Genoa v AC Milan, Serie A 2024/25: the pre-match press conference

A.C. MILAN OFFICIAL

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00:01Welcome to the press conference on the eve of the match against Genoa.

00:05First question for Mr. Conceição.

00:09Tomorrow's match, with the Coppa Italia final coming up,

00:17is it an important step for you?

00:21With the cup in mind, will you be thinking about other things

00:24or are you determined to finish as high as possible?

00:27Well, my argument has always been that we play every match,

00:34take every match as it comes, and we prepare during the week for it.

00:38Different moments, we want to improve certain things

00:43and we have to work on the things we believe we need to improve.

00:47And every match that goes by, we want to be a better team,

00:50and that's why we're working.

00:52And we're thinking about Genoa, tomorrow's match.

00:55And then we have a match against Bologna.

01:01This season, you've never had four matches in a row

01:07with the same 11, the same team playing.

01:13This starting line-up seems to have been giving you guarantees

01:17and the team are working out how to play together.

01:21Will you try and use the same 11 tomorrow?

01:24And is Jovic's back okay?

01:26Yeah, it's true.

01:28This continuity that we've got in the new formation

01:37is helping and we're working on it every day.

01:43Defensively, we're working on it and also the attacking dimension.

01:47We want the team during the match to begin to understand

01:56what we want from them, what we want from them on the pitch.

02:02Sometimes, sometimes things go against you.

02:06Something could happen tomorrow to go against us.

02:11We've had some bad surprises, like Jovic's, Luka Jovic's back injury.

02:18But my feeling, my feeling is that everyone is important.

02:24I need all my players.

02:27They're all prepared and ready to play.

02:30The whole group is ready to play

02:31and I've got faith in all of them.

02:35Luka Jovic is better.

02:38He's trained with us three times.

02:42Tammy Abraham has stopped with a small injury

02:46and Bondo and Ricciardo Sotil.

02:51Three players.

02:52Three players who have not been well,

02:59but tomorrow you'll know what the formation is.

03:08I'd like to know about your way of managing the squad.

03:13Fabio Capello in the past said,

03:16when a season is closing

03:17and you've got one more big important match,

03:20but you've got matches before that large game,

03:24it's a bit flat,

03:26but you need to keep the starting players,

03:30you need to keep them fit and keep them sharp

03:32so they can arrive at that final in good shape.

03:36Or do you have a different kind of way of managing resources?

03:40No, no, I don't need to manage anything.

03:43Every match we're playing for something,

03:44it's not like we're playing for nothing.

03:46Every player that plays every match

03:49has got a responsibility to do their best for Milan.

03:54We know that the championship, the league,

03:58we've got a responsibility to show every day

04:01for people who are at the matches,

04:04who watch the matches,

04:06we have to show our quality.

04:08And we have to be better than we have been

04:14in some championship matches.

04:16That's why we're working so hard.

04:18The way that other managers used to manage,

04:21used to manage their resources,

04:24it's not important to me.

04:26Maybe some of them can be a reference, of course.

04:29In this case, Fabio Capello is an example.

04:31He's a former manager that I really respect

04:35and now he's a pundits TV commentator, pundit.

04:40And he's got his view, I've got my view.

04:44We work hard to make sure that the 11 that start the game

04:49are not the only players

04:54because we need all the players in the squad,

04:59not just the 11 who starts.

05:00I think match by match.

05:04That's my thought.

05:05That's our philosophy.

05:06Teo Hernandez and Rafa Leao

05:14have returned to being one of the best left flanks

05:18in the Italian Championship.

05:22The quality of the Milan players,

05:28everyone knows the quality of those two players.

05:33They need to be consistent.

05:34They need to show their qualities every match, though.

05:38And we always speak about it.

05:40We always talk about these two players

05:42who have already won the Scudetto with Milan,

05:44the league with Milan.

05:47In their position, they're the best in the world.

05:51There are times, though, when moments,

05:52when things don't go as you'd want them to.

05:56Things don't go well.

05:58But the moment is the most important thing in football.

06:01Mentally, they're well.

06:02They're both available.

06:04And I expect a lot from them,

06:06as I do from all my players.

06:08I'm relying on them as I rely on all my players.

06:09Kyle Walker is back.

06:17He played against Venezia for 20 minutes.

06:20In the new formation, do you consider him in the three central defenders,

06:25as Manchester City did,

06:27or do you want to play him as a white full-back?

06:29Kyle knows all the positions.

06:32For me, he's a great solution.

06:34He knows both positions, in a back three or a wing-back.

06:39He's well, physically he's well, and he's available.

06:42Like everyone else is fit and available to help the team.

06:48I want to ask about Jiménez.

06:54Santiago Jiménez, he scored.

06:56Which one?

06:56Santiago.

06:57Okay.

06:58He scored against Venezia.

07:00And you said Luka Jovic could come back.

07:06Could tomorrow be an audition for the final,

07:10deciding who you will pick as centre-forward?

07:12Who do you think is better, works better for the team?

07:17At this moment, who do you think is better as a centre-forward?

07:21Both.

07:22Both are great.

07:24They've got great qualities.

07:25They're great players.

07:29Who will play?

07:30Maybe one of them, or maybe both of them together.

07:32Anyway, they've got very interesting qualities.

07:37They work hard for the team.

07:39One is different to the other.

07:40But they are.

07:43But I've got full faith in both of them.

07:46As I said, it depends on the match.

07:49It depends on the moment who will play.

07:51Football, every moment,

07:53any moment can change everything.

07:57That's how it is.

07:58I watch them train every day.

08:02And the matches that come,

08:05and tomorrow is the match against Genoa,

08:06and I'll watch and I'll see.

08:08I'll watch them and I'll make my decision.

08:14I'd like to ask about Alejandro Jiménez,

08:16the Spanish defender.

08:18You've played him often and you've put great faith in him.

08:23And when he started in Serie C with Milan Furturo,

08:26he's jumped up two categories, two divisions.

08:28And he provided an assist in the derby against Inter.

08:34And he had an important impact against Venezia.

08:39He's growing match by match, improving.

08:41You've played him in several roles.

08:44Where do you think is the best role for him to develop?

08:49High up, at full back, winger?

08:53In your left, right?

08:57Yeah, he's got quality.

08:59He needs to improve.

09:00Even he needs to improve in his concentration, consistency.

09:08He's a young player.

09:09He's young.

09:10And like young players,

09:12they need to work on their concentration.

09:14They need to focus.

09:17Because in terms of skill and tactics and physically,

09:22he's a very good player.

09:24He's a good player.

09:24He needs to work hard.

09:26He needs to continue on his journey.

09:27And he wants to improve every day.

09:30He wants to improve.

09:33Not just in training,

09:36but he's learning how to be a professional,

09:38how to live like a professional.

09:42I'd like to ask you a question similar to my colleague

09:45about Loftus, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

09:48He played as a trequartista in the last match.

09:52Do you think he would play in the midfield too

09:54or as a number 10 trequartista?

09:56Yes, he's a very good player.

10:02In my view, he's a box-to-box midfielder,

10:05but he can play further forward

10:06or he can play further back.

10:08Depends on the match.

10:09Depends on our strategy.

10:10Depends on what I want.

10:12He's strong.

10:15And he's good at getting into the other team's penalty area.

10:17Technically, he's very good.

10:20And he's well.

10:22He's fit at the moment.

10:24Every day he's getting better and we need him.

10:27And we're going to need him for this running.

10:28Between the Coppa Italia and the league,

10:35Milan have got three away matches.

10:39Milan have not conceded a goal in their last three away matches.

10:42How have you made them more solid away from home?

10:44It's work.

10:48It's not always a system that defines everything.

10:52There's work.

10:52There's teamwork.

10:55And we're working on that to be consistent,

10:59to remain at this level.

11:00Attacking-wise, the squad has shown in all the matches.

11:06The team has shown that we can create,

11:09we've created a lot of chances,

11:10more than the opponents.

11:14And the defensive solidity is what we've been lacking.

11:19But we have been, we are working,

11:21continually working on the attack,

11:24but also on defensive solidity.

11:26It's important.

11:28Not just the team.

11:30But the individuals.

11:33We're all working to try and get to a higher level.

11:37We work individually with the players.

11:39On the defensive part, we work collectively.

11:43And that's our, it's what we do.

11:45It's our job.

11:46It's our job to improve the team.

11:53When you look at the table,

11:58a new Juventus, Lazio, Bologna, Fiorentina,

12:01who are fighting for fourth place,

12:03and they swap exchange positions,

12:05are you a bit angry, a bit disappointed

12:08that a team could have done more in the last few months

12:11to be there fighting for a Champions League place?

12:13Yes.

12:14Yes.

12:16That's it.

12:16Yes.

12:18Grazie.

12:20Sergio, Consiglio Sales Press Conference.

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