- 4 months ago
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00:00Good afternoon. Welcome along to the pre-match press conference on the eve of Milan Bologna.
00:06We'll start with Milan TV. Thank you, Nicola. Good afternoon.
00:11Coach, this Milan against Bologna, is it one of those games that you need to win
00:16in order to start well again after the international break because you're up against strong opposition
00:22because we didn't win our first league match?
00:24There are a whole host of reasons why this game is a match that you need to win at this stage
00:29of the season, isn't it? First and foremost, good afternoon, everyone.
00:35The new season is essentially beginning now because the transfer window ended on the 1st of September.
00:41Tomorrow up against Bologna, a team that's worked very well over the last few seasons.
00:47They're no longer a surprise package in Serie A. They're now used to being up in the upper reaches of Serie A.
00:55Sartori has done an excellent job in recent years, last season with Vincenzo Italiano as well,
01:01so we need to be very respectful, very focused. It would be a difficult game.
01:05They're a team with a lot of pace in the side.
01:09They've got very technical players as well, and they also play with a lot of intensity.
01:13This is our second home match. Unfortunately, we lost the first game against Cremonese,
01:19and as I said, we didn't necessarily play badly, but we conceded two very avoidable goals,
01:24so we certainly need to do better tomorrow.
01:26Right.
01:27Good afternoon, Max.
01:29I wanted to ask you, this is a Milan side that comes back after the international break.
01:37It's been a bit of an overhaul since then.
01:40Do you believe that this Milan side is already ready, or will it take a little bit of time to find the right fit?
01:47I don't know whether we're ready or not, but we're up against Bologna tomorrow in a game that we need to win.
01:53Because we need to move past that home defeat against Cremonese.
02:03We need to start winning in front of our own fans. That won't be easy.
02:06Three new signings have come in. I'm very pleased with the squad that I have to pick from.
02:12The club have done a good job in the transfer market.
02:16We've signed players who are a mix of players that have got more games under their belts and younger players.
02:23But there's a lot of quality in the side. The team is working well.
02:28And above all, all of us, and when I speak about all of us, I mean the fans, the club, the players.
02:35We know that it will be a difficult journey to try and secure our target, namely to be back in the Champions League next season.
02:42Sky, hi, coach. Two very quick questions.
02:45First, could you give us the latest in terms of Raphael Liao's fitness and whether the players coming back from international break have got over those lengthy flights?
02:54You've been working in football for an eternity now.
02:58On paper, is the Milan squad XXS, XXL, or is it enough in terms of your goal to finish in the top four?
03:07Let's start with the second question. Otherwise, I'll forget it.
03:11We've got the right number of players to embark on this campaign.
03:16I think we've got 19 outfield players.
03:19Plus, there are some youngsters from the under-23 side that are certainly good players.
03:25They're with us and they have the opportunity to train with us and develop.
03:28As for the injury situation, Raphael Liao has a problem.
03:40You might say that it's whether he's strained it or pulled the muscle, but it doesn't matter.
03:45But it's a very dangerous muscle, this particular muscle in the calf.
03:49Therefore, Raphael Liao won't be available for selection tomorrow.
03:54I don't think he'll be available at Udinese either.
03:57I think we'll probably see him against Napoli because that's the time frame when it comes to someone recovering from a calf injury.
04:08Estupinian is fit. He's come back.
04:11He also told me that he's slept a great deal and so he's got over the jet lag.
04:18Christian Pulisic has no issue whatsoever with his hand and everyone else is available for selection.
04:27So, we only have Raphael Liao as the current injury concern, Mediaset, and Ardon Yashari, who unfortunately had that serious injury.
04:38And we'll wait for him when the time is right so that he can be available for selection once again.
04:43Hi, Max. Yesterday, we attended Rabiot's unveiling and he said that you're more than a coach for him.
04:51He really praised you a great deal.
04:54And he told us that he's ready.
04:58He kept stressing that concept.
04:59In terms of what you've seen from him, he played portions of the game for France as well.
05:05Do you think he could play a starting role?
05:07But you said, I haven't spoken to him in a while, whereas he said yesterday it was a very different story that you've been in touch a great deal.
05:15Oh, you love all this stuff about whether we've been in touch or not.
05:21Yes, we did text one another.
05:24But after that, I hadn't been in touch with him.
05:29I hadn't heard from him before the transfer when he moved to Milan 10 days ago.
05:35He is physically fit, like everyone else is.
05:39Christopher Nkunko is the player who's the furthest behind in terms of his fitness levels because he never trained with Chelsea and London.
05:47He was training individually, so he has had two weeks with us.
05:50And it's only been the last three days when we've had the full squad in training.
05:54So I think he'll have 25 to 30 minutes available, but he's an important player.
06:02But Rabiot could start the game.
06:04We'll see.
06:05I have to assess between today and tomorrow morning the situation with regards to how the guys are that have come back from international duty,
06:15above all those that have traveled a great distance.
06:18And having Nkunko, who can only play a portion of the game, Rafael Liao, out.
06:24We've got Valentien, who came off the bench against Lecce and looked good.
06:30We've got Santi Jimenez, who's come back in.
06:36He was with the national team as well.
06:37So I'm pleased with what he did for Mexico because he's a good player and he is someone who can score goals.
06:46We mustn't forget that this is a player who signed mid-season in January and the first six months, above all, when you move mid-season, when you're coming into a team like Milan,
06:57it does take your time to adapt and I think Santi Jimenez this season could have an excellent campaign.
07:04Corriere della Sera.
07:05Hi, coach.
07:07I wanted to ask you, how similar is this Milan side to what you've got in mind?
07:15Where do you still need to grow and develop?
07:17What's going well and what do you not like about the first few months or the first month that you've been in charge in terms of working on the pitch?
07:25What I really like and what I'm pleased about, and I think the lads need to be pleased about this as well, is the fact that we're working well and, above all, everyone is buying in.
07:35Every day, the players want to come to Milan to work hard and improve.
07:45Seasons, ultimately, are determined between March and May, up until the 25th of May when the league season ends.
07:53And come March, we need to make sure that we've done a good job in terms of working well so that we're in the best possible position to play our cards.
08:02That's what we need to do. We need to have the right balance without necessarily getting too excited when we're in a game, nor should we be too down in the dumps when we draw or lose.
08:12Let's hope that we don't lose too many games. We've already lost one game, so we've already played one of our trump cards.
08:17But the team were very switched on at Lecce. They had that right balance.
08:21They were also very patient, and that's where the team is improving.
08:24Because it really is a squad of players that want to work, and above all, they are very responsible with regards to the colours they're wearing towards the club, the fan base, and above all, towards themselves, which is the most important thing.
08:41La Gazzetta dello Sport.
08:43Eccomi. Ciao.
08:44Hi.
08:45Tomorrow night's game, do you think that could be a game that, if you play it well, if you win the match, could ultimately draw a line under last season?
09:01Of course, you weren't here last season, but Milan lost the Coppa Italia final against Bologna, so they lost their last opportunity to play in European football.
09:18Do you think that tomorrow night's game could draw a line under what happened last season?
09:23First and foremost, it's pointless talking about what has happened in the past, because you can't change what's already been done.
09:30Let's try and look forward at what tomorrow night's game will be.
09:35We're up against, as I said, a very well-prepared team technically.
09:40They're very organised, and they've got some good players in the side.
09:44So we need to win the game on the pitch.
09:47We've only played two matches.
09:51Ultimately, there are two or three crucial games over the course of the season that can determine your campaign.
09:56It's too early for that at this stage.
09:58I'm not going to ask you about team selection, but can this team have three forwards and three midfielders like Modric, Loftus-Cheek and Rabiot?
10:11Can you play with that system, or would you not have the right shape?
10:14That depends on where we are in terms of the season, how hard the players work, whether they're fit as well.
10:23You need to understand there are certain times of the game when you can defend in a certain way, attack in a certain way, and so on and so forth.
10:31I think it's very important, because having a team that's able to understand the various moments of the game is a huge advantage.
10:40Corrierello Sport.
10:41Hello, coach.
10:42A number of people are saying that with Vlahovic, Milan would have finished in the top four, but with Santi Jimenez and Nkunku instead?
10:54It always makes me laugh when I hear, oh, when you can win with this player, you lose with that player.
10:59But there are too many variables and unforeseen circumstances in football.
11:03You need to do a good job in terms of managing what you can't legislate for.
11:07It's pointless saying, oh, you can't win with that one.
11:10We don't know what will happen tomorrow.
11:12We don't know what the future holds.
11:14But you need to embrace tomorrow and manage it as best you can.
11:17You can't say that you'll win with one player and lose with another, because unpredictability is right around the corner in football.
11:23So you need to do a good job in terms of managing that.
11:25What we can do is simply work hard with a lot of passion, with a lot of love for what we do, to try and lay the ground whereby we can win matches and ultimately secure our targets.
11:39Everything else is chatter, which is nice, is amusing.
11:44That's great.
11:45I don't necessarily chat about football.
11:49Maybe I do it elsewhere.
11:51If you win with this guy or the other, no.
11:53There's one thing that we need to do, work hard.
11:57And everything else is talk cheap.
12:00I wanted to ask you.
12:06This is a topical over the last few days.
12:10Milan Coma being played in Perth, west of Australia.
12:12Cesc Fabregas has already come out and said that he's against the idea.
12:17You've given your opinion on that.
12:23What do you make of it?
12:25No, I haven't been asked about it.
12:27What can I say about it?
12:31The competent authorities will ultimately decide this.
12:36Unfortunately, we're moving towards utter globalization.
12:42Whether you like it or not, there are changes in every sport, because in the NBA, they've already come to play in Europe.
12:51You need to accept these things, and you need to manage the current period and make sure that things go well.
13:02If they tell us that we need to play in Perth, we'll go to Perth and play in Perth.
13:06If we need to play in Italy, we'll play in Italy.
13:08All that matters to me is we play somewhere.
13:11I need to take the team somewhere.
13:12We need to organize things.
13:13Hi, coach.
13:21I wanted to ask you, I wanted to come back to Christopher Nkunku.
13:25What have you made of the player and the person so far, and where do you see him on the pitch?
13:33In what position do you think he could perform best based on your preliminary thoughts, and could he play with Rafael Liao once the latter is fit?
13:43It's easy to have good players, because when a player comes in, you can immediately see how he controls the ball, how he passes the ball, how he moves, how he loses his marker, all of the basics, the ABC of football.
14:01He knows how to do all of that very well.
14:03All he needs to do now is find his peak physical condition, and he needs to start working hard.
14:11It's always important to have good players in the squad, because they're the players that can help you to win matches.
14:16They can win matches for you.
14:20Liao?
14:20I don't know whether he'll play alongside Liao, whether another two players, whether further three players.
14:27We'll see how things pan out once everyone is fit and firing.
14:33Sport Italia.
14:34Hi, coach.
14:38Earlier on, you spoke about the NBA.
14:41There's the sixth man in the NBA, off the bench, and so on and so forth, Christian Pulisic, who's also American, so he knows that role.
14:53Could Christian Pulisic be the sixth man, like against Lecce?
14:56Do you occasionally think, I'll keep him on the bench, so in case we need a goal, I can throw him on him and score a goal?
15:01Regardless of whether it's Christian Pulisic or someone else, these days, you used to play with 13 players, besides the goalkeeper, 11 players plus three substitutes that ultimately determined the season.
15:16Now there are 15 players, and the five substitutions become crucial, because ultimately the substitutes make more of an impact than the starters,
15:29because games change over the last 30 minutes, and the substitutions have a much greater impact than those that started the game,
15:36because they can ultimately decide whether you win or lose the game.
15:41And it often feels like those that are playing less are actually getting the most points in order for you to secure your targets.
15:48The same goes for goalkeepers.
15:50Whether a goalkeeper plays five matches, he must make sure that he doesn't make mistakes in those five games,
15:56because they're five crucial matches for the league season.
15:58Hi coach, I imagine that Rabiot's ambition that we heard about yesterday is also the result of those Whatsapps that you spoke about,
16:08that you've also spoken about Milan's lofty goals.
16:13And are Milan still in the top four with the crazy horse Rabiot?
16:18Can you try and win the Scudetta?
16:21The club did a very good job in making the most of this market opportunity to bring him in.
16:28Rabiot is certainly a player like Nkunku, like Stupinian, the guys that have come in.
16:34I can't necessarily list them all, I might forget someone.
16:37But all of the players that have joined the club have certainly raised the bar with regards to the squad's quality.
16:43Now we need to work hard.
16:44We need to see in March where we're at.
16:47It's pointless saying, we'll finish here, we'll do this.
16:50No, we need to work very calmly, we need to work very confidently and we need to show that desire to secure our goal.
16:56We know that the goal is way further down the road, we need to get there step by step because it's not like the league season or Champions League qualification will be decided by one game.
17:07It will be determined in the final game of the league season.
17:11We now need to lay the foundations to make sure that when we get into those crucial games, we are on our mettle in those crucial games.
17:22That's what we need to do over the next few months.
17:23We need to stay very balanced.
17:25We need to stay very calm.
17:27We need to have broad shoulders because there will also be some tough moments, as we've already seen against Cremonese.
17:33But it's not like the team is better if we win and worse if we lose.
17:38This is the standard of the team.
17:40We need to work to try and improve and above all, with good players, they can become better.
17:46We need to make sure we build that team spirit because when you change 10 players in the squad, football is all about knowledge.
17:53The more they play together, the better they get to know one another.
17:58And I'm very confident on that score.
18:03Hi, coach.
18:10I wanted to ask you, in terms of the backline, we had those first few games in terms of the friendly.
18:20So you're happy with the way the backline is developing?
18:23Where do you need to improve?
18:24And could De Vinte have an opportunity tomorrow in a big game?
18:29I'm very pleased with Coni de Vinte's signing.
18:36Defensively, the issue is not necessarily when we defend, it's only defenders.
18:42It's the whole team that needs to defend a certain way.
18:47And we need to defend a certain way, starting with the forwards and going all the way back to the goalkeeper.
18:52The defenders, individually, are working and are getting better, because if everyone improves individually, then it becomes that much easier for them to work better and perform better as a unit.
19:08We are working on that.
19:09And there are some players that have played fewer games than others, and they need to keep working in a certain way.
19:19But as I said, the most important thing is that everyone, everyone, that we all have that desire to get better.
19:27And what matters most is that everyone needs to look at themselves in the mirror every day, because what we've achieved remains.
19:35What we still need to do, we need to see whether we're up to doing so.
19:38But we need to think about what we have to do, not what we've already achieved.
19:43Giovanni Delia.
19:44Hi, coach.
19:45I'd like to come back to the forward line.
19:47For a number of years now, Milan have been lacking a player that scored 15 or 20 league goals.
19:55Do you think that Santi Jimenez and Rafael Liao have the skill set, the ability to hit those sort of numbers?
20:01Because it's important for Milan to make sure that the forwards get that sort of number of goals.
20:07I don't know whether they necessarily score that number of goals, but everyone needs to have the potential to score that number of goals.
20:13And they need to have the determination to go out and score them.
20:17I'm talking about Liao.
20:18I'm talking about Jimenez.
20:19Pulisic.
20:20Loftus-Chiq.
20:22Loftus-Chiq can't not score league goals.
20:25We're talking about Yusuf Forfana.
20:27We're talking about Nkunku.
20:29Balintien.
20:31We're talking about defenders that when they go up there and try and score with their head, they need to be convinced they can score goals.
20:36Did you know that Rabiot promised 10 goals yesterday?
20:39I hope that he scores eight.
20:43Paolo Vinci.
20:44Paolo Vinci.
20:45Hi, Max.
20:46Good afternoon.
20:49You've got a wonderful midfield line with six players that would be starters in all of the other top sides in Italy.
20:56Do you think one of the six players might play a little bit further forward in the front three to make sure you don't necessarily sacrifice them or not?
21:04It's not a case of sacrificing someone.
21:07First and foremost, we need to work week in, week out, game in, game out, because there's some unforeseen circumstances.
21:14Someone pulls up with an injury.
21:15Someone's overworked.
21:17Not everyone can play for 95 minutes in every game.
21:19There are substitutions.
21:20There are matches, there are certain periods when you need to set up in one way, and there are periods when you need to play in a different way.
21:29But what matters is everyone is willing to work hard, as they have been doing so far.
21:36Sartorio.
21:38Hi, Coach.
21:40Earlier on, you were talking about the right squad depth, given that it's only Serie A, but then there's the Super Cup.
21:49Is it still too early to see Atakame, for instance, or Odogo at this stage, who are young players?
21:56Odogo was the last man in, but he looks very switched on and receptive.
22:03The same goes for Atakame.
22:05He's a very reliable player, and so I'm very happy with them.
22:11If I decided to call upon them to play tomorrow, I know absolutely that they'd produce a good performance.
22:17Milan News.
22:18Hi, Coach.
22:20I wanted to ask you, after more than a month on the pitch, in terms of competitive games,
22:28do you have an idea, in terms of the identity you want to give to this team, tactically, in terms of formation, 3-5-2, 4-3-3?
22:36We've spoken about this a great deal over the summer, in terms of the mark that Max Allegri wants to leave.
22:42I don't know.
22:43I'll pick 11 good players tomorrow, and hopefully they produce a good performance.
22:48It's not a case of formations.
22:49It's all about the players' qualities and their attributes.
22:55I always try and simplify things, and I know that when I say I simplify things, that people say some things.
23:03But when we have the ball, we're going to try and score goals.
23:05When we don't, we're going to try and defend.
23:09Hi, Coach.
23:11I wanted to talk about Samuele Ricci.
23:15He came on and looked good against Lecce.
23:18Do you believe that he's got big room for improvement as a number eight?
23:22What I can say is I'm delighted with Samuele, because he really has come on leaps and bounds since he came in.
23:31His body is also changing in terms of his fitness levels.
23:35He's really bulking up in terms of his lower half.
23:44I think he's a very intelligent player.
23:46He's very good tactically.
23:49And I think he is improving both tactically, technically and physically.
23:56But that needs to go for everyone as well.
23:58I don't like talking about young players, because, let's say, less experienced players.
24:06We've got players that have international experience in Kunku, Rabiot, Modric, Tomori, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Fofana.
24:18And then we have players who are less experienced at international level that have played fewer games,
24:25but they have excellent qualities, and we need to work on that day in, day out,
24:29to make sure that they can tap into certain guarantees.
24:34And Samuele is working very well, and I'm pleased with him.
24:38Milanis Ticiano.
24:40Hi, Coach.
24:43In these first two matches, not that I necessarily want to weigh things up,
24:49but the trend has shown that Milan have actually afforded the opposition fewer chances than anyone else.
24:55You've had more shots in Serie A than anyone else at the opposition goal,
25:00and you've also seconded in the league with regards to creating a number of opportunities.
25:06I wanted to ask you, with regards to this data,
25:11your thoughts in terms of the way the team is built,
25:14because in these first two games, you have managed to strike the balance between attack and defence,
25:20but this data in terms of chances afforded, chances created,
25:26ultimately need to lead to clean sheets and you're scoring lots of goals.
25:30So what are you lacking at Milan in order to take that final step from this data,
25:37which is encouraging and it's an early trend?
25:39What are we lacking?
25:42It's not that we're lacking the final step.
25:44We're missing a lot.
25:45We have to work a great deal.
25:47We did keep a clean sheet at Lecce, yes,
25:50but there were certain avoidable situations that we could have not conceded,
25:54and players know that.
25:56We also need to improve our strike rate with regards to the chances that we're creating.
26:01Yes, that's true.
26:02The more you convert your chances, the higher the conversion rate in terms of goals scored,
26:12with regards to the ratio of chances created, it's that much easier to defend,
26:17because it's not easy to score goals.
26:19It's very tough to find them.
26:21Defensively, we are improving as a team.
26:23We are more focused, but rather counterintuitively,
26:29we actually were at greater risk against Lecce on two or three chances
26:34as opposed to the Cremonese game,
26:36because on two or three occasions we run a risk of conceding goals at Lecce.
26:41So we really need to improve a great deal.
26:43We need to work very hard.
26:46We need to have the strength and the good fortune not to concede goals.
26:51Because the more clean sheets you have, the more confidence you gain.
26:57And this is all part of the job that we're doing.
26:59It's only natural.
27:02And as for balance and shape, that's crucial.
27:05That's crucial in everything above all in a football match.
27:08Carlo Pellegatti.
27:09Hi, Max.
27:13You've won Italian domestic titles, the Coppa Italia.
27:17You've finished second as well as a runner-up in the Champions League final.
27:23However, there's the fourth place finish with Juventus.
27:31When everyone knew that you would be penalised,
27:36you managed to keep the team and the team managed the pressure.
27:41At the end of the transfer window, I felt like there was something in the air that,
27:48OK, now there's Max Allegri.
27:51He's a coach who earns a lot of money, and now he needs to get the team winning.
27:57Have you noticed this as well?
28:00This attempt to try and put pressure on you,
28:02because if the team goes well, great, but you've only done your duty.
28:05It's only natural that there's pressure, because I'm the Milan head coach,
28:12and what we need to do is win football matches.
28:16Everything else is all chatter, you know, what's what people say, what people do.
28:21But the most important thing we need to do,
28:23me and the players, we're not working for ourselves.
28:28We're working for the club, we're working for Milan,
28:30and we all need to work for the club,
28:33because ultimately the players are the ones that will ultimately go out there and play matches.
28:42I've got my head on the chopping block if we lose games,
28:46so we all need to work in the right direction for Milan, the company,
28:54and we need to stay very calm in doing so,
28:56and that needs to be clear in everyone's mind.
28:59And we all agree on that score.
29:02Thank you very much, everyone.
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