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On the eve of Milan-Lazio, AC Milan coach Sergio Conceição held a press conference to preview the match.

Here is an excerpt of the words from the Milan coach ahead of the clash with Lazio. After the collapse against Bologna, the Rossoneri need a victory to keep their hopes alive for qualifying in the Champions League.

Milan, Conceição’s words

How can you react after the defeat to Bologna?

“Win, win, win, win, win. That’s what we want. We are aware of the moment we are experiencing, of what has happened, both due to our fault and factors we cannot control. We cannot cling to misfortune, but we can work on the aspects that are not working and correct our mistakes. And bring home the results.”

Will Milan fight until the end?

“My task is to instill passion and determination in the team, on and off the field. I truly believe in it. We have already won a title: it may be underestimated, but it is still a trophy. And there is another one at stake: only four teams can win the Coppa Italia and we are among them.

We can improve in the game, adapt tactically, and make the most of our physical condition. Then the mentality is needed: the mindset must be at its maximum for all 90 minutes. After Zagreb, there is always something wrong with the goals conceded.”

What is missing for the team to embrace your mentality?

“I am here to work, to put my pride and desire to win on the field. Nothing has been given to me, I have achieved everything through hard work. Milan is a huge club, but times have changed: before the goal was clearly the Champions League, with different players, environment, and atmosphere. But I understand perfectly the hunger of the fans. Do the players have it too? Everyone has their character.”

What is your goal at this moment?

“I have asked the guys to work to the maximum during the week, and then bring that work into the game. Every day we must give our all.”

Is there a reason why some players don’t seem to follow you?

“In the first half against Bologna, I saw positive things. We conceded a goal that we shouldn’t have conceded, also because there was a handball. But we cannot cling to this. After that incident, we were not up to the task. We need more serenity, more balance.”

Are the players really giving their all?

“The fitness coach told me that the physical data is at 100%, but I want to see 150%. We must always go beyond. If we want to play as we desire, we need changes of pace, accelerations, sprints. The goal against Juve in the Supercoppa rewarded us, but at that moment everything was going in the right direction.”

REIJNDERS (PHOTO BY SALVATORE FORNELLI)

Are Reijnders and Pulisic performing below expectations?

“Reijnders scored in Turin and is always very involved in the build-up play, trying to get into the box. It’s true, now he plays a bit deeper, but he is moving well. We can all give more, including myself.

Pulisic, on the other hand, could not start the game in Bologna: the doctor informed me that same morning. I had to find an immediate solution. Joao Felix was not expected to start. Pulisic has a minor physical issue, and we need to manage it, you can see it from his freshness.”

What do you think of Joao Felix?

“The fact that he had to start from the bench in Bologna was part of the strategy. He is very good between the lines, but in my opinion, he touches the ball too many times and often moves to areas where he shouldn’t. We need a second striker, not a defensive midfielder. He must be decisive: he needs to stay close to the goal and try to make a difference in the final 30 meters.”

You have had experiences coming in mid-season before. How is it this time?

“They are different situations and environments. It is never easy to come in mid-season. I have done it before, both in France and Portugal, and things went well. Here everything is different: the environment, the league, the team. I’m not saying it’s better or worse, just different.”

What kind of game do you expect against Lazio?

“Humans are tied to memories, it’s normal. But even if my parents were playing with Lazio tomorrow, I would take the field to win. I thank Lazio for the wonderful three years, but now they are opponents, just like Lazio and Inter were. Baroni is doing a great job, with an important journey from Serie C to Serie A with over 400 games. Congratulations, he is doing really well.”

Why did the team have a different performance between Turin and Bologna?

“They were two different games. We wanted to do more, score more goals, and we are working on that. After Lazio, we will have two games in two weeks and finally we will be able to work on aspects we have not yet addressed. Our real start to the season begins with the match against Lazio.”

RAFAEL LEAO PERPLEXED (PHOTO BY SALVATORE FORNELLI)

Do you want more long passes in the team’s game?

“Leao may not have expressed himself well after the game with Bologna… The goal came in a specific situation: we had low possession and Bologna marked us man-to-man. In those cases, we must exploit the spaces to allow for the runs of other players. In other circumstances, however, we ask different things from the team. We work on different game moments, but it doesn’t mean we always want to play like that. Leao was referring to that specific game situation.”

Where are you with the formations?

“Here we talk about football. With the time I have available, I definitely want to work to make the team play in a different way. From Tuesday, I will start working on the field and not just on the chalkboard. I will undoubtedly introduce another system. In the past, I have used 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-3.

The players must feel comfortable both with and without the ball. We need to identify the right zones on opponents to know when and where to press. It’s about fieldwork. I will definitely work, if I have the time… It’s a joke, I’m kidding. But for us coaches, it’s like that: it’s normal, it’s part of life, it’s not a problem.”

Is there something you would have liked to say that you were not asked?

“My bitterness when things don’t go well. I do not accept defeat. The anguish I feel is the same as the fans. My outburst after Bologna comes from the desire to win and do well here.”