respected the team hierarchy, and I will continue to do so. Until I decide to change it”.

So Leao as captain…

“It is a possibility”.

Has Milan dropped out of the title race? Or is there still a glimmer of hope?

“As always, I want to be honest. I think it is more difficult now, but inside me, I still believe. What more can I say? It’s not easy, but I still believe”.

How would the situation be received in case of a Champions League placement and not the title?

“I only think about tomorrow, I cannot think beyond that. We are in a good position in the Champions League and we want to do the same in Serie A: that’s why I can only think about tomorrow”.

Modern defenders focus a lot on the ball and less on the man…

“I do not agree and I explain why. Until Cagliari, we had this problem of not defending well against crosses and how we marked in the area, between posture and other things. But after Cagliari, we no longer had this problem. We have improved a lot, a lot. In Bergamo, we did not have this problem. We had a goal where a player sat on Theo, which is a foul anywhere in the world. And then we had a problem on a corner. I do not think it is a problem of defending the area, but of corners. Against Red Star, we defended well in the area, Musah lost the ball and they scored from outside: it is not a specific problem of defending in the area. Our defenders have made a lot of progress on this”.

Where do you see Jimenez?

“He is fine. He can play left or right full-back, right or left winger”.

How is he?

“Good, I am always good”.

Will you use the strategy used with Leao again?

“Each player is different. I do not believe that, having worked with Leao, we have to do the same with the others”.

When will we see your Milan as you want it?

“I have already seen the Milan I wanted. I am not a magician. Always rollercoasters: maybe we see it tomorrow, maybe not after. I would like to have a more consistent team, especially in attitude. Then you can make mistakes technically or tactically, but for me, it is difficult to understand this mental inconsistency of the team. It is solvable”.