In a historic Champions League encounter, AC Milan secured a stunning 3-1 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Following the match, Milan’s coach Paulo Fonseca spoke with the press about the team’s impressive performance.
Fonseca began by attributing the win to the team’s courageous approach: “I think we won because the players had the courage to play here without fear of anything. We prepared for the match intending to have possession of the ball. In the first half, we did some really important things. In the second half, we suffered more, but we did it together. We deserved this victory not only for the three goals but because we played with quality.”
The Milan coach emphasized the importance of taking initiative in European competitions: “Being a team in Europe with more initiative and more control of the game is important. Today, we demonstrated here that an Italian team doesn’t just know how to defend. The team has the patience to manage the ball, and we must continue to want to grow.”
Discussing the tactical choices and player performances, Fonseca commented on the roles of Abraham and Morata: “Abraham is a player with many characteristics. Morata has the ability to connect the game. They are two players with different characteristics. The first plays more forward, the second plays more with the ball. Alvaro was very tired, and we had to change. Tammy helps the team a lot.”
Fonseca concluded by reflecting on the differences between playing in Italy and Europe: “These matches, for a team that wants to play with the ball and control it, are games where you find more space. It’s difficult to play beautiful games against teams that play man-to-man.”
Striker Alvaro Morata also shared his thoughts post-match: “It’s what I said before. It was an important match for us and to be aware that we had to fight like lions. Today we played a great game. We were clear-headed with the ball and good at defending. We remain on the same line; tomorrow will be another day of work.” Morata also expressed his sympathy for those affected by recent events in Spain and praised teammate Rafael Leao: “We’ve never had doubts about Leao. He’s clearly stronger than all of us and must be aware that he can make football history.”
