Paulo Fonseca, AC Milan head coach, speaks at a press conference from the "National Stadium" in Bratislava following the match against Milan, valid for the fifth round of the Champions League Phase.
Winning is the only thing that matters?
"The most important thing was to win, and we did so convincingly. However, we didn’t do everything right. The way we conceded the goal isn’t normal; we also made errors in preventive marking. That said, I think we won well, creating plenty of opportunities to reach the final third. We need to improve our decisions in the final third. Then, the referee made a mistake on the last goal. We won, we can do better, but we could have done so by scoring even more."
22 goals conceded...
"Against Juve, we defended well. Today, with many player changes, we made some mistakes, especially with preventive marking. But this match isn’t a normal situation in Italy."
Milan is always vulnerable... Fonseca replied:
"We’ve improved a lot of things, in my opinion."
Opponents constantly exploit spaces behind the defence.
"The strategy today was to press higher, which naturally carries more risk. However, our issues arose not when pressing but when losing possession. We didn’t execute preventive marking properly. The issue with conceding goals isn’t tactical but rather about reading the moment."
Did you believe after the Leverkusen match that you could make the top 8? Fonseca replied:
"Yes, always, especially since we didn’t deserve to lose in Leverkusen. What’s important now is to keep believing; three consecutive wins give us confidence. We’re in a good position."
Since 1989, Milan hadn’t scored at least three goals in three consecutive Champions League matches.
"I didn’t know that. I like it when the team scores a lot, but we need to be more balanced."
How are Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao?
"Pulisic wasn’t supposed to come off, but he told me it was better to do so. When Leao scored, I was told Rafa wasn’t feeling well, but he said he felt something minor, nothing serious."
How do you train defensive focus? Fonseca commented:
"It’s possible to work on it, both individually and collectively, because defending is individual by nature. You can train technically, but reading the game is a personal skill."
Doesn’t it drive you crazy?
"Of course. I was a center-back myself, but I’m an offensive coach. Still, I prioritise defensive solidity first. We need to become stronger in defence above all else. I’m more focused on this now than at any other point in my career. Are there visible improvements? Yes. Do we still need to work on it? Absolutely."
