Away from home, AC Milan lost 2-1 against Dinamo Zagreb. The Rossoneri head coach, Sergio Conceicao, spoke to the media by saying the following in a press conference:
What happened?
"Every moment in the match went against us, but with that said, I don’t want to hide the lack of aggression in the first half. When the basics are missing, it becomes difficult: football is made up of constant defensive and offensive duels. I’m not saying anything extraordinary, but changing is not easy. We reacted, but why are we forced to react? We had far more motivation than them. The preparation was done in detail. Then, each person has to bring their own passion for football."
Conceicao added:
"Even the pitch wasn’t good, and the refereeing wasn’t at the right level. You can say a lot of things, but I won’t. I even put Terracciano on the right. These are facts, but I don’t want to dwell on them. For me, passion is more important, putting something extra of yourself into it. Otherwise, you can change the coach, bring in the best in the world, but it will still be difficult. The problem is the foundation. Honestly, playing a Champions League match like this, entering the game the way we did, is difficult..."
Santiago Gimenez injured...
"I have an ongoing discussion with the management to understand the areas where we can improve. We are looking for solutions that can help us, ones that are a bit stronger. We still have everything in our hands, both in the league and in the Champions League. We have everything we need to move forward."
Was this the worst first half of your career?
"No, because despite our attitude, they never really got to our goal. I’m not going to blame Gabbia either—he has given us a lot. Musah’s first yellow card was avoidable. Their goal came from a mistake and their first shot. We, as a team, made these errors. We need to take responsibility. I’m standing here in front of you saying that I am responsible. But in the locker room, we need to look each other in the eye."
Do the players believe in your work? Conceicao replied:
"I have no doubt about it. I’ll answer sincerely. I saw players who were truly disappointed and upset about this match. If they didn’t believe in me, we wouldn’t have won the Supercup, or reacted the way we did against Como or Parma. We need to change our approach to the game. If those starting aren’t willing to do that, we will put others in. There is trust between the staff and the players."
