In the debut of the Portuguese coach, who replaced the dismissed Paulo Fonseca, the Rossoneri came from behind to defeat Juventus 2-1 in the second semifinal of the Italian Super Cup.
Milan will then face Inter in the final. It will be a big derby to determine who lifts the trophy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
At the end of the match, Sérgio Conceição spoke to Canale 5 to share his thoughts. Here are his statements:
"The huddle after the match? Passion is essential in life: football is passion, emotion. These are beautiful moments. The players deserved it for their performance in the second half, they earned their spot in the final. In the first half, I saw a Milan similar to a few weeks ago, with many doubts among the players: defensively, in pressing, with the ball, and slow in ball circulation. We made changes at halftime; we talked and looked each other in the eyes. They needed to understand what it took to win this game. They had to execute what we had prepared, and if we lost 2-0 or 3-0, it would have been my fault. But we haven’t won anything yet. Now we need to rest; we’ll have one less day of rest, and that could be significant."
Conceicao spoke about Rafael Leao:
"We’ll see. Today, he trained close to the level needed physically to rejoin team activities. I think he won’t be ready tomorrow, but we’ll evaluate the day after."
Did you see your son Francisco?
"Yes, after the game. He was calm, happy for me but also a bit sad. That’s part of life."
Is it possible to play with two strikers? Conceicao answered:
"Yes, of course. We did it in the second half. Morata often drops back, but our wingers, Jimenez and Pulisic, didn’t provide the depth I wanted, and we were almost non-existent offensively. I played for years in a 4-4-2, but we had prepared something different that we didn’t execute in the first half. Still, yes, there’s a possibility to play with two forwards in the future."
Did you strike a chord with the players?
"I can say that after the first 45 minutes in the dressing room, I didn’t give out hugs to the players. I got a little angry because they weren’t doing what we had prepared, and that frustrates me. I’m experiencing this moment with a humble group, a good group."
Conceição continued:
"Sometimes they lack a bit of the positive aggression needed to push for more, but we’ll get there in time. The players need encouraging words and, occasionally, a wake-up call. I’m not someone who’s overly friendly, I don’t like giving hugs, and I get angry more often than not. What’s important for them is to work well and bring a lot of positive energy. It’s a quality group. I’m very pleased because they’ve embraced the message and an unsmiling coach. That pleases me because I’m here not to make friends but to win. That’s what matters."
What did you say to the team at half time?
"I’m sorry, but what I said in the dressing room stays there (smiles)."
