Milan manager Paulo Fonseca came out swinging in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Serie A clash with Udinese, forcefully defending his leadership style and addressing recent criticism of the team’s performances.
The Portuguese coach, who took over at Milan this summer, has faced questions about his ability to control the dressing room after some inconsistent results, including a disappointing 2-1 loss to Fiorentina before the international break. Fonseca made it clear he has no time for such doubts.
“I don’t need to prove anything, I’m not an actor,” Fonseca declared. “In football today there’s a big need to show off, but I am who I am from day one. Ask the players if I’ve been consistent since the beginning.”
He continued: “I’m not an actor, I live face-to-face with the players in the dressing room. If we have a problem, I don’t give a damn about the player’s name – I confront them directly and address those who have made mistakes.”
Fonseca acknowledged that changing the team’s style and mentality has been more challenging than anticipated, but insisted progress is being made. “It’s difficult to change, it takes more time than I thought,” he admitted. “We need more time to change. We’re starting to see important things, we have to continue. We don’t have much time to train, but little by little we have to improve in what I believe we need to improve.”
The manager also addressed questions about the team’s leadership structure, explaining that he inherited a system of three captains – Davide Calabria, Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao – based on their experience with the club. While respecting that arrangement, Fonseca emphasized his belief that the squad needs more widespread leadership.
“What I think is that this team needs more leadership,” he stated. “It’s not important who goes on the field and wears the armband, but it’s important to have 2-3 players in the dressing room who share this leadership. I think we have other players who can help these players: a leader is not only the one who wears the armband.”
Looking ahead to the Udinese match, Fonseca expects a difficult challenge against an in-form opponent. “Udinese is a good team that is having a good start to the season, very aggressive, plays well and is very motivated,” he noted. “I’m sure we need to be at our best level to win tomorrow. It will be intense and very difficult.”
The manager was particularly critical of his team’s mentality in the Fiorentina defeat, suggesting the issues went beyond tactics. “Do you think we lost to Fiorentina because there was a technical or tactical problem? For me there is more,” Fonseca argued. “I think we didn’t have the nastiness, the desire to run more than Fiorentina. This is all in the head. We can work on everything, but what was important for me to see is that we didn’t have aggressiveness. And this is not tactics. We have to run more than others and we didn’t.”
Fonseca also addressed questions about squad rotation and player fitness, including comments from Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino about Christian Pulisic being tired. The Milan boss dismissed concerns about fatigue so early in the season, praising Pulisic as the team’s most consistent performer so far.
On a personal note, Fonseca offered a candid assessment of the challenges of managing at the highest level. “I’d like to have more fun,” he admitted. “Being a coach, not just here, is not a very fun thing. We have moments. I think at this level it’s difficult to always have a smile on your face. It’s not easy. But I know one thing: I always bring my passion every day. I wouldn’t change my job for any other.”
He continued: “It’s difficult, it’s also difficult for our families. I try to get home and forget about my profession, but it’s not easy. I have many difficult moments but also moments that I really like. I think being a coach at this moment doesn’t make you the happiest person in the world every day. Being coaches at this level means we have problems every day, but when you solve one then great happiness comes.”
