On the eve of Hellas Verona-Milan, a match for the seventeenth round of Serie A, Paulo Fonseca spoke at a press conference. The Rossoneri coach addressed several key topics, from player conditions to tactical decisions and his position at the club.
Fonseca emphasized the importance of every match, stating, “I think every time I’ve spoken at a conference, I’ve always said that all games are important, until the end of the season. It’s obviously a difficult match but, as always, we’ve worked to arrive in a condition to win.”
Regarding Theo Hernandez’s situation, Fonseca explained, “As I always do, we talked before the match. His situation is easy to explain: he has played a lot, he’s been with the national team, he hasn’t found his best physical condition. He needs to renew his conditions to be well, but he’s a very important player for us. It’s never a punishment for him, it’s just a way to make him return to being the best full-back in the world.”
The coach praised the team’s atmosphere, saying, “The atmosphere in training is beautiful in the team, it’s a good thing. This week has been like the others with a good environment to work in, and when it’s like this, it’s easier to do things. I’ve never felt the team without confidence, with sadness.”
Addressing fan frustration, Fonseca stated, “We understand the frustration of the fans, but no one wants to win more than we do. We want to change things, we understand and respect our fans.”
On the January transfer market, Fonseca commented, “We always talk with the club, with the managers. If we need it, they’re ready to improve the team. We work by seeing what happens in the matches.”
Fonseca expressed his dream for Milan: “To win at Milan. I dream many times of winning, almost every day. I believe in it, but it’s not just this, it’s also coming here every day and working to win. Victories bring confidence, we need a streak, we need to have a good Supercoppa, take advantage of this moment to give another image to the team.”
When asked about the risk of being sacked, Fonseca confidently replied, “I don’t feel at risk. We shouldn’t just look at the results, sometimes people only look at that, but I can’t do that. We still have to do a lot on results, but we know what we need to change.”
Regarding tactical decisions, Fonseca mentioned, “Playing with two strikers? At the beginning of the week I thought about it, but with Morata’s situation, I think we can’t start with two attackers.”
Finally, on his communication style, Fonseca stated, “I’m always honest with everyone who works with me, I’m aware that the most important thing is results. People may like or dislike you, they may communicate well or not, but what matters is having good results.”
