AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca provided some interesting insight regarding why Serie A is such a difficult league compared to other around Europe.
A look at the league table perhaps shows that the Rossoneri are having domestic difficulties. They are still currently six points below Fiorentina in fourth, plus four points off Juve in sixth and 10 behind Napoli at the top (with a game in hand on both).
Fonseca spoke to the reporters who gathered at Milanello for his pre-match press conference on the eve of the game. He was asked about his desire to be a ‘modern, innovative coach who knows how to surprise’, and how that is going in Italy so far.
“I don’t like to talk about myself. You have to talk about me. What I can say is that I feel very very good in Italy, it’s very stimulating for a foreign coach. Here it’s different, it’s more stimulating to be here and find a different way of seeing things,” he said.
“Serie A is clearly different for me. In the past few days I was talking to my staff and I was saying that only by being here can you understand how different it is. Coaches who aren’t here don’t have the exact idea of what Serie A is like and what it brings to a coach.
“Winning here is very very difficult. The big European teams now have the chance to face Italian teams. Let’s look at the results. How are they doing? So think about facing Italian teams every week. It’s difficult.”
When asked a follow-up question about why Italian football has been so difficult to grasp, the Portuguese wanted to highlight the approach teams take in the non-possession phase.
“The way many teams defend here is different. I’m 100% sure that facing a team that plays man-to-man is more difficult than facing a team that plays zonal.
“Then there’s the physicality, the way of defending. Finding space here in Italy is not easy. If you talk about intensity, England is more intense but here it’s different.”
Fonseca has spoken before about how he much prefers preparing for games against teams that use zonal marking as opposed to being man-on-man and aggressive all over the field.
One of his more interesting comments came after the win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, in which he expressed concerns about how Milan would then fare against Cagliari, who are in a relegation battle.
It’s very very difficult, especially if you didn’t even manage to overcome the French league tactically
Then maybe you are not good enough to coach in Serie A. Just say that instead making excuses. That’s what losers do. People who are winners and successful always find a solution to a problem instead b!tching and complaining about how difficult it is. Good grief.
I don’t like Fonseca mentality at all. This is what separates top coaches from mediocre coaches. Unbelievable how this guy is ALWAYS talking like a loser.
I agree with you