FONSECA: "WE WANT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR PROGRESS"

After the derby, the joy and adrenaline have gone into preparations for the next game where we should capitalise on the good moment. It's fundamental to beat Lecce and win once again to climb higher in the standings. On the eve of matchday 6, at Milanelllo, the press conference with Coach Fonseca. The Rossoneri coach's words were shown live on the AC Milan Official App and Milan TV.

AHEAD OF AC MILAN V LECCE
"The next match is very important, we need to confirm our growth. The Derby win only means something if we beat Lecce and solidify our progress. We also need to make up ground in the standings. It's a dangerous game, and we must be cautious, but this is a moment where we can't afford mistakes, we have to win".

AFTER THE DERBY
"AC Milan hadn’t won a Derby in a long time, and this victory brings confidence to the entire squad. I always try to stay balanced; we need to quickly forget about that win and focus on the next match, which is the most important one. The atmosphere remains positive, but the future is our target. I don’t let myself be swayed by external opinions. I have to stay consistent. The love from fans and supporters is irrational, and I understand that and I know how it works. As for the Scudetto, my thoughts remain the same as they’ve always been".

MAXIMUM ATTENTION
"I don’t want to dwell too much on the Derby, but right now the mental aspect is crucial, perhaps even more so than the tactical or technical side. Feeling good on the pitch, with balance, energy, and motivation, is definitely important. For me, it’s harder to manage victories. The day before the match against Inter, I knew the players were motivated and mentally prepared. Playing against Lecce is dangerous because we need to make the lads understand that we must be the same and play the same way. It's a more difficult challenge to manage".

THE PATH TO GROWTH
"I don’t want to give percentages, but we’re far from 100%. We’ve made progress, but we can and must do even better. Against Inter, the team stayed compact and didn’t allow our opponents to do what they usually do. We were strong in offensive transitions, but we need to improve in possession and in matches where we need to be dominant. AC Milan must play as much as possible in the attacking half, and that’s where we need to improve".

CONSISTENCY
"I have faith in all the players, but we need to understand the timing. Right now, it's not the moment to make too many changes; we need continuity. In the future, I’m not ruling it out, because we have many games to play, and when you’re a real team, it’s easier to rotate. Against Lecce, Gabbia and Tomori will play, and then we’ll think about the upcoming fixtures. Morata is doubtful for tomorrow due to a knock, but we want to maintain the momentum we've built, so that’s still undecided. Álvaro has been called up, but we’ll assess his condition tomorrow, we don’t want to take any risks".

INDIVIDUALS IN ATTACK
"We’re working a lot with Leão, even on an individual level, and he’s applying himself well in defensive phases too, he’s growing in that aspect. In the Derby, we were a united team, including Rafa. He had three chances to make a decisive impact. In my opinion, he’s doing a good job and playing for the team, and for me, that’s the most important thing. Abraham has an infectious energy, he brings it to the team, not just during matches. Chukwueze had a very good pre-season; I think he just needs to build confidence within the context of Serie A, where you have neither time nor space to think and must make the right decisions quickly".

DEFENCE AND MIDFIELD
"Gabbia is playing because he deserves to. It's true that he’s one of the best centre-backs in build-up play, but he also organises the defensive line and the team very well, he’s excellent in positional play. Right now, we don’t have Bennacer, who can replace Fofana, but Musah can also play in his position. Fofana is a passer, Musah is more of a carrier. Reijnders has unique qualities for our team, he’s a difficult player to replace. He can play in various midfield roles and is effective between the lines. Emerson Royal hasn’t trained much with us since he arrived late, but he can improve defensively because I already see him as a strong player offensively".

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