After AC Milan’s 2-0 defeat to Juventus, head coach Sergio Conceição shared his candid thoughts on the team’s performance during a post-match interview with DAZN. The loss, marked by second-half goals from Mbangula and Weah, left Milan in eighth place with 31 points, while Juventus surged into a Champions League spot with 37 points.
Conceição began by analyzing the match, stating, “The first half was balanced, but the second half was different. Juventus had more hunger. We could have conceded even more because we tried to play the ball out.” Taking full responsibility for the team’s lackluster display, he added, “The first step to winning a match is wanting it. Tonight, we didn’t want it. It’s January—there’s no excuse for running out of fuel.”
The Portuguese coach, who joined Milan at the start of 2025, emphasized the need for greater determination and desire from his players. “We must have an empty fridge at home to feel hungrier,” he said metaphorically. Drawing from his experience managing smaller teams in the past, he explained, “I’ve had teams that weren’t technically great but had incredible drive. We need to grow, and being at Milan means we need to grow even more. We must reach a point where we’re proud of what we’ve done.”
Conceição also reflected on his role during halftime, admitting, “I wasn’t good enough at inspiring the team to react.” He called for collective accountability among the players: “We cannot always rely on the more experienced players like Leao, Theo, or Maignan. They can’t hide—it’s obvious—but the weight is on everyone’s shoulders.” He concluded with a reminder of his own playing career: “I know how this works; I played for 25 years. In moments like these, those with more experience step up, but no one should be hiding.”
