AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca addressed the media ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash against Club Brugge. The Portuguese coach provided updates on team news and shared his thoughts on the upcoming match.
On the team’s current form, Fonseca said, “We hope the sun has returned. Victories bring confidence and a more positive atmosphere. We want to continue like this, so we must win tomorrow as well.”
Regarding the importance of the Champions League match, he stated, “Tomorrow is not decisive, but it’s very important given that we have zero points. It will be a difficult game; they are a quality team, but we must win.”
Fonseca expressed satisfaction with the recent victory against Udinese but emphasized the need for consistency: “I’m very satisfied, but this should be the norm. We must always play with this determination; only then can we win matches.”
On his team selection, the coach was clear: “I make choices to help Milan win. It will always be this way; Milan is more important than Fonseca and any player. I must do everything I can to make Milan win.”
Providing team news, Fonseca confirmed, “Leao will start. Gabbia has trained, he’s fine, and is a possibility for tomorrow. Abraham won’t be available; we’ll see if he recovers for Bologna.”
The coach also addressed the team’s preparation: “We haven’t had much time to train. We’re training well, we played a few days ago, but I see a focused and committed team in training.”
In the press conference, Fonseca elaborated on various topics:
On the Champions League campaign: “It’s a different competition. We started against two of the strongest teams in Europe right now. They were two different matches, difficulties with Liverpool and quality with Bayer Leverkusen, even though we didn’t win.”
Regarding Leao and Theo, he stated, “I expect the maximum from them, as from everyone, to win. I believe in this.”
Fonseca also touched on the team’s attacking options, saying, “I’m very satisfied with the players I have. Abraham and Jovic being out is not a normal situation, plus there’s Camarda. I don’t think we’ll need reinforcements in this position.”
On the team’s disciplinary record, Fonseca humorously remarked, “As a coach, I can’t say my players commit fouls. I must always defend the game, football; we must play. But they know what we’ve talked about in recent days. We’re a bit ‘saintly’; we need to be more of what we are: Devils. We need to improve in this aspect too.”
The coach concluded by addressing Theo’s potential captaincy: “I haven’t decided; I need to think about it today. Theo is a possibility. He’s fine, he’s trained well these days, including today. He’s fine; Theo is a player with great experience and is doing well.”
