Ahead of tomorrow's match against Fiorentina, the AC Milan team's head coach, Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the media in the usual press conference.
Today it’s Fofana’s birthday. What is the atmosphere around him within the group during this difficult moment?
“We wished Fofana a happy birthday. He had also put in a good performance and unfortunately he slipped. These things happen, over the course of a season they can happen. The player’s value is important, he has done well so far and he will continue to do so.”
Will Modric rest tomorrow? Will Fullkrug start?
“Nkunku is fit and available. I have four attacking players, two will be on the bench and two will play. Modric? he will be on the bench. We have recovered fairly well. We will face a Fiorentina side that is getting back into shape. The league table does not reflect the true value of the team. After their win against Cremonese and the draw with Lazio, we will find a difficult environment. It will be important to play a good match both technically and physically. It’s a shame we didn’t beat Genoa, but it will be an important point.”
On Fiorentina:
“Fiorentina are a team with excellent technical quality. Some seasons get complicated, but they are finding their way out of it. We need to play a good match to continue the results we have been getting.”
On refereeing decisions. What can be done to help referees?
“In Italy we have a good refereeing group. Officiating today is not easy. I think VAR is helping a lot. Finding a balance is difficult because you examine subjective situations and everyone has a different opinion. Before VAR, the referee decided and maybe it was right or maybe it wasn’t. Now situations have moved from the pitch to the VAR room in Lissone. VAR has resolved many incidents, but I don’t think it can do much more than that. Subjective situations are difficult. In maths, 2+2 equals 4. In Italian, you write an essay and some people like it and others don’t.”
Pavlovic’s chip. Was it clever?
“That’s also part of the beauty of football sometimes. There are episodes that, when you look back on them after some time, even make you smile.”
In the summer you didn’t mention Fiorentina among the Champions League contenders and Pioli took note of it.
“I had completely forgotten about it, I didn’t do it on purpose. I was sorry about it, and I’m sorry for Stefano as well, who is a great coach.”
De Rossi returned to the topic, saying he expected something different from Milan’s players.
“I don’t comment on other people’s words. I believe Daniele is a coach who has only just started and has the potential to do well. The most important thing for him and for everyone is to have a good career.”
Eleven points dropped against smaller teams so far.
“Fiorentina are a team that shouldn’t be in that position. As for the 11 points dropped, that’s football. If we have these points, it means we deserve these points. If, if, if. If Dybala had scored against Roma and Maignan hadn’t saved it… We have 39 points. We have to analyse the points we have and improve our performances. Against Genoa we needed to improve in the final 20 metres. ‘Ifs’ and ‘buts’ get you nowhere.”
Leao is still physically limited. How is he?
“Leao is better. In the second half he was much better, he made more runs. He still needs to find his optimal condition. Starting to score goals is important for him. He is much calmer, so he forgets about things that have nothing to do with football matches and focuses on what matters for a forward, scoring goals.”
Is there a reason why Milan struggle offensively in the first halves?
“At the moment there are two faces. This needs to be improved. The approach to matches must be better. We absolutely have to improve. There were periods when we started well but then, after the break, we were out of the game. Now we have gone back to playing much better second halves. We need to find balance again.”
Tomorrow Inter face Napoli. What kind of matchday is it?
“Football is full of surprises. We played after Napoli-Verona and we drew. We have to focus on ourselves. Thursday’s draw is an important draw. It’s two points dropped, but that point allows us to be temporarily second in the table. We need to stay calm and composed, knowing that reaching the objective requires hard work. There are Inter, Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Roma and Como. Two will miss out on the Champions League. We need balance, and that is also good for the club.”
Who will replace Modric tomorrow?
“Ricci and Jashari are two excellent players. Ricci has played 1,000 minutes, he is very reliable. I am very happy. Now we have four matches close together, so there may be more changes. When you play once a week, it’s difficult to replace regular starters. Jashari has a bright future, Ricci has been very useful. Tomorrow I don’t know which of the two will play, or maybe they will both play.”
If the team is aiming for fourth place, can it be satisfied?
“Fighting for that objective means staying among the top four until the end. Either a team pulls away by 20 points, or the league can remain open until the end, you never know. We must stay in the top four, otherwise we lose touch with reality. Milan changed 55 percent of the squad and we had injuries. Let’s look at things positively. We need to keep our feet on the ground and maintain balance. We weren’t brilliant before, and we are not useless because we drew with Genoa.”
Is Saelemaekers a bit out of form? How is Athekame? Allegri replied:
“Athekame is a young player, he came on well on Thursday. Playing 20 minutes is one thing, playing 90 minutes is another. Saelemaekers has done very well. It’s not a physical issue. He wants to give so much that he goes out of rhythm. He needs to stay calm, otherwise it affects the decisions he makes near the box.”
What is missing for the team to be ‘Allegri-style’?
“The team doesn’t need to be Allegri-style. It needs to be able to perform well in both phases and we need to improve. We could have done better against Genoa in the final 20 metres with more clarity. With this rush we wasted many balls inside the box. We are working with the clear objective of qualifying for the Champions League next season.”
On Rafael Leao and Moise Kean:
“With Leao, I meant that within matches he is maturing a lot. He is becoming more concrete. He enjoys scoring goals more than doing nice but less effective things. They are two extraordinary lads. I don’t know who sings better, but they have extraordinary potential with completely different characteristics.”
Will Fullkrug start tomorrow? Is there too much pressure on Milan?
“It’s not like a season is decided tomorrow. That’s why I say continuity and staying focused on the objective are important. We need to work match by match. We have a difficult run ahead. Let’s not forget, I said it before Verona, in the nine games after Verona we have six away matches and three at home. We need to stay calm and try to collect as many points as possible. Fullkrug? I will decide tomorrow morning. All four attackers are doing well, two will play. They give me the chance to make different choices and find different solutions.”
