Former AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca is currently rebuilding Ligue 1 side Lyon. Currently, they are third in the league with 45 points, having won 13 matches in a row this season.
The Portuguese tactician has granted an interview to those at The Athletic to discuss his journey so far, but he also spoke about his experience with AC Milan.
Here are his words:
"I deserved more time. Milan is an amazing club and I enjoyed it a lot. I’m really sorry I didn’t have time — their proposal was to change the game (to a more expansive style). To change one thing they had for so many years is not easy; you need time, especially in Italy, where it’s even more difficult, almost impossible. We had amazing games, playing really good football. We needed to be more consistent, it’s true, but to change something in Italy is really difficult."
On evolving as a manager, Fonseca said:
"I learn a lot from each phase of my career. You can see Portuguese coaches everywhere because we have this capacity to understand the environment, the countries, the cultures. I’m better now defensively, because I learned a lot in Italy. In Ukraine, I learned a lot how to play in the last 30 metres because I had that scenario all the time, and that’s the hardest thing in football. I love being in France. The championship here is amazing, with modern stadiums that are full, and a lot of quality players and very good coaches. I love that the game here is open and players love to play."
