Sergio Conceição spoke to Mediaset at the end of Inter - Milan 2-3. It was the coach's second match with the Rossoneri and his first trophy: an Italian Super Cup that will be remembered for a long time. Here are his statements:
Victories against Juventus and Inter in a matter of days—how did you do it?
"I am very happy for the players. It wasn't easy. The environment wasn't at its best. We only had a few days to work on details and small things that were important to me in these two matches. We faced two top-level teams. The credit goes to the players who absorbed everything we gave them. There were mistakes because the opposition has quality, there are things to improve, and there's a lot of work to do. They are aware of this. We can do great work in these four months to get back to the top spots, where Milan belongs, not in seventh place as we are now. Today we celebrated, but starting tomorrow, we focus on Cagliari."
Conceição, Once again, you turned the game around after halftime. What did you say to the team?
"There were two or three things on a defensive level to address, but the offensive phase needed adjustments as well. It was a big blow to concede those two goals. In the second half, a poor reading of depth put us 2-0 down. But this shows that the team has character; they managed to win two matches against top sides. At halftime, a coach has to manage and make changes—that's part of my job, and that's what I'm paid to do."
Today, the team pressed well, and the defense stepped forward as the midfield advanced. Conceição commented:
"Exactly. Well said. If we want to stay compact, all the departments are important, and there has to be minimal distance between them. I know the defenders and midfielders we have can do even better. They need to have courage. If we want to return to being the great Milan, we need this desire, this courage. For me, it’s crucial. And articulating the defensive line is not easy. But they are intelligent and understand what we want, despite the little time we’ve had. It’s also not easy due to the intensity—we haven’t had five or six clean days to work. Kudos to them; they understood what we needed to do to win."
How will you manage Rafael Leao?
"Leao is phenomenal. I’ve known him for a long time, a fellow Portuguese. He’s a relaxed guy, while I’m tense (he smiles). He needs to learn two or three little things, and he can become the best in the world. He has everything—I’m not saying this to be nice. He has immense quality, and if he puts it at the service of the team, he’ll become even stronger. In my opinion, by the end of the season, he’ll be one of the best in the world. I have no doubts."
