Fonseca reflects on team harmony and youngsters playing vs. Genoa: “Never turn a blind eye”

On the eve of the clash between AC Milan and Genoa, Paulo Fonseca spoke to the media at the usual press conference. In addition to the relationship with the players, he also touched on youngsters potentially playing tomorrow. 

It has been a lively last few days for Milan, following Fonseca’s post-match comments on Wednesday, and some changes are thus expected for the team tomorrow. In addition to this, the Rossoneri will also have a ceremony for the 125-year anniversary, featuring a long list of legends.

Speaking to the media at the press conference today, via MilanNews, Fonseca shared his thoughts on the current situation at the club. From his words mid-week to the relationship with the players, he was willing to answer all of the questions.

On the words after the game…

“For me, it was easy after the match to only talk about the victory or the four consecutive wins in the Champions League, but you see one thing: tomorrow AC Milan turns 125 and we have to live up to this history. I have already told the team what I think, as I always do, I have already spoken to the players I felt I had to speak to. We are ready for a day of history for AC Milan.”

On Theo…

“At this moment I have nothing to add to what I said. Obviously, I won’t say the names of the players I spoke to. I showed what I think face to face. We have to move forward.”

What was said after the game…

“After the match, we went to the dressing room and I think everyone had the same feeling. For me it was positive, a first step to understand what happened. The team worked, the atmosphere is good as always. We are a family and we have to solve the problem in the dressing room, we did it.”

On airing the dirty laundry…

“First of all: I always speak and tell the truth. It’s difficult to hide what I feel after the match. I think I must always be honest. I also think there are important messages to get across. Obviously, you are not inside and you don’t know everything, but I had this need.”

Will the youngsters play?

“The Milan Futuro project is important to get youth sector players into the first team. We’ve been working with them since day one. What I can say is that tomorrow we’ll see someone on the pitch.”

Did you expect the difficulties with the team leaders?

“Yes, yes. At this level, it is normal to have these situations. I’m paid to look for solutions and solve problems. I know one thing: I never turn a blind eye to a problem, I face it. I’m ready to solve it. In all teams, in all families we have problems. It is normal to have them.”

From the outside, it may seem that, first with the referees and then with the players, you are placing the blame on others. Doesn’t this thought worry you?

“Honestly, I’m not worried about what others think. Everyone has an opinion, but I’m the one who’s here, I know how the team lives, I’m the one who knows the players, I’m the one who sees the work every day. I can’t act based on what people think.”

How would it be if Camarda scored his first goal tomorrow?

“You’re right to ask me this question because I think it’s important to say one thing. We have to let him grow in a balanced way. The expectations and the pressure that is put on these players are not good. We must not create pressure on him. He is a balanced young man, let’s let him continue like this.

“I pay attention to his work, I have to always think carefully about his use. These young people have to play at the right time, at the right moment, this pressure must not be created on a young man like him who has to continue to grow. He must not have this pressure to be decisive.”

What can you do if after 5 months the same mistakes are repeated in the defensive phase?

“I never spoke about tactical and technical issues after Red Star because the problem for me was not that, but it was the attitude that influenced the other things. It was not a defensive problem, they created practically nothing. I think the team is much better defensively, it was not a tactical problem.”

Have you experienced something similar before?

“Yes, it has already happened in my career, as I think with other coaches. For me this is normal, it is normal. We have to do what we believe in to resolve situations. Here the situations are perhaps different from my other experiences because there are different players, clubs and times.”

Did the management speak to the team?

“They didn’t. There was no need.”

Were your post-match statements agreed with the club?

“I spoke with the team and then with the club, as normal.”

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 they brought me here to change the way we play. I came here with 15 players, we went to the US with 15 players and a lot of youngsters: a lot of the important players weren’t there due to international duty.

“We trained, we did things well, things went well. But not with the players who were in the national team. They arrived 8 days before the first league game. We can’t change everything in 8 days, or even a lot.

“After that, it was difficult to train, we played 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 didn’t get the results we wanted, but we have played good games. And if we analyse a lot of tactical things there has been progress. The problem for me is mental, I feel like it’s like a roller coaster. Games like against Empoli, against Sassuolo…

“We did good things in Bergamo too: they created more against Real than against us. The problem was the second half, where we didn’t attack. Then the Champions League arrived and we didn’t have the mental ambition to continue growing. It seems to me that when the team thinks it has an easy life in matches, like against Red Star, it has this presumption. And that’s the problem.”

Is there a 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 will kill me because I changed the captain. I have faith in the captain we have. If I agree, that’s another thing. But I have respected the hierarchy of the team, and I will continue to do so. Until I decide to change.”

Have Milan fallen out of the Scudetto race? Or is there still a glimmer of hope?

“As always, I want to be honest. I think it’s harder now, but deep down I still believe in it. What more can I say? It’s not that it’s easy, but I still believe in it.”

Modern defenders look at the ball a lot and not so much the man…

“I don’t agree and I’ll explain why. Up until Cagliari, we had this problem, of not defending crosses well and how we marked in the penalty box, between posture and other things. But after Cagliari, we no longer had this problem. We improved a lot, a lot. In Bergamo, we didn’t have this problem.

“We had a goal in which a player sat on Theo, which is a foul. And then we had a problem on a corner. I don’t think it’s a problem of defending the penalty box, but of corners. Against Red Star we defended well in the penalty box, Musah lost the ball and they scored from outside: it’s not a specific problem of defending in the penalty box. On this front, our defenders have made a lot of progress.”

How is Jimenez?

“He’s fine (smiles). He can play right and left back, right and left winger. He has this versatility which is good.”

Does the Leao cure also help other players?

“Every player has his own personality. Different players, different strategies and different ways of implementing them. It’s not because Leao is doing well that I think I have to do the same thing to the other players.”

The game is scheduled for 20:45 CET tomorrow and the ceremony will take place before the game. Currently in 7th place, there is no other option but to win for Fonseca’s men, and it remains to be seen who will be on the pitch from the first minute.