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00:00Good afternoon everyone, welcome along to the pre-match press conference on the eve
00:05of Milan Red Star Belgrade with Paolo Fonseca and Matteo Gabbia, let's start with Milan
00:11TV.
00:12Thank you Nicola, good afternoon Gaffa, Milan have nine points, Red Star only have three,
00:16but besides that, is it important to convey to the whole stadium that in every Champions
00:21League match we saw so in the home game against Club Brugge that they're always banana skin
00:26so you need to give everything to win the match?
00:29Yes, and that's also the case because we're up against a team that won their last match
00:35by five goals to one against Stuttgart, it will be a difficult match, just as every game
00:41in the Champions League is, but it will be an important game for us, we want to win it
00:47and we want to come away with three points.
00:50A question for Matteo Gabbia, good afternoon Matteo.
00:55Red Star are historic opponents for Milan, there have been some great past meetings and
01:01some wonderful memories against Venezuela, but in order to have your say in the Champions
01:07League, Milan with their nine points on the board need to press ahead and mustn't underestimate
01:12the opposition, how do you see it tomorrow?
01:15Absolutely, just as the Gaffa said, it's a match that we want to win, it's a game where
01:19we won't underestimate our opponents because we've watched them and we've seen the ability
01:24that they possess and the potential banana skins, that's why we've prepared well for
01:28the game, and at this moment in time it all comes down to how much quality, determination
01:34and application we show on the pitch, but our aim is to try and go out there and come
01:38away with maximum points.
01:39Rai, good afternoon Gaffa, tomorrow you'll have to do without Christian Pulisic for the
01:47match, he's a hugely important player, how is Pulisic, are you concerned about him and
01:53could you tell us what you plan to do in terms of replacing him?
01:58Oh, you want to know who's going to play?
02:00Ruben Loftus-Cheek will start, Ruben Loftus-Cheek will replace Christian Pulisic, he's got a
02:07bit of a niggle, he's not available for selection, but I have the utmost faith in Loftus-Cheek
02:14to fill in for Pulisic.
02:16A question for Matteo, how important is Europe for you in order to bounce back when you've
02:23had some tough times domestically in Serie A?
02:29I don't think Champions League should be a life raft for us, something to grasp onto
02:34based on Serie A, I think we need to try and concentrate on both fronts and that's why
02:39tomorrow we need to try and win the match, give our all and try and make it through to
02:44the round of 16 of the Champions League and then we'll think about what Genoa possess
02:49and pose as a threat on Sunday in the league, but we need to see it as a motivation, we've
02:53got a lot of energy to try and win the game.
02:55Mediaset.
02:56Hi Paolo, a question about your theory, why is there this two-speed Milan, fairly comfortable
03:07in the Champions League whereas domestically in Serie A, besides all of the controversy
03:13that surrounded the game at Atalanta, there have been ups and downs, is it a comfort zone,
03:18is it the club's DNA, the fact that Milan are very at home in the Champions League,
03:22there is a change though, isn't there?
03:24They're completely different matches, but I also think that in Serie A, every day we're
03:31getting closer to the level that we've produced in the Champions League.
03:36And a question now for Matteo, you're an Italian player in this team, do you feel increasingly
03:46like a leader of this side, you came back from loan, the defence has got better as well
03:54besides a few mistakes from set-pieces, but I know you're working on that.
03:58One day, would you also like to be Milan captain?
04:01No, as I said in the past to your colleagues, I'm very happy with what I'm producing, when
04:10we win, when we lose I know that we can do more and therefore my aim is to always to
04:17try and convey what I can actually produce, what my ability is, I want to show what I
04:24can do out there on the pitch, both towards my team-mates and they do likewise with me.
04:30As for the captain's armband, I don't think it's fair to talk about this moment in time
04:34because we have players that are wearing it and I respect those players and I think they're
04:39hugely important players for us, of course it is a dream for me because you know what
04:46I've been through with this team and what I'd like to achieve with this club, but I'm
04:51not necessarily giving too much thought to that, in fact I'm not thinking about it whatsoever
04:56and if one day I were to receive the captain's armband, great, I'd be delighted, but I'm
05:01not thinking about it at this moment in time.
05:04Gazzetta dello Sport, hello both, question for Matteo, a couple of statistics caught
05:09my eye after the first few Champions League matches, you're last in terms of fouls committed
05:15and penultimate in terms of tackles made, you're in the top eight for ball possession,
05:22why is that, are you guys too nice or is it the way the team plays?
05:26No, it's something that we need to improve upon because there are times when the coach
05:30often says to us that we're not necessarily breaking up play where we should do and therefore
05:37we commit very few fouls, there are different schools of thought, there are those that think
05:46that we play more as a unit as opposed to man v man so we can actually get to the ball
05:54and not necessarily have to dive in because it's not 1 v 1, you don't necessarily have
06:00to make these last-ditch challenges and those are statistics which need to be interpreted
06:04in a certain way, but in terms of the number of fouls we've committed it is something we're
06:09trying to improve, particularly when it comes to breaking up the opposition play in an area
06:14of the pitch to make sure that they don't necessarily develop a dangerous move.
06:22A lot has been said over the last few days about the post-match interview following the
06:27Atalanta game, what you said, it's been a real subject of debate so I wanted to ask
06:31you after three days on from that with a cool head do you still think about what you said
06:36that day, namely that Milan aren't particularly respected, that's what you said, or over the
06:42last few days has that helped you to actually relax a little bit and view the situation
06:49again?
06:50I understand your curiosity but I only want to talk about the Champions League match today.
06:55Let's go to Vitiello at the back there.
06:58Hello coach, I wanted to talk about an individual player, Teo Hernandez, because in recent times
07:05he looks really down in every area, how can you help him?
07:10How can you get Teo Hernandez back to his best football?
07:14And are these only footballing issues, are they off the field issues, what do you make
07:19of him?
07:20No, he looks good, he's training well.
07:23We are constantly talking to one another and we're always showing him where he needs to
07:30improve upon in terms of his performances, specific areas of his game.
07:34I think he has improved in the areas that I've spoken to him about, he needs to continue
07:41to work hard to make progress in other areas of his game but he's looking good and working
07:47well.
07:48Sport Italia.
07:51Good afternoon coach, good afternoon Matteo, question for the head coach.
07:55You said that Loftus-Cheek will start ahead of Christian Pulisic, clearly they're not
07:58the same type of player.
08:00How does that change things for Milan, at least on the right-hand side as well?
08:06Will Milan have to build a bit more down the right-hand side, so you might need Samuel
08:11Ciuquese as opposed to Younes Moussa?
08:14No, I wasn't trying to glean your starting eleven.
08:19Let's talk about the difference between having a number 10 Pulisic and a more number eight
08:22like Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
08:24Clearly they're different types of footballers, they've got different qualities, but it's
08:31the same position, the role is the same.
08:36What I want to see from Loftus is exactly what I want to see from Christian Pulisic
08:41and then the decision-making technique is different of course, but we can play the same
08:48way with Loftus-Cheek in the side.
08:59Obviously Loftus-Cheek is a player who tends to carry the ball a bit more, Champions League
09:09matches are a bit more open, we might have a bit more space for him to operate in and
09:13I'm very confident.
09:15Hi Paolo, a question about that, in the last few Champions League matches Milan have been
09:26very attacking, you're scoring a lot of goals, but in the last game against Slovan Bratislava
09:32not a great side, you were under threat, do you always try and score one goal more than
09:38the opposition?
09:39That's the same question I'd like to ask Matteo, namely what do you make of your attacking
09:44play, do you think that you can contribute more to the attacking play or do you think
09:51you should be talking more to your teammates about how to defend better?
09:56No I think in recent times we have made big strides defensively, not only in the Champions
10:01League but also in Serie A to a greater extent, our most recent European game in Bratislava
10:12was rather unique, but I think the team have learnt a great deal defensively, I'm sure
10:27that tomorrow we will defend well because the team are defending a lot better.
10:32Matteo?
10:33No, obviously I agree with what the head coach has just said, this is all part of a process,
10:43he tells us to improve how we defend, it's not only when the opposition have the ball
10:49but also when we have possession and we're pressing forward we need to make sure that
10:54we're in a position and stifle a potential counter attack that's starting, occasionally
11:00we defenders make mistakes even though we know that that's the right thing to do and
11:04often the responsibility is ours, but along with the head coach and his staff they have
11:10shown us a number of match situations where we can improve at the moment, we're a bit
11:16more tidier and more organised on the pitch and therefore we know 100% what we need to
11:21do out there, as the gaffer said I think we are improving defensively and will continue
11:26to defend better.
11:29Ramazzotti?
11:35Hi Gaffer, question for you, with regards to what you've just said about how you're
11:44defending a lot better, given that you have Matteo Gabbia alongside you and typically
11:52the player that joins you in the press conference starts the match the following day in the
11:57Champions League, Gabbia is performing very well at the moment as part of a pairing with
12:03Malik Chao, should we expect any variations for tomorrow night's game or do you prefer
12:11to press ahead with that given the progress that you've spoken about?
12:20We might change some things but it won't be the centre back pairing.
12:23Calciomercato.com, a question for Matteo, I wanted to ask you, this season Milan had
12:30two excellent performances against Inter and Real Madrid and some other underwhelming performances
12:37which mean that your league position is not great at the moment, you're a long way off
12:42the title race but also the Champions League places, after the Atalanta defeat how did
12:47the team react, was there anger or is there the feeling that you're still lacking something
12:52because from the outside it feels like the team is not necessarily used to these ups
12:57and downs but you can't find that strength to be able to react in certain situations?
13:11No, what you've just said definitely doesn't come to pass, that doesn't happen, when the
13:15team doesn't win we're angry, when we don't win the mood in the dressing room is the right
13:22one, namely negative but also with that desire to want to do more and to try and get out
13:29of that tough moment and the league table shows that, none of us are happy at how many
13:35points we've got in Serie A but looking back and raking over old graves over what we've
13:41done, yes it does help you to improve but it's not overly useful, we need to have the
13:46strength to actually harness those negative situations and improve upon them and transform
13:52them into something better going forward, the team is not resting on their laurels,
13:57we are bothered by defeats and I think it will never happen that we'll be content with
14:03a defeat based on the players that we are.
14:09So you don't plan to leave Teo out, put him on the bench like you did with Raphael Liel,
14:15started scoring again and setting up goals because we've become very used to Teo's good
14:19performances but it's now two months where he's no longer a match winner neither in terms
14:23of goals nor assists?
14:32No, they're different situations, they're different situations.
14:41No, I don't want to finish what I was saying.
14:44Michael Cuomo, a lot has been said about your future in recent days particularly with what
14:57happened on Friday, from the club, from the senior management, do you feel supported,
15:03protected?
15:04Yes, yes, always.
15:07Have you spoken in the last few days?
15:11I've always felt the support of the club, always.
15:18Gioia?
15:21Hi coach, hi Matteo, question for the head coach.
15:24You've spoken about the club but the club can't be happy and isn't happy with what they're
15:30seeing because Zlatan Ibrahimovic spoke about making history, winning, competing for the
15:38title, you spoke about making the fans proud but we're in December whereas the supporters
15:43are absolutely gutted, they're really dismayed by this.
15:47Can you still change things?
15:51Yes, we're working hard to try and turn things around, we're working hard to try and change
15:55things.
15:56I'm still here because I still believe that we are getting better and I think by the end
16:04of the season we'll be in a different position to the one we are now, I've got no doubts
16:07about that and that's why I keep working day in day out with the same confidence and
16:12faith, with the same positivity that I've had since day one.
16:21I understand that if you look at the league table I can understand the fans' feelings
16:33but we believe and we're working to get better.
16:36Maurizio Cardona.
16:37Good afternoon, a question for Matteo Gabbia.
16:40Matteo, you're a Milan fan, it's a very important week for you in terms of fixtures but also
16:49the club's 125th anniversary, is that additional motivation for you?
16:54And I'd like to ask the head coach, what's that Venice Vesta Red Star Belgrade rule about?
16:58Yes, it is a historic moment for the club and Sunday will be a very special occasion.
17:07We need to make sure that we make the fans proud just as we always do and that's why
17:15our job mustn't change with regards to the 125th anniversary of the club.
17:25Yes, it's an incentive, we want to achieve even more but I'm sure that my teammates,
17:30myself, the head coach and his staff, we always want to give 100% to try and get results and wins.
17:36As for Red Star Belgrade, they're a very physical side.
17:41They're a team that try and play football but their typical strength is on the counter-attack.
17:49They've got three forwards who are good, who are very quick and they're very dangerous in transition.
17:59Hi, a question for both of you.
18:02For the head coach, I wanted to ask you, given that you've already said that Loftus-Cheek
18:06will start as the number 10 tomorrow, should we therefore rule out the possibility or it
18:13will be less probable to see Tammy Abraham and Alvaro Morata together as a front pairing,
18:19which is something we've spoken about at length.
18:22As for Matteo, I wanted to ask you, given the situation in Serie A, given the fact that
18:28Milan have done well in the Champions League, you played well against Real Madrid, you beat
18:33the big favourites for the competition, can the Champions League become a dream for you
18:38or can it be an aim, something to try and achieve?
18:43No, Morata and Abraham won't play tomorrow as a pairing.
18:52That's always an option.
18:55I have given that some thought.
18:58It won't happen from the start.
19:02Maybe as the game wears on it could come to pass or it might happen over the upcoming
19:07matches, we'll see, but there's always that option.
19:11I think, as I said earlier on to your colleague, I think we need to have the capability and
19:19the strength to try and be as focused as we can on both competitions.
19:23Of course, the Champions League is a dream.
19:26Tomorrow's match is a very important fixture for us because it could give us a bit more
19:33of a nudge towards the last 16 in the competition.
19:39This is a very quick tournament.
19:41There aren't as many matches as Serie A.
19:44Therefore, it's nice to be involved and it's nice to experience it.
19:47Of course, we can achieve success.
19:49Of course, we will be harnessing the utmost energy, but we're not necessarily taking our
19:55eye off the ball in the league.
19:58A question for the coach.
20:00After two Champions League matches, I asked you what Milan's target could be and you said
20:05quite rightly, let's take things one game at a time.
20:09Now, thanks to the win in Madrid, can Milan try and finish in the top eight?
20:14Is that now your target?
20:15Is that the target that Milan need to have over the next three Champions League fixtures?
20:21I think the most important thing is to win the upcoming game, our next match.
20:29But I can't say that we don't have that possibility.
20:33Maybe if we win our next three matches, we have the opportunity to finish in the top
20:39eight of the league phase.
20:46But as I always say, if we don't win our next game, it will be very difficult.
20:52Because we need to only focus on Red Star Belgrade tomorrow and then we'll look at the
20:57other games after that.
20:59Final question at the back with Carlo Pellegatti.
21:03Good afternoon.
21:09Last season with Lille, you had a very prestigious run and you went out against Aston Villa with
21:15some regrets, if I'm not mistaken.
21:17When you coach a team in the Champions League or in a European competition, have you also
21:28absorbed this Milan spirit, whereby Milan have always been a European side?
21:34Do you feel that there's something different at this club?
21:37And in terms of your past experience, in terms of preparing a game domestically and a game
21:43in European competition, does it make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up?
21:49You can't deny it.
21:56The Champions League is always a different competition.
21:59I think the same goes for the players.
22:02There's different motivation there.
22:05The way in which we prepare matches is exactly the same, because we always want to win games.
22:14What is different is the fact that maybe the opposition are different, the game plan,
22:22the infrastructure, all of that might change.
22:31But in my mind, I am well aware that Milan have great prestige in European competition.
22:36We need to understand that and we need to understand how important it is to perform
22:42well in the Champions League for this club, because Milan are a Champions League team.
22:50It's a different competition.
22:52It's a very special tournament.
22:53Thank you very much, everyone.
22:54Good afternoon.