AC Milan secured three points in a difficult and nerve-wracking match at San Siro, beating Atalanta 3-2 after leading 3-0 until the 66th minute.
In the post-match press conference, Ruben Amorim had this to say:
“We had the match under control until the 66th minute. We were closer to scoring another goal, but when we conceded, I felt that everyone, on the pitch, off the pitch and even our fans, lost confidence. And when this team does not have the ball, it suffers a lot. So I think that, on the one hand, there was Atalanta’s quality, as they started to believe in themselves, but on the other hand, there were also many problems on our side with keeping possession of the ball and defending our penalty area.”
Is your Milan the team we saw in the first 60 minutes?, Amorim replied:
“We played well for 66 minutes, but I want a team that, even when it concedes a goal, continues to play in the same way. One that does not change its attitude. We are not that kind of team yet; it will take time. A great team is not one in which everyone plays well only when things go the right way, but then, when something happens, even without playing badly, struggles enormously both on and off the ball. I do not want to say that this is my team. I want a team capable of managing both positive moments and difficult moments, and we are really struggling a lot during difficult moments.”
Rabiot has once again spoken about a lack of mentality…
“Rabiot is a special player, and I remember that he said exactly the same thing about the national team. And we are talking about players who have won everything, even a World Cup. It can happen to any team; he said the same thing about the national team, and I like that. I felt that the team did not deserve to finish the match with this bitter taste, with the feeling we had at the end. So it is not just a question of mentality, but also of how we feel, even inside the stadium. The stadium does not take to the pitch, but at the same time, after the first match, I noticed how the atmosphere had changed. This is something both we and our fans need to work on: when something happens during a match, we must continue to play in exactly the same way. Rabiot is very emotional when he speaks after a match, and I really like emotional players.”
There were some boos for Estupinan...
“It also happens at other clubs that sometimes fans do not particularly like certain players. We have to help Estupinan, we have to help the fans understand who Estupinan is, and I can assure you that Estupinan works really hard. He is a player who has played in the Premier League, and I can guarantee you that, towards the end of the transfer window, we had a list of clubs that wanted him. But I said no. So I want the fans to know that this was my responsibility: he is playing because I am the one choosing Estupinan, because I believe in him and I am convinced that he will be really important for our team. However, I understood that feeling from the very first match. We simply have to help Estupinan, because we are a team: if one of our team-mates suffers because of this, the whole team suffers with him and stands by him.”
Was there also a physical drop-off? Amorim commented:
“We played well for 60 minutes. I will not say that it was only because of fatigue, because a minute earlier, when everything was going well, they were not tired, and then the situation changed completely. So it is mainly a mental factor: only at that point do you realise how tired you are, especially because Atalanta started to believe in themselves. This is football, and today at San Siro we saw what football is: wonderful moments and very difficult moments; it is all part of the game. Things will not change overnight: we will have positive moments and complicated moments. We just have to remain competitive and, if we manage to get the result even during these kinds of moments, then that is fine," as relayed via Milan News.
