The AC Milan team lost 0-2 against Ferencvaros at the San Siro. It was a very disappointing and frustrating result for the Rossoneri team.
Head coach Ruben Amorim spoke to the media in a press conference. Here are his words
Would you make the same choices again?
"It is not about the starting line-up, it is about preparation, being mentally ready to win every match and the responsibility we have as a club. It does not matter who takes to the pitch from the first minute, we have to fight for every second ball and pay attention to the small details. I am not talking about technique, performing magic or winning every single match: I am talking about the little things, about what we can control. And today, especially in the first half, there are no explanations. I have nothing to defend myself or my players with regarding today's performance. The management of the starting eleven is also linked to the fact that, if we field certain players too often, we risk injuries. I have to manage the minutes, I have to imagine how the match will develop, but I do not want to talk about the starting line-up. I want to say that there are no excuses for our performance today, especially in the first 45 minutes. Of course, we will fight in this competition until the end, but the truth is that it seems we cannot maintain the same level with just three days between matches, and that is what we have to work on."
What will you tell the players tomorrow?
"We will then have time to assess what we did today. But I think it was very clear to everyone. Even the players on the pitch understood that we cannot repeat what we did, especially in the first half. We can lose against any opponent, I said that in the press conference, but it is obvious that we have to change our mentality: we are not the kind of club where the context, rotation or injuries matter. None of that matters. When we wear this shirt, we have an enormous responsibility, and today we failed. We let everyone down, especially after coming off a victory. We are not yet ready to be competitive every single day, and that is a huge problem for our team."
Amorim, is Milan not ready to compete on two fronts?
"We have to find the reasons and find the solutions to solve this problem. But it is not me saying this, it is based on the results, because here I can say whatever I want. I am saying that we are showing that we are not ready, that we still have a lot of work to do and that we need time to train and change our mentality. That is my feeling, but I am not the one making this claim: the facts prove it. And today's match was proof of that: we are not mentally ready. It has nothing to do with the technical side. It has nothing to do with rotation. You cannot come and tell me that the starting line-up was not good enough to win the match. We gave away all the chances we conceded ourselves, especially at the beginning. I remember certain reactions when we lost the ball: they were not at all the same as the ones we saw three days ago, and we had had four days to rest. So it is not me speaking, it is what we are showing on the pitch. And when the team speaks, I am not the one doing the talking. I am simply saying what I see, because you are not stupid and I do not want to make a fool of my players. So I have every reason to defend the team, and when I speak in these terms, I take responsibility first and foremost myself, because the team... is my responsibility. But we cannot afford to do something like this, especially in the first half, in front of our fans, at our home ground. We cannot do this, we have to improve, otherwise it ends here."
