Milannews.it has spoken with Carlo Pellegatti about Sergio Conceição who is now the new head coach of the Rossoneri team following Paulo Fonseca's dismissal.
What impression did the new coach give you during the press conference?
"First of all, happy New Year to everyone. Let’s hope that Conceição helps us overcome this moment of difficulty and climb back up the standings. But I’d start with Ibrahimovic's words because, finally, after ages, we hear from a manager who says, ‘We made mistakes.’ Since we haven’t heard from the ownership or management in a long time, I hope, perhaps I’m deluding myself, that this is a breakthrough. If this barrier isn’t broken, and if they don’t connect with the fans in some way, it will be hard to change. That’s an essential step toward change. Of course, if the ball hits the post and you lose, nothing changes. But I’d like to start from this point and hope it marks a beginning. Hopefully, there will be a chance, maybe once every two weeks, to reflect and communicate. I have copies of Forza Milan dating back to 1963, a tough year. Back then, Gipo Viani, Milan’s director, wrote a monthly column in Forza Milan to explain the club’s situation.”
Do you think Sérgio Conceição is arriving six months late?
“They told me there were some issues with Porto, much like what happened with Spalletti when he had problems with Inter. Someone already said to me, ‘Oh, you didn’t want him to come because you never liked him.’ I remember saying something like that, and someone reminded me of it. Maybe it’s because Porto reminds me a bit of Atlético Madrid, stubborn, tough teams to beat. So, when we had to face Porto or Atlético, it was a bit daunting. But now, the change was necessary. The players, likely talking among themselves, probably felt a jolt was needed. Maybe they were even eager to feel a bit of a shock. So, you’ve made the change, but let’s not dismiss Fonseca entirely, he gave us one of Milan’s best nights in recent years (in Madrid). But the results didn’t come, so you’ve made the switch. Now we wait. Is Conceição the best coach in the world? No, let’s not fall into those traps. The change was needed, and now we wait to see a different attitude. One of Fonseca’s faults was having too many conflicts with key players. Let’s see, let’s evaluate, and then judge.”
Sérgio Conceição is already emphasizing pragmatism and results, which is inevitable with Milan in eighth place…
“Milan deserves to be in eighth place right now. But then you encounter referees like Fabbri… I hope Sergio Conceição also pushes the club, urging them to take a stand so he doesn’t have to deal with these issues alone. He’s a bit of a Mourinho type. I’m not saying it’s something I envied, but I recognized how Mourinho could put incredible pressure on referees. Fonseca tried, but there wasn’t much he could do with his protests.”
Paulo Fonseca made mistakes, and Milan has taken responsibility with Zlaran Ibrahimovic’s acknowledgment, but concrete actions are now needed to strengthen the squad:
"We’ll have to see how much impact Conceição will have, whether he’ll be the type to bang his fist on the table or not. However, he said something very smart: first, he wants to get to know the players. Talking with Luca Diddi, he mentioned that he wants a midfielder in the Varela mold, someone to sit in front of the defence. Fofana is a bit different in that regard. We don’t need to sign the best player in the world; I’m not sure if Mendes has players of that type. For example, as an alternative, I’d push for Bondo. Ibrahimovic’s intervention, the coaching change, and a move in the transfer market—it’s not like fans at San Siro will start chanting ‘Cardinale, stay.’ But it would be a gesture. I’m like 'D’Alema' in the film 'Aprile', when Nanni Moretti makes him say, ‘Tell me something leftist.’ I’m saying to the club: ‘Give us something Milan-worthy.’ That’s all.”
