GIAMPAOLO: "I ALREADY FEEL AT HOME HERE"

In Boston, AC Milan v Benfica is just one day away. This will be the second and final fixture the Diavolo will play on American soil in the ICC 2019. Ahead of the 21:00 CEST kick-off (15:00 local time) at the Gillette Stadium on Sunday 28 July, Coach Giampaolo and Fabio Borini held a press conference directly from The Charles Hotel, where the team are currently staying. This is what the Rossoneri Coach had to say:

DEVELOPMENT
"I always expect progress from our previous match. There are many things that need to be improved and this is something which is never-ending. We are currently working on broad concepts, then we'll have to work on the details based on the information that the various games provide us. This will be the way to go until the first fixture of the league season. Integrating the players will be important, including our new players, those on holiday or at Milanello, or those who will join. At the moment, I'm satisfied and confident, the group is inquisitive and attentive. I'm seeing lads who want to question themselves, who aren't shying away."

THE TEAM
"I know where we need to go, the direction we need to head, but a lot of work is needed in terms of attitude, the way the players go about their business and their mentality in order to get to that point. This is the most important moment when it comes to building a team. The road is mapped out, I've seen great willingness. The lads are working well, no training session has been wasted. A thought process needs to be shared and everyone needs to carry it forward together."

WORK
"You could say that I already feel at home. Everyone is available and I'm not lacking anything. Every day, you need to earn esteem with all the people who work at this great Club, nothing can ever be taken for granted. I know how much responsibility there is, you can't hide because there's a different game every Sunday. I need to work hard and always remain on the ball. I'm working in optimum conditions thanks to the Club."

ON BAYERN MUNICH V MILAN
"I liked the commitment out on the pitch, the lads played with belief. Improvement is needed, both when when in possession and without the ball, and also when we're looking to win the ball back. We need to rectify a few things, this is normal and we'll manage to do this. It was a new-look team but we were competitive, those who played displayed quality and experience. We had to push a number of players, making them play the 90 minutes when this wasn't in our plans. The team kept fighting until the end."

ON THE ICC
"Top-level matches allow you to better gauge where you're at. This is an important competition, we hope to make the people of Boston feel more Italian. In Italy, football is the national sport. This is not the case in America and this needs time."

These were Borini's words:

"I haven't played as a mezz'ala a lot, but the Coach warned me about this before we left due to the lack of players in that role. The need was there and I made myself available for the Coach and the team. I'm learning about a new role and this could be useful. The Coach's ideas of football are different and more complex, but also more fun and engaging for us players. There isn't a desire to wait for the opposition, we want to get at them from the beginning until the end instead. AC Milan sides of the past dominated matches and played on the attack from start to finish. I like this mentality because it's offensive and modern, you play further up. Where do I see myself in September? Waiting for the birth of my second daughter. The ICC provides high-quality matches before the league season. It's important, as is increasingly making yourself known abroad in order to expand your horizons with fans throughout the world in mind."

The official PUMA match kits for the 2019/20 season are available in the AC Milan Online Store!