Fonseca: Milan has always played individualistic football in the past

Milan will face Fiorentina away in Round 7 of Serie A on October 7. Head coach Paulo Fonseca attended the pre-match press conference.



Since the derby, you’ve mostly used the same lineup, except for the substitution of Morata with Loftus-Cheek against Bayer Leverkusen..  
At this moment, continuity is important because we have had more time for players to recover. If the team is in good form, it’s important to keep as many players as possible, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have confidence in others. For instance, Loftus-Cheek and Chukwueze performed well in the last match and have been training well. For me, having a foundation to support the team’s growth is crucial right now.  

How is the team doing after the Champions League? 
We didn’t win against Bayer Leverkusen, and the team felt disappointed and angry. However, this week I’ve heard all positive feedback. The team has trained well again, and we want to win. Playing in Florence is always tough; they have a great team. Traditionally, it’s difficult for Milan to win in Florence, but we are ready to play a great match.  

How are Morata and Pavlovic doing? 
Morata is fine; he’s ready to play and will be on the pitch tomorrow. As for Pavlovic, I believe defensive stability is important, and I think Gabia and Tomori have been playing very well. Now Pavlovic needs to keep working hard, but he will get his chances. The current center-back pairing is performing excellently, and it’s essential to maintain that.  

Gabia finally received a call-up to the national team; what are your thoughts on that? 
I’m the coach of Milan, and I don’t want to influence Spalletti, but I think it’s the right decision. He’s in great form, and I believe this call-up is deserved. I’m very pleased; he’s a very professional player. If there’s a player here who deserves that title, it’s Gabia.  

After winning this round, Napoli will surely maintain their lead at the top of the table. Will that be difficult for you?  
We still have a lot to fight for, and many teams want the same things we do. I don’t want to talk about other teams, but Napoli has the advantage of not being involved in European competitions. They have a strong coach, a strong team, and more time to work. I don’t want to create pressure, but they are strong contenders for the Serie A title.  

The only away match Milan has won this season was the derby; are you struggling in away games?  
For us, the situation is always the same; we aim to win both at home and away. Winning tomorrow is important, but not because it’s an away match; it’s about continuing our performance in the league. This is an opportunity to show that we have the same ambition both home and away.  

Milan has either disappointed or created great matches. Which is the true Milan?  
It’s hard to answer that. But I know that we just faced Bayer Leverkusen, who is one of the strongest teams in Europe right now. I think we are in a growth phase—not just because we beat Inter and Lecce am I saying the team is growing. However, I feel that the team is improving, but there’s still much to improve upon. For me, the true Milan has not yet arrived. We have to do more, and indeed, what I want is a team that is close to how we performed in the second half against Bayer. We must understand that every match is different. If we want to perform like we did in the Champions League's second half tomorrow, we must be different. Fiorentina will play man-to-man defense tomorrow, but for me, feeling that the team is growing is still important.  

Youssouf Fofana is also improving; has he become irreplaceable?  
He is very important for us and is improving every day. I think there’s an adaptation issue; Ligue 1 and Serie A are different, and his role here is also different, and this adaptation takes time. For me, this player is crucial in this system. As Fofana improves, the team improves as well. Players in those positions are the engine of the team; if they perform well, the team has the potential to play better.  

Kalulu performed well against Juventus; if you could go back, would you agree to his transfer? 
I don’t want to talk about players who are not here; Kalulu is no longer here. I can’t forget that this is also the player’s choice. It doesn’t make sense to compare players here with those at other clubs; what’s important are the players who are here.  

How is Calabria doing? 
Calabria still has some issues. He initially had a calf injury, and then during the recovery process, another calf had a compensatory issue. He has these problems, so he can’t play.  

Is it possible to have Moussa play the role of Fofana?  
We are working to have him play that role; he’s training in that position. Bennacer is injured, and we have no other players who can play in that position. Besides Fofana, there’s only Moussa. Fofana is a passing midfielder, while Moussa is a ball-controlling midfielder, and we are working to make him capable of filling that role.  

You’ve been using the same 11 to 12 players in the starting lineup; shouldn’t players like Chukwueze and Okafor also be warming up to come on?
We need to look at the momentum of the team and the players; right now, I think it’s important to maintain this continuity. Just wait and see; I have confidence in all the players. We have many matches ahead, and we need everyone, but for now, I believe it’s essential for the same players to be on the pitch for the team.  

Does this team have enough determination and qualities to dominate the game? 
I don’t think the match against Bayer Leverkusen was a matter of determination. In the first half, Bayer deserved to have the upper hand; we made mistakes in our build-up and decision-making. The team showed determination throughout the match; I don’t think it’s an attitude issue. It was a tough match because Bayer is a strong team, and their style is easy to understand but hard to counter. However, I think the team has a lot of determination.  

How much help does Maignan provide you on the pitch and in the dressing room?  
From the first day I arrived, Mike has been an important player and one of the leaders of the team. His performance has been outstanding, and he is always very composed. He’s one of the leaders in the dressing room.  

What concerns do you have about Fiorentina?  
I think it will be a tough match. They have excellent players with quality, and they will play man-to-man defense, which isn’t easy to face from different teams. We just went through a match focusing on positional play, and now this match requires other aspects to be more important. If we don’t do well, we will face more difficulties against their man-to-man defense. It will be a challenging match.  

In what areas has the team not reached its 100% ideal state?
I seem to always be talking about the same thing... I believe since the moment I arrived here, I easily understood this team. I’m not saying it’s better now; it’s just different now. This isn’t a criticism of the past; it’s just an observation. This team has always played individualistic football in the past, and changing that is difficult. We are working every day to change that because this is what I firmly believe: I’m not saying this is better, but it’s not easy. Afterward, we must understand that change doesn’t happen overnight. We need time, we need training, and we need to understand what the important moments and phases are. Of course, this change is challenging. But we are changing. What pleases me most is that in the second half against Bayer, our positional play was outstanding.