Sergio Conceicao, Head Coach of AC Milan (L) and FC Internazionale coach Simone Inzaghi.

CM: Conceicao a ‘caged lion’, Tomori vocal – the derby seen from the dugouts

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

A report has revealed some of the details from pitchside regarding how the managers and players behaved during the derby between AC Milan and Inter.

Calciomercato.com write that Conceicao is ‘literally a caged lion’. His perpetual wandering, back and forth, often in circles, is typical of lions who want to get out of the space that limits them. In short, the technical area becomes technical air and the lines didn’t seem to mean much.

He took off his jacket at one point and told Leao to ‘go to hell’ after a misplaced backheel, before correcting his position for the whole first half. He is literally obsessed – in general and even more so in these games – by the distance between the lines within the team.

He asked Ismael Bennacer, who came off at half-time mainly for this reason, to have the right position when the ball goes to Leao, but the Algerian did not find this position and since Conceiçao didn’t let him off the hook. Bennacer would leave the club on deadline day.

On 18 minutes he sent sends three men to warm up. And then his most typical gesture, especially to those who are far away: he raises an arm with a curled hand, a claw that wants to pull something hanging higher up.

Since Conceiçao has been there, the captain is Maignan, who however does a warm-up separately from his team-mates. Fikayo Tomori was the one who ‘talked the most’ on the field, as per the report. He does it clearly for linguistic reasons with Walker, who has just arrived.

However he did so also with Abraham, Pulisic and Reijnders, who now speak Italian, but continue to prefer English. In general he did it because, incredibly, he seemed the most serene of all and as if the occasion did not scare him.

Tags AC Milan

9 Comments

  1. If he had a problem with Bennacer’s positioning then what about the rest of the team? I found Bennacer the one to be holding the midfield together as evidenced by the complete breakdown in the second half after he got taken off. Benny seem to stick to the area just in front of the centre back (similar to Seedorf against Tottenham) and he was able to not only defend attacks but pass the ball out effectively. Now if this is not what the coach wants .. fine but he needs to think of the counterfactual ie what happens when that function is not fulfilled

    1. I also thought Benny was doing alright, often covering and passing the ball better than his midfield partners and expected to even improve given he was out for a long time. Anyway don’t know how Conceicao believed a young wide player in Jimenez or skill-less Terra was a better choice against Inter.

    2. I don’t think you know what conceicao wanted which makes your assessment void. I remember on two occasions the when Inter got a strike on goal Benny was just standing in space clearly having lost his man. Benny is constantly one of the poorest at covering his man. It seems some of us have forgotten since he’s been gone so long.

      1. You just disagreeing for disagreeing sake. I’ve addressed all of that in my original comment. “I don’t think you know what conceicao wanted which makes your assessment void.”…I don’t have to know, that wasn’t the point🤦‍♂️. Read better, the latter part of the statement is more important
        ….”Now if this is not what the coach wants .. fine but he needs to think of the counterfactual ie what happens when that function is not fulfilled”.
        This was one of the reasons we got beat in the second half.

        Give me time stamps of the times when Benny “was just standing in space” I have the game on PVR. From what I can recall he provided superb coverage in front of D. I’ll watch the half again to corroborate. But I’d bet it’s likely you’re reaching like K.

        1. “From what I can recall he provided superb coverage in front of D. I”

          Well, in total honesty, Bennacery hasn’t done anything superb for 2-3 years now. Mainly below average and a couple of times slightly above average. Superb? Not since the scudetto season.

  2. Pls I want to ask a question and I will appreciate it if anyone here answers pls …are all football fields measured equally ,cos I see some football fields especially fields of smallest clubs in Italy and they look so very small .am I wrong or it’s like that

  3. Pulisic needs a rest now and then. So getting Felix is probably good for Pulisic’s long term effectiveness.
    If Pulisic and Felix can team up on the fast break,
    it may be a huge benefit for AC Milan.

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