Ahead of AC Milan’s match against Hellas Verona, scheduled to be played on Sunday 18 April 2026, Allegri spoke to the media in a press conference, as usual.
Let’s start with the match…
“Tomorrow we play after the last two defeats, in which we didn’t score, because in the last four games we’ve failed to score in three. Tomorrow is an important match because we need to get back to winning: we’re up against a counter-attacking side that’s still very lively. It will take a real team performance. Over the course of a season there’s always a difficult spell, it has to be faced calmly and by doing things in an organised way. Against Udinese we were disorganised. There are six matches left and tomorrow is important for the objective we want to reach: we simply need to play football calmly, with great compactness and order.”
Were you pleased with what Gabbia said on behalf of the dressing room?
“Of course I was very pleased. I think we’ve reached this point all together, starting with the players: at most I occasionally make them lose… The club has always been close to us; yesterday Furlani was there and had lunch with us. In September no one talks about objectives, but by March the target is there and you’d like to reach it all at once. Instead, you have to take it one step at a time and stay organised and calm. A team that goes 24 matches unbeaten has technical and moral qualities. The advantage is that we’ve got everyone back, and for this final stretch the collective objective must come before individual ones.”
On the whistles directed at Leao…
“Those whistles probably did Leão some good, he understood that things in life don’t always go your way. He’ll react well: he’s had a good week of training, like everyone. I’m convinced the forwards will start scoring again. The team must get back to approaching matches in an orderly way. Against Udinese we weren’t set up defensively for even a minute, we were far too disorganised.”
Will your future depend on that of the team’s star players?
“I don’t know. I only know one thing: right now all our energy has to be focused on the final objective. Club, players, coaches, staff, we all work for the club. Above everything is always the club, Milan. Throughout its history, directors, presidents and players have come and gone, but the only thing that remains is the club. We all have to work for it. I’ve always been close to the players: to me, my players are the best of all. They must be supported, and they’ve supported me, as they’ve shown. I think the club did a very good job this summer; we have a squad of excellent players, with some outstanding ones. It’s a good base, and to strengthen it we need to reach the Champions League. There are two steps: first qualify for the Champions League, then plan the future.”
Are the teams behind catching up?
“First, we have to win. Second, yesterday Como didn’t win, but Juventus are three points behind and Roma six. Sixty-three points won’t be enough for the Champions League. Tomorrow we face Verona; once that’s done we’ll think about Juventus and then Sassuolo.”
Are you worried about possibly leaving AC Milan or going to the national team? What’s your idea; to stay?
“In these weeks everyone talks. The only ones who don’t are my friends back in Livorno. But that’s normal. Every year at this time people say this one is going here and that one is going there, football is beautiful for that too. Anything can happen in football, even within matches. What matters is the final result, achieved through performances. Right now the objective is clear. My coaching history speaks for itself: I spent four years at Milan, eight at Juventus, then came back to Milan. Too many changes have never been in my DNA. I like working in a club that is run like a company: it has to be made competitive and sustainable at the same time. To do that, you can’t do everything in one day, you need to plan, analyse, identify mistakes and keep going.”
What steps must Milan take to grow? Allegri replied:
“A football club has to be competitive and sustainable, but everything revolves around results. It’s simple. If you get results, the club becomes stronger. The Milan brand is one of the most important in the world, but it depends on results. We have a responsibility to position Milan in Europe, because if it isn’t there, it’s hard for the club to develop in other ways. Everything revolves around results: when you lose, you feel annoyed for a week, imagine what it’s like for the club when you don’t reach your objective…”
What must the team and the club do to improve?
“The strength of a club, and therefore of the team, lies in recognising and working on its limits. If you acknowledge them, you can achieve better results. There’s data from 20 years of the Champions League showing that the four semi-finalists are usually the top four in terms of revenue. If you can’t get there through financial power, you need a strategy, knowing your limits and turning them into strengths. That’s what we did over those 24 matches: we worked a lot on our limits, which became our strengths. The margin for error, compared to someone who can spend 300 while you can spend 50, is smaller. You mustn’t be overwhelmed by events, and you can’t think you’ll win the Champions League in two years. The ambition is there, but reality is different.”
At lunch with Furlani, what do you talk about?
“They’re meetings, like the ones we had at headquarters two days ago, where you talk about the season, what’s worked and what hasn’t. Then everything will be laid out once we reach the objective, which might even come on the final day. Tomorrow it’s important to win, but if it doesn’t happen it doesn’t mean we’re out of the Champions League… At lunch we discuss the situation, and it’s normal that after three defeats in four matches we ask ourselves questions. The players have had a good week, and in these moments you might lose some of your certainties, but that mustn’t happen.”
Why don’t you say "I want to stay"? Why doesn’t the club say you’ll be Milan’s coach next year?
“I said it before: my history shows I’ve spent 15 years between Milan and Turin, working for two great clubs with top directors. The first step is the Champions League objective, then planning the future, something that already started last year when half the squad changed. We all dreamed of competing with Inter, without losing sight of our objective: we must focus on that. I’m tied to Milan, and usually when we start a season, we’re already thinking about the next one: once this year’s squad was built, work on the following year already began. But we have to reach the Champions League. We shouldn’t look three months ahead, but two years.”
Would free transfers like Goretzka or Lewandowski help close the gap?
“The club handles the transfer market. I give indications on player characteristics; then the club, with Tare, Furlani, Moncada and Ibra, who offers technical advice, takes care of it. Talking about it now is pointless because we have to focus on the objective. We have a very good squad and I’m very happy. Evaluations will be made at the end of the season. Right now we have to think about Verona.”
Allegri, were you bothered by Chivu’s comments?
“I have to congratulate Chivu, who’s done an excellent job and is close to his objective: winning the league in your first year would be a great achievement. As for the rest, you’d need to see the context in which it was said… but he only deserves compliments," said Allegri.
Condò says coaches have often talked more about the Champions League than the league title, is that avoiding responsibility?
“It depends on the situation and the context. It’s normal that Inter had the objective of the league title: last year they lost it by one point and they’ve been fighting for it for six years; if they win it, it’s their third in six years along with two Champions League finals. Then, if we qualify for the Champions League, next year we’ll have to raise the bar to improve on this season’s position. If you’re at the top, you don’t say you’re fighting for a Champions League place, if you’re the strongest, you say you’re fighting for the title. For us, reaching the Champions League is a good result; next year we must have the ambition to improve on this year.”
Allegri, so next year you’ll say you’re aiming for the title?
“First let’s get into the Champions League, then we’ll see about next year’s ambition. When you work at Milan you must always aim for the maximum. But there’s also reality: half the team has changed, players need to settle in, some haven’t performed as expected… The ambition remains to reach the Champions League and improve on what we’ve done this year.”
