The Corriere della Sera newspaper, in its print edition, reports on the words of Sergio Conceição to his players during halftime of the Juve-Milan match:
"Guys, this isn’t good enough. This was the old Milan. If we want to win, we need to be brave and take our risks. Don’t worry: if we lose 3-0 or 4-0, the blame will be mine, and mine alone. But enough with the fear. You are strong, get that into your heads."
Conceição's pep talk lasted longer than usual, with the team returning to the field late.
Then came instructions for the players, presented on a tablet. This is how the comeback against Juve was born. Luck played its part, but tomorrow against Inter, more will be needed.
Conceição has made a pact with the group: clear rules for everyone regarding schedules, nutrition, and behavior, both in the locker room and outside.
His reasoning is that it’s better to set things straight from the start rather than having to intervene later.
It’s a tough approach, one of a drill sergeant with few smiles, but it might work to build the cohesion and empathy that have been missing so far. We’ll see.
