Winning helps to bring other victories: it is the number one principle for developing a winning mentality. That mentality which Milan lacked this season in key moments, with two matches standing out above all: the away game in the Champions League in Zagreb and the one in Turin against Juventus in the league. From now until May 14th, the date of the Coppa Italia final that the Devil will play against Bologna, the goal is to win in order to reach that mentality, and yesterday’s match in Venice is a first step.
Sergio Conceição has found the right outfit and is ready to expand his trophy cabinet, which, in addition to the three championships won with Porto, also includes Portuguese Super Cups and four domestic cups.
Milan cannot be ninth in the Serie A standings, and the results from the last matchday have extinguished any remaining chance of directly securing a European placement. The decisive factor was the direct clashes, where Maignan and his teammates were never truly up to the level, making this season disastrous from every point of view, also considering the Champions League path which had deceived the whole environment.
Winning the Coppa Italia would bring the overall evaluation of the season to a barely passing grade; in this sense, Conceição's interpretation is more factual compared to Fofana's, who had highlighted how Milan is the only team still in the running to win two national trophies.
Milan, the decision is made...
The mistake that Milan has already decided not to make is sweeping the dust under the rug. At the end of the season, the main reflection will have to be on what did not work in the relationships between coach, players, and management.
Some management errors and the failure to reach the Champions League objective led Milan to the choice of changing the coach, to the need to restart with a new course and a new leader.
However, the final in Rome against Bologna opens up two scenarios: if Conceição were to lose the Coppa Italia, then he would be dismissed by the club; if he were to win it, then he would be the one to leave the club.
And in that case, the Portuguese coach would bid farewell with a fiery press conference about all the obstacles he had to dodge to leave with his head held high and two more trophies in the cabinet.
Source: Calciomercato.com.
