Andriy Shevchenko has reassured AC Milan fans that Paulo Fonseca is a good hire by the management, while he also spoke about the striker that might arrive.
It is looking more and more like Fonseca will arrive next week and put pen to paper on a contract that will see him become the Milan manager for the next two years, especially after Lille confirmed his departure in a statement yesterday.
The management will be called upon to strengthen the squad to give Fonseca the opportunity to implement his style of play. In this sense, Milan are looking for a defensive midfielder in addition to a striker and a centre-back, per reports.
It would be fair to describe the response to Fonseca’s imminent appointment as ‘mixed’, given some fans wanted Antonio Conte or Roberto De Zerbi and are a bit underwhelmed by the CV of the Portuguese.
Shevchenko spoke during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport about a number of topics including the upcoming European Championship and what he thinks about the developments surrounding Milan.
Fonseca, who coached Shakhtar in Ukraine, will be Milan’s next manager. Is it the right choice?
“I don’t know if it’s official or not, I can say that Paulo worked well in Ukraine and left a mark. He is a competent and respectable person. A serious person. Then I don’t know what plans Milan have and what his are. They’ll talk about it, I assume.”
Is the priority for Milan the purchase of a great striker?
“It seems logical to me after Giroud’s departure. Giroud, a true centre-forward, also did fabulous things at Milan. Replacing him won’t be easy. Without him, we will need another true striker, capable of guaranteeing 16-17 goals. The team’s problem in recent times has been that of the attackers who score little.”
Would Lukaku be a good choice?
“We know Lukaku’s characteristics. As I said, it depends on how the coach intends to play.”
Are there any Ukrainian players who would you recommend to Milan?
“So many. Tsyngakov, Mudryk, Dovbyk.”
Your favourites for the European Championship?
“England, France, Spain, Italy, which has many variations, Germany. But also Belgium, Croatia and Austria, which is very solid, are good teams.”
And your Ukraine?
“Let’s think about getting through the group and then we’ll go step by step.”
