The whole AC Milan world are still processing Paulo Fonseca’s rather explosive press conference ahead of the Udinese game yesterday, one in which he tried to stress that he is the man in charge.
As MilanNews writes, it was an unexpectedly fierce Fonseca who appeared before the journalists in the Milanello conference room yesterday, still evidently angry about the behaviour and attitudes of some of his players in the Fiorentina defeat before the break, more than the performances themselves.
“For me it was very important to talk about the match with Fiorentina yesterday even before Udinese,” he said. It is a clear sign that there is still a lot of bitterness for what happened in Florence, even if it is now two weeks ago.
The Milan coach does not want to leave anything out and does not want to underestimate any problem, and he does not hide in the face of difficulties. He also didn’t want to exclude the idea of punishing those who think they can implement their own rules: “No player comes before the team.”
The answer he gave on silent leadership was also very striking, underlining that it is much more important to have influence over the players inside the dressing room (stating ‘I am not an actor’), rather than manifesting it in the public domain.
The coach has certainly shown that he is not afraid to make choices that are sometimes unpopular, and that could also include some sacrifices tonight like Rafael Leao’s exlusion, either punitive or simply rotation of players in view of the hectic schedule that awaits.
If anyone wanted a reactive Fonseca who was not at all resigned in the face of events, then they will have been satisfied with yesterday’s comments. However, this must now translate into seeing a united and determined team, starting from today’s game.