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00:00Good morning, everyone. Welcome along to this pre-match press conference on the eve of Milan-Verona.
00:08We'll start with Milan TV. Thank you, Nicola. Good afternoon.
00:11On the eve of Milan-Verona in Riyadh, AC Milan lost the match, but the stadium was in favour, was very rosso-nero.
00:22And tomorrow, 73,000 people are expected in San Siro for Milan-Verona.
00:30You are thinking about the table and about the three points, but it's important to keep this excitement up, is it?
00:39Well, I think that since the beginning of the year, our supporters have been very, very close to us, and I am very delighted with that.
00:49Tomorrow, it's important to pick up the three points against a side who won the last two matches.
00:56It's a very tough side to play against with a quick players, a team that is able to attack the box.
01:08So tomorrow, we must be composed, very well organised, trying to organise our defensive approach.
01:16The last two matches we have not been up enough defensively.
01:23Sky, what about injuries? What about Rafa Leao?
01:29After four months now, Nicolas Fulcrug is training with you, with the team.
01:36What are the first feedback, and what about Nkunku is not as expected?
01:43He's not, it seems, he seems not to be switched on.
01:47How do you see Nkunku?
01:49Well, I think he has the qualities to perform well, and Leao is not available for selection, because he has this little problem.
02:04He's not able to sprint to keep up at his speed, so he's not be in the squad.
02:14Fulcrug is with us, he's smiling, very happy in joining AC Milan, which is normal, and he's available, and he's there willing to play in the team in this AC Milan.
02:35Gabbia is not available for selection, we will see if he will be available for the away match in Cagliari, otherwise he will be available for Genoa.
02:48Fulfana is fit, and the others are fit as well.
02:52Hi, coach, you were talking about the defence, you said that in the last two matches, Milan was not up your expectations.
03:11And with the small teams, he's not consistent throughout the 90 minutes.
03:18Do you have an explanation for that?
03:21Well, to beat the small teams, so to speak, is not an easy task at the moment.
03:29And to win matches, you must be good both defensively and also when you attack, especially against when you are up against the small teams,
03:39when you have a higher ball possession, and we are not spending the rest of the campaign, not being able of beating small teams,
03:50because tomorrow we want to pick up three points.
03:53First question, the reason, well, the reason in football, it's difficult to find the explanations.
04:00We just play football, we just play our style on game.
04:06At the moment, we have 32 points.
04:09We must play defensively in a different way and just make our best to complicate life for opponents.
04:18While we conceded some goals, some sloppy goals against Napoli in Riyadh at home against Sassuolo.
04:29And we must go back, being stronger, being braver when we play defence.
04:36Francesco Rocchi.
04:38Hi, Max, I go back to Fulkrug.
04:41Why do you think Fulkrug is the right centre-forward that will allow you to change something up front?
04:53Well, his skill set were not there in the squad so far.
04:59And first and foremost, my sensation when I talked to him is that he was smiling, very happy and delighted of being signed.
05:11Of course, he's lagging behind, he needs to work, but this week, actually, he's going to increase the number of minutes he has in his legs.
05:26And he will be available against Cagliari.
05:29In the last few matches, you picked up Nkunku, but not really dangerous, one assist for Bartesaghi against Sassuolo.
05:45What is the issue?
05:48Why is not able yet to express his full potential?
05:52Well, because sometimes there are players who need more time to be part, to be fully involved in the team.
06:02But technically speaking, in training sessions, he has very high technical abilities and qualities.
06:11I trust him, we're all waiting for him, we're all waiting for his goal.
06:19This is why he must continue working in the same way.
06:22Gazzetta dello Sport, Pasotto, Max, over the past four matches, AC Milan have to recover from one kneel down.
06:37Is it just a coincidence, or is it something you can fix?
06:44Of course, we can and we must fix it.
06:48At the beginning of the season, we were up one kneel, now we are down, more often down one kneel.
06:56Of course, tomorrow we want to overturn, to reverse this trend.
07:00Then, once again, it's difficult to explain that.
07:03We need another approach, another level of attention defensively, because in Riyadh, we conceded the goal at the 39th minute after a tackle midfield.
07:18So, we must be more focused and we must defense in the proper way.
07:25Franco, Ordine.
07:29This morning, Capello on Gazzetta has made a very accurate analysis.
07:38He's saying, considering what Juventus and Roma will do on the transfer market, which is not so easy to get to the top four,
07:47or what do you think about that, about the top four race, and do you agree with him?
07:58Well, I do not know what Roma and Juventus will do in the January transfer market.
08:04I agree with Fabio Capello on the fact that it's very difficult to get to the top four at the end of the campaign.
08:15This is why I've always said that it's important to be on March and to be close to the top four.
08:23I mean, starting from tomorrow until the 15th of February, away in Pisa, we have nine matches,
08:33three in San Siro and six away, Roma, Verona, Genoa and Lecce, away we have Cagliari,
08:45Fiorentina, Como, Roma, Bologna and Pisa.
08:53So, very important matches, two very important months, and we must be there, close to the top four,
09:06close to the top of the table.
09:09Step by step, tomorrow we think about Verona, we need to produce a good performance,
09:16a patient performance, composed, play as a team, because they are able to break up the match in two different matches,
09:26and we must, I repeat, play properly defensively, because if you have a clean sheet, it's easier to win a match.
09:35Valentin Paoluzzi, L'Equipe.
09:37Hi, Max, another question on Christoph Kunkuk.
09:42Do you think he's paying the fact that he's been the highest in terms of transfer market of the price AC Milan paid,
09:56so the highest price was paid for Kunkung?
09:59Well, everybody is saying that Serie A is a very training championship, a training league,
10:07and I think it is right after the English league and the English Premier League,
10:16and you have no room, people are smarter, you have difficult matches.
10:23So I think he needs longer to adjust, to learn, and to adjust himself to the Italian league.
10:32Hi, coach, I go back to the defensive approach.
10:37After the last match against Napoli, you said that maybe you have to change something.
10:43Did you mean in terms of attitude or in terms of center of gravity?
10:50And then Fofana, you missed Fofana quite a lot.
10:56Well, Fofana is a very important player for the team.
11:00He proved during the first matches of this season how important he is.
11:06He can and he must do more.
11:08And then changing, well, I mean, I'm not going to change the team tactically,
11:20also because I must maximize the qualities of the players that are available for selection.
11:29Hi, Max.
11:30Let's talk about midfield, the center of gravity of your team.
11:37Modric and Rabiot help you out to find the balance.
11:42But two young players as Yashari and above all, Ricci, and Ricci, especially Ricci.
11:52Isn't it a mistake for the future?
11:55Or, I mean, are they going to remain in AC Milan and then maybe tomorrow be able,
12:04be ready to replace the most experienced players?
12:08Yes, absolutely.
12:09Yes, absolutely.
12:10Also because Yashari was out for three months and a half, two months for the injury.
12:20And also he arrived at the beginning of August and then he suffered from that bad injury.
12:26And Ricci, Ricci, Ricci is not leaving.
12:32Milan is a reliable player, he's a smart lad and Bob Ola is very happy with this jersey in AC Milan.
12:45When he plays, when he played, he always produced good performances.
12:52So Ricci is not going to leave AC Milan.
12:58Hi, Max.
12:59Tomorrow, Gabia is not available for selection with the back three, the central defender.
13:06Isn't it more appropriate to have a more experienced player?
13:12I mean, Tomori as a central midfielder and two different players on the back three.
13:20I thought about that, but I think that Tomori can be the right central defender and the winter can play as a central defender.
13:33He made some good performances, he made some mistakes as everybody does.
13:38He must improve, he has important potential as everybody.
13:43Hi, coach, you have talked about defensive approach.
13:51Verona should have more points than the 12e they have.
13:57They have very talented attacking players.
14:01What are the recommendations?
14:03What have you told to your players in the dressing room?
14:06Well, we have talked, I have talked to the team and I said that Verona, well, think about what they did in Flores and the match they played against Inter and Juventus.
14:20They always produced good performances, but they have very technical and quick players up front.
14:27And once again, if you are not very, very careful at the back, you concede goals against them.
14:37Hi, Max.
14:38Saleh Maxer and Rabiot, which of the two is the players that is going to help you out in finding the right balance?
14:48They are both very important, both defensively and also up front.
14:53Saleh Maxer is always very important.
14:58So, considering the two, which is out of the two, the one that is helping you out to find the balance.
15:07When we do not have the ball, we have to defend.
15:10Everybody has to defend the strikers as well.
15:15Saleh Maxer improved a lot.
15:17He has room for improvement in assisting, in crossing, while Rabiot is a very international, experienced player.
15:27And I think after the injury is going back at full fitness.
15:34And this is very important.
15:36Last one at the back.
15:37Hi, Max.
15:41Over the past few days, people talk about Ruben Loftus-Cic leaving AC Milan.
15:51Lazio Besiktas in Turkey are possibly interested in Loftus-Cic.
15:57Starting from tomorrow's match, is he going to be involved in your project or not?
16:06Well, Ruben is an important player for us.
16:10I said that at the beginning.
16:12I said that when he was not playing so much.
16:16Now he's playing more and more.
16:19These nine matches over the next two months.
16:24Everybody are crucial, are essential.
16:29If they are not playing tomorrow, they will play the next match.
16:32We all have to consider our target.
16:36Go back to Champions League football.
16:38And as Fabio Capello said this morning, it's not easy to get to the top four.
16:44It's very complicated to be top four at the end of the season.
16:48One step after the other, be focused and work hard to get to the target.
16:55And to get to the target, we need to pick up points, one match after the other.
17:01It's not going to be an easy job, but only with passion and belief we can do that all together.