AC Milan's head coach Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the media in a press conference ahead of tomorrow's match against Bologna at San Siro.
Here are his statements:
Is this one of those matches that must be won to restart properly?
“Today the season practically begins. The transfer window closed on September 1. Bologna are no longer a surprise but a team used to the top half of the table thanks to the excellent work of Sartori and Italiano. They have great pace, players with strong technique, and they bring intensity. This is our second home game. Against Cremonese we lost conceding avoidable goals and tomorrow we absolutely need to do better.”
Is Milan ready after the market? Allegri commented:
“I don’t know if we are ready or not. I only know that tomorrow we play Bologna and it’s a game we must win. We need to start winning at home, and it won’t be easy. Three new players have arrived. I’m very satisfied with the squad. The club did a good job. We added experienced players with more matches in their legs and younger ones, a good mix. We all know the path will be difficult to return to the Champions League.”
Short squad?
“The squad has the right number of players to face the season. Nineteen outfield players plus the U23 youngsters who are good and have the chance to work with us and grow.”
Injury update:
“Leao has a soleus problem. Whether it’s an elongation or a strain doesn’t change anything, it’s a dangerous muscle. He won’t be there tomorrow, I don’t think he’ll be there in Udine either. I think we’ll see him against Napoli. The soleus is dangerous. Estupiñán is fine, he said he slept a lot and recovered from jet lag. Pulisic is fine, no hand problem. Everyone else is fine. Only Leao and Jashari are injured, and we’ll wait for Jashari with the right timing after his serious injury.”
So you spoke with Adrien Rabiot…
“We exchanged messages but I hadn’t heard from him again before the transfer ten days ago. He’s fine physically. Nkunku is behind physically, he never trained with Chelsea. I think he has 25–30 minutes in his legs. He’s available and he’s an important player.”
Is Adrien Rabiot a starter?
“I need to assess between today and tomorrow morning the condition of those who came back from internationals. With Nkunku only partly available, Leao out, we have Balentien who came on at Lecce with the right spirit, quite sharp. I’m happy with what Gimenez did with his national team. He’s good, he has goals in him. He arrived last January and the first six months are always a period of adaptation. I think Gimenez can have a very good season.”
Is this already the Milan you have in mind?
“What I like is that we are working well and the players are fully involved. They want to come every day to work and improve. Seasons are decided from March to May. In March we must be in top condition to play our chances. Hopefully we’ll lose little, we already wasted a joker losing one. At Lecce the team showed balance and patience. The players are responsible toward the shirt, the club, the fans, and themselves.”
Allegri, can tomorrow’s game close a circle with last season?
“There’s no point talking about what’s done, we can’t change it. We look ahead, to tomorrow’s game. Bologna are well prepared technically and organizationally. In a season the decisive matches are two or three, now it’s still too early.”
Can this team play with three forwards and three midfielders?
“It depends on the moment, on the availability the players give me, on their condition. The important thing is that the team understands the moments of the match. Having a team that knows how to read those moments is a big advantage.”
Some said that with Dusan Vlahovic, Milan would surely finish top four. And with Nkunku and Gimenez?
“I smile when I hear that with one player you win and with another you lose. Football has too many variables, you must know how to handle the unexpected. You can’t say with one you win and with another you lose, the unexpected is always there. We can only work with passion to create the conditions to win matches. The rest is chatter. The only certainty is that we must work. The rest is talk.”
On the possibility of Milan - Como in Perth:
“The authorities decide these things. Whether we like it or not, there are changes in all sports. We must accept and manage the moment and make sure things go well anyway. If they tell us to go to Perth, we’ll go to Perth. If we play in Italy, we’ll play in Italy.”
Where does Christopher Nkunku perform best?
“With quality players it’s easy. He does the basics and does them well. He needs to reach peak condition. Having good players is always important because they help you win matches. Whether he plays with Leao, with two others or three, we’ll see when everyone is fit.”
Christian Pulisic as an important option off the bench?
“Regardless of Pulisic, before football was 10 plus 3 substitutes. Today it’s 15. The five changes are decisive. Substitutes influence the game more than starters. Matches change in the last half hour. Whoever comes on can decide positively or negatively. Those who seem to play less may bring the points that matter most across a season.”
With ‘mad horse’ Rabiot is this a title team or a top-four team?
“The club was smart to seize the opportunity. Players like Nkunku, Estupiñán, and the others who arrived raised the level. We must work and see where we are in March. We need calm and confidence to move step by step toward the goal, which isn’t decided in one game. We must build the base so that when the decisive matches come we’re there. We’ll need broad shoulders because tough moments will come. The team isn’t better if it wins or worse if it loses, the players’ value doesn’t change. We need team cohesion, with ten new players. The more they play together, the more they grow, and I’m confident about this.”
On the defense and Koni De Winter:
“I’m very happy with De Winter. Defending isn’t just the defenders’ job, it’s the whole team, from strikers to goalkeeper. The defenders are working and improving individually. If each one improves, then together they play better. Some have fewer matches and need specific work. But they all want to improve. You need to question yourself every day: what’s done is done, what must be done will show if we are up to it.”
Can Rafael Leao and Santiago Gimenez reach 20 goals?
“I don’t know if they’ll reach that number, but everyone must believe they can score. We talk about Leao, Pulisic, Gimenez, Loftus. Loftus must score in the league. We talk about Fofana, Balentien. Even defenders must believe when they go up for headers.”
With so much depth in midfield will someone be used in other roles?
“It’s not about sacrificing. We must work game by game, and there are always unforeseen events. Not everyone can play 95 minutes every match. There are games and periods where you play in one way and others where you play differently. The important thing is that everyone makes themselves available as they are doing.”
On Athekame and Odogu, Allegri said:
“Odogu has shown himself to be very sharp and receptive. Athekame is absolutely reliable. If I decided to play him tomorrow, I’m sure he would have an excellent game.”
What is the tactical identity of this team?
“I don’t know. Tomorrow we’ll see about choosing 11 good players who can play a good match. It’s a matter of characteristics, not formations. I try to simplify things a bit, I also understand that when I say I simplify, some people…”
On Samuele Ricci:
“I’m very happy with Samuele because he has grown since he arrived. He’s changing his physical structure, his legs are becoming stronger, more powerful, like an important player. He’s intelligent, very good tactically. He’s improving tactically, physically, and technically. That has to be the path for everyone. We have players with international experience like Rabiot, Pulisic, Modric, Tomori, Loftus, Fofana. Then players with less experience but with great qualities. We must work every day to give them certainty. And Ricci is doing very well, I’m pleased.”
Milan concede little and create a lot. Now these numbers must be turned into concrete results:
“What’s missing? A lot, because there is still a lot of work to do. Against Lecce we conceded situations we could have avoided. We need to raise the percentage of goals compared to what we create, yes. The more you increase the ratio of goals scored to chances created, the easier it is to defend. In the defensive phase we are improving as a team. Paradoxically, we risked more in 2–3 situations in Lecce than we did at home against Cremonese. We need to work and improve a lot. We also need the good fortune not to concede tomorrow, because the fewer goals you concede, the better. Balance is fundamental in everything, especially in football.”
Is there too much pressure on you, Allegri commented:
“It’s normal to have pressure, I’m the coach of Milan. We need to win games, the rest is talk. The most important thing is that the players and I work for the club, not for ourselves. The players are responsible for the victories, I’m responsible for the defeats. We all need to work in the same direction with calmness and balance, for the Milan organization. That must be clear to everyone, and on this we all agree.”
