Sergio Conceição, Milan's coach, spoke to SportMediaset after the his Milan's 3-1 victory against Claudio Ranieri's AS Roma in Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
Tonight, did we see the foundation you always talk about?
"I was referring to things that are essential in football and in life: passion, ambition, the desire to be stronger tomorrow than today."
Are you satisfied? Conceicao replied:
"We try to shape the team the way we want. We only had one training session yesterday to prepare for this match. Every phase of the game needs to be trained, but I don't have that possibility because we play every three days. However, the players accept what we want from them, and I’m happy about that. The second goal came from winning the ball back in midfield, something we worked on. Even the two players who came on pressed immediately."
A beautiful goal from João Félix...
"Yes, but there are still three games left to win the trophy. Now we focus on Empoli—it will be very difficult. We’re struggling in the league, but we hope to continue on this path with the kind of individual development I want, so that it reflects on the team as a whole."
Is balance important? Conceicao answered:
"Balance is fundamental. Even today, at certain moments in the game, I saw some signs that I didn’t like."
Can Rafael Leao do more?
"Oh, yes. A lot more. A lot more. He has incredible qualities. He needs to understand that having the ball at his feet is important, but when he doesn’t have it, he’s just as important. He must make himself available in all phases of the game for the team. I know stepping out of his comfort zone isn’t easy, but for me, his work is essential. He could be a player of a completely different level if he understands certain things we work on every day."
Conceicao, will the transfer market help you?
"A team more similar to my Porto? We are working to be a more compact and aggressive team, not allowing opponents to get close to our goal. With the players we’ve brought in, we can work better toward the style I like—playing with two forwards, for example… Scoring goals and not conceding them."
