CONCEIÇÃO: "AWARE OF THE RESPONSIBILTY ON OUR SHOULDERS"

72 hours after the clash against Bologna, the Rossoneri are back in action for another big match. AC Milan v Lazio is scheduled for Serie A matchday 27, a match which could help both sides achieve their European ambitions. It is a fixture that was introduced, at Milanello, by Coach Conceição's press conference, broadcast on the AC Milan Official App and Milan TV.

THE ROSSONERI RUN
"Win, win, win. There is no option. We are aware of the responsibility on our shoulders at the moment, for what has happened because of our mistakes and those things we cannot control. We cannot hang on to small instances of bad luck, we need to work on what we can control to get results. There is no other way".

GROUP MENTALITY
"My job, and that of my staff, is to control what happens on the pitch both in training and during a match. A Club like this lives on titles, we can win the Coppa Italia after having won the Supercoppa. There are 12 games to be played in the league, to improve our game and our mentality. We have to be at 1000%, from the first to the last second of the match. These tough periods pass with work".

INDIVIDUALS
"I don't like to pick people out. In Turin, I didn't see Reijnders on a decline, he even scored. We rewatched the game looking at situations and plays, seeing how he is always present. He is playing deeper but he has the freedom to make runs in and get up front quite often. Everyone can give more, myself first of all, but I think that Tijji is doing well in his work. Before Bologna, the medics said that Pulisic could not start and we prepared with him from the beginning. He has had a small physical issue for a month now and we have to manage that, you see he doesn't have the ability to play at 100%. João is a very good player for breaking down lines, sometimes he strays into areas where he shouldn't. We are working on this together him and I. Aside from his experience, it's important to see him engaged in the daily work. He has to be more clinical in front of goal, he has the skill to do so".

THE MESSAGE TO THE TEAM
"I've asked the lads to work well. We need to give our most every day, the next game is always the most important. If we want to win in a certain way, with a lot of changes of pace and acceleration, this is needed. In Riyadh, it was a good result but certain situations didn't go well. I am aware that you don't see what happens on a daily basis in training and I respect journalists' opinions. We don't need to cling to specific incidents but there have been errors outside of our control. In the squad, we need to be less weighed down and more balanced in terms of mentality. We need to be strong".

BACK AGAINST LAZIO
"Humans are full of memories but I want to always win. I spent some wonderful years in Roma but now that's the past. It will be a tough game against an ambitious side, Marco (Baroni) is doing quality work after the journey through the ranks of Serie C, Serie B and Serie A with a lot of experience, and hundreds of games. I applaud him".

TACTICAL GROWTH
"Torino and Bologna were different kinds of games. We definitely could have done and scored more, we are working on this. After Lazio, we will have two good weeks for the first time, certain players will be able to focus on things that they have never worked on before. Against a man-marking Bologna, we should have better exploited their spaces in the midfield to get in behind. This is one of the moments in a game that we are focusing on, that we've been working on. In the upcoming fixtures, we will start to assess different set-ups, and different systems for playing because there will be more time to work. In the past, I've used various tactics, we have to define via training those areas in which we are more comfortable with and without the ball. We will be working on it for certain".

DESIRE TO WIN
"I'm used to winning, since being a kid. I've played in various successful sides, I've won as a coach after having studied hard. For me, it was a dream to come work in Italy; today I am part of a great environment, at a historic Club. It isn't AC Milan that was aiming to win the Champions League but the mentality and the hunger of the fans is the same no matter who is in the dugout or on the pitch. Everyone in this group has his own personality, but I think everyone also has the desire to win. My displeasure, my disappointment when things don't go well is immense. I never accept losing, I feel the same frustration as the fans. At the end of a tough game, I might have some kind of release but it's all connected to the desire to win".

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