AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca spoke to the press ahead of his team’s Serie A match against Empoli at San Siro. The Portuguese coach addressed several key topics, including the team’s defensive issues, attacking options, and overall performance.
Fonseca began by discussing the team’s recent performances against Juventus and Slovan Bratislava, emphasizing the need for balance: “We want to achieve balance. With Slovan and Juventus, they were different games, in defense and attack. Every time we improve some things, but we are working to try to find the right balance. It’s not that if you win you don’t need to notice the problems. In Bratislava we won but we did poorly from a defensive point of view.”
Addressing concerns about Milan’s defense, Fonseca provided context: “We are always talking about the many goals conceded, I can’t forget it, but we are the fifth-best defense in the league. We have conceded the same goals as Inter and Lazio, fewer than Atalanta. Sometimes we make a monster out of a problem.”
On the possibility of playing strikers Morata and Abraham together, Fonseca said: “It remains in my mind; it’s a concrete possibility.”
Regarding Rafael Leao’s recent form, the coach stated: “I’m satisfied with the reaction he had after being on the bench, but I want consistency. We need this Rafa.”
Fonseca also commented on the upcoming match against Empoli: “They are an excellent team, aggressive and defensive. They are the fourth-best defense in Serie A; it will be difficult.”
When asked about the pressure of managing a top club like Milan, Fonseca was philosophical: “We can’t escape this pressure when we are in clubs like Milan or Manchester City. Being here means having pressure at all times, every day. Not only with the press and fans but also here inside and with the players. We are a team that must always win. If we don’t want to have this pressure, we can’t be here at this level. Football is for strong people. If we are not strong, we cannot be in football at this level.”
Finally, Fonseca addressed the differences between Milan and other teams that have changed managers: “I’m sure that in the end we will be ahead of some of these teams. But let’s talk about us. We started pre-season with 15 players and the ‘kids’. We went to the USA; things were beautiful. We started 8 days before the first game with the other players, the most influential players of the team who were at the European Championship. And we worked with them for 8 days. After that, we never had time to train.”
