AC Milan’s management remain firmly alongside Paulo Fonseca despite the reports suggesting that his position is already unstable, but a turning point is needed quickly.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes that Milan’s start to the season has been far below the expectations of the club and the fans, with the noise surrounding Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao not exactly helping matters.
It is probable that before the match against Venezia and on the eve of two big matches against Liverpool and Inter there will be an appeal for unity within the dressing room, and likely from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Nobody wants the season to be over at the end of September, and that is the risk.
Gerry Cardinale was sitting in the stands on Saturday evening between the CEO Giorgio Furlani and the technical director Geoffrey Moncada and that means the saw Theo and Leao estranged from the rest of the squad during the cooling break.
Fonseca’s position is not in question because implementing a different style of play takes time. Everyone knows this, especially Ibrahimovic who, although absent in Rome, has not lost contact with ‘planet Milan’.
Some of the new signings arrived close to the start of the season, other players are fresh from the European Championship and not in top condition, due to having a few training sessions at Milanello. The club expects a change of gear when the games resume, expecting more from their leaders.
Fonseca had told Cardinale and the other directors on Monday at Milanello about the possibility (which at that moment was just a possibility) of excluding Theo and Leao at the Olimpico. He then confirmed the decision after the conversations he had with the dup about their condition.
The club were naturally at his side, respecting the autonomy in the coach’s selection choices, but this is now a closed chapter and the coach certainly has no intention of moving forward without Leao and Theo in the future.
