AC Milan director Zvonimir Boban blasted the squad for an ’embarrassing’ 5-0 defeat to Atalanta on Sunday.
The Rossoneri were thoroughly outclassed in every department by their hosts, who ran riot in the second half scoring four times to pile misery upon a broken looking Milan side.
Papu Gomez, Mario Pasalic, Josip Ilicic (x2) and Luis Muriel all got on the scoresheet for La Dea as they inflicted the heaviest league defeat on Milan for 21 years.
The result means that the Diavolo head into Christmas in the bottom half of the table, with January expected to be a busy month as Paolo Maldini, Boban and Ricky Massara look to fix a dysfunctional squad.
Reflecting after the game, Boban did not pull any punches in his assessment of the defeat, and also appeared to aim a veiled dig at owners Elliott Management over their recruitment strategy.
“The performance wasn’t there. It hurts a lot, it was embarrassing, this can’t be Milan. It was very painful to see their domination,” he said (via Calciomercato.com).
“The market? We will try to do our best, in line with our potential. In some positions on the pitch we know we have to intervene, to improve something and we will try to do it.
“The club’s policy is to focus on young people, we must accept it. It will not be a nice Christmas, there will be no rest. Losing always hurts, we would like to be immediately competitive, we know that we can not be, it takes a little time.
“Berlusconi’s Milan cannot be redone in a year or six months, this game is a bad blow, we have to wake up and react.
To Sky Itaia, he added: “I’m sad and bewildered. Also worried because it was a match dominated by Atalanta. A disastrous game, we will have to have the strength to react already in January.
“We are super happy with Pioli and how he is working, there is no doubt about it.
“The fans? I already believe that all my reflection was addressed to them. We too are fans, it hurts. We are very sorry.”
