AC Milan's head coach, Paulo Fonseca, speaks to the media in a press conference ahead of tomorrow's match against Juventus. The Serie A fixture wil take place at the San Siro. The Rossoneri fans are eager to see their team bounce back with a victory after a 3-3 draw against Cagliari just before the international break.
Thiago Motta confirmed Dusan Vlahovic's absence. A key player is missing, but also an important reference point for our defense. Is this a different kind of challenge for you?
"Juve has a team that adapts very well to the players they have. I don’t know if Weah will play, someone I know well because he worked with me. Maybe they’ll have different intentions; they are different players. Weah is very fast, attacks in behind: he’s different from Vlahovic. Perhaps we’ll need to pay attention to Tim’s runs in behind rather than his link-up play. The team’s intentions change a bit."
The other day we saw you with Jannik Sinner. What did you like about this young man, and is there something you'd want to instill in your team?
"It was a pleasure to cheer for a Milanista like Sinner. He has many great qualities I’d like to see in the team, though obviously, it’s different because this is a team sport. He rarely makes mistakes and has an impressive ability to stay focused. Would I like to see the same in my team? Of course, he’s number one."
Tomorrow brings a lot of pressure, as it did against Real: does that make you calmer? And why do you perform less under less pressure?
"I don’t feel more pressure for this kind of match. It’s not about pressure but motivation. It’s easy to understand that it’s easier to be motivated against Inter, Juve, Real Madrid. Afterward, it’s harder to go to Cagliari and have the same motivation: we’re trying to figure this out. At Milan, there’s pressure every day: if we don’t want this pressure, then we can’t be here."
We’re a third of the way through the season. How important is Milan-Juve?
"It’s important, but not decisive, just like all the matches are right now. I can’t say the match against Juve is more important than the one against Empoli. We need to string together wins. I’m always positive; I always think about what we can win. We are Milan, we have a lot of respect for Juve, but we’re not afraid."
How crucial can the motivations of Leao and Morata be tomorrow? Fonseca replied:
"It’s important to have them in good form; they are decisive players who can make the difference in these kinds of matches. We need the best Rafa and the best Morata for this game: I’ve seen them in training, and like the others, they’re in great shape and very motivated. I expect them to show this tomorrow in the match."
Fonseca, Juve are without strikers, Milan has abundance: will that make the difference? Will it be an offensive Milan?
"We always want to be offensive. I think we're doing well offensively. Scoring three goals in Madrid and in Cagliari is a good sign offensively. I never expect us to depend on just one player; we depend on everyone. What the team does is what matters. I think if the team is doing well, the players will perform well. I always think about games in terms of the team; all players will be important. We want to be an offensive team, but we know that Juventus is the team that has conceded the fewest goals: they are a very strong defensive team. It will be a difficult game offensively, no doubt."
Could the tactical approach resemble the one in Madrid?
"I think it will be a different game. At this moment, I think Juventus is stronger defensively than Real Madrid: as a team, they defend better. This is not a criticism of Real; it's just what I think."
The offensive phase has improved, but the number of goals conceded has not. What are you working on, and how can this problem be solved? Fonseca answered:
"I don’t want to avoid addressing our problems. Our problem is defensive. I’ve been fortunate to have almost all the defenders here during the past two weeks, except for Theo and Pavlovic. We’ve worked a lot on the defensive line and on what needs improvement. I think the team can progress. The problem is not offensive, and we’re working to improve. Over the past two weeks, we’ve almost exclusively worked on the defensive line because I had nearly all the defenders available."
Have you found a way to revitalize Theo Hernandez?
"Theo is an outstanding player. For me, the best left-back in the world, no doubt. I think it’s been a matter of adaptation. We’ve talked in recent days; he’s learning things that are important. This week, he seemed more focused and motivated than ever: an important signal to see him at his best level."
Can Luka Jovic be called up for tomorrow?
"Jovic is not well. He cannot be called up. Camarda will obviously be with us. He has trained with us."
How do you achieve greater balance? By improving the defensive phase or changing the system of play?
"Do you want three midfielders? (laughs). I agree with Zlatan; we need to find this balance. If we had never played or defended well, it would be different, but we have, even against the strongest teams. If we’ve managed to do it against the strongest teams, it’s because the squad has that capability, and that’s positive. It’s a matter of focus and attitude, how we approach games against 'smaller' teams. For me, it’s a mental issue. We’re working on it, we’re talking about it. By talking to the players, we can seek this balance. When we talk about defensive problems, we often focus on the defenders, but it’s not just the defenders. If we don’t press well up front, the opponents have more time and space with the ball... It’s a mental and focus issue.
Didier Deschamps said that Theo was mentally and physically tired. Have you understood the reason for this mental fatigue?
"I spoke with Theo. Honestly, I don’t think it’s mental fatigue. It’s a matter of adaptation. I don’t want to comment on what Deschamps said."
How is Matteo Gabbia? Can he start the game?
"He’s fine, he has trained in recent days, and he’s ready to play."
Milan is the last team in Serie A in terms of duels won and balls recovered. Is this also due to the characteristics of the players? Fonseca replied:
"We are not a very aggressive team in defensive phases. However, these recoveries happen all over the pitch: we are the team with the most offensive pressing actions. But defensively, we’re not very aggressive, partly due to the characteristics of our players. We’re working to bring this aggressiveness into duels. This week, we’ve worked on many one-on-one situations; we’re working to improve in this area too."
Against Inter, Morata played as a second striker, and against Real, Musah was on the right. Is there another 'Fonsecata' (clever tactical tweak) planned for tomorrow?
"I’m not inventing anything new. Obviously, we need to pay attention to Juventus’s characteristics. It won’t be anything new (smiles)."
Juventus recovered against Inter when Vlahovic was substituted, removing reference points. Are you expecting that version of Juventus?
"Yes. I like Juventus a lot. It’s a team that enjoys playing, totally different from last year. We talk about Vlahovic here, but I think their most influential players are the wide players; they are their main threat."
Some say this is Milan’s last chance in the Scudetto race. Do you agree? Fonseca replied:
"As I said, it’s an important match. This isn’t a league like Spain with Real and Barcelona, or France with PSG. The gap with the 'smaller' teams isn’t like it is in France or Spain. There’s much more balance. I’m sure all teams will drop many points until the end. For us, it’s an important game."
Rafael Leao said he needs to be more selfish. Do you also ask that of him?
"I understand what Rafa said. I think he means he needs to be more decisive. I agree. I think Rafa can be more decisive. He’s working towards that, and I have no doubts about it."
Are you sure it’s just about characteristics when it comes to defense, or is there a mental aspect as well? How do you fix that?
"When I said after the Madrid game that it would be harder to win in Cagliari, I didn’t say it because I’m crazy. I said it to send a message to the group. I know this team has that trait: when we play against certain teams, we relax a bit. That’s why I sent that message."
Did the team receive the message?
"Honestly, I don’t think we understood it well. I knew it was a dangerous game. We go to Madrid, play well, win, and we’re all euphoric. Then we go to Cagliari, just before the break. That’s why I wanted to talk about those difficulties. I know this team struggles with motivation and focus. I’ve been in other teams that played in the Champions League, and this happens often. After the Champions League, it’s common not to get good results. Even you are more motivated to do your job better at the Bernabéu than in Cagliari—it’s humanly understandable. We need to work to overcome this."
Can Ruben Loftus-Cheek play wide like Yunus Musah? Fonseca said:
"Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t tried him there. I think he has the characteristics to play centrally. Musah has different traits; he has played out wide several times, even with his national team."
Can this team go on a winning streak?
"I spoke about this today with the players. We need to win several games in a row. It is fundamental for us. We have this ability. We are Milan, we have to do it. If we want to recover the points lost we have to do this to have a chance of fighting for the Scudetto."
What makes you optimistic about the team's future in the medium term?
"I think we've already talked about it several times. How the players receive our ideas. Watching the team's progress. We can talk about many things. Of course, I'm always positive. The players make me believe that we can be the team we want to be. They always work well, that makes me always positive. Maybe I could feel that the team wasn't working well, wasn't doing, wasn't running. But that's not what I feel with these players. I feel that little by little we are improving and progressing, we are following our path to be a stronger team."
Loftus-Cheek with his physique could break the world, but on the pitch he seems a bit soft... Fonseca replied:
"All the players here have played and had different opportunities. I'm happy with Loftus. He had difficulties at the beginning: he's an acceleration player, a transition player, he's not a player who finds space. But I'm happy with the progress he's made: he played a good game against Napoli. Only that after that I have another "problem": Pulisic and Tijji are in a good moment. For Loftus it's difficult because Chris, Tijji and Fofana are in a good moment. What does he have to do? Be patient and work well to be ready, I'm sure he'll play a lot. It's difficult for everyone not to play, but I'm happy with Loftus because he always trains well."
Do you think there’s a need for a backup for Fofana and Theo? Will you do something about it? Fonseca replied:
