MILAN (ITALPRESS) – Direct, unabashed and determined, Conceicao wants to create the “foundations” of his Milan team. Meanwhile, there is to think about the derby with Inter, the standings and – further ahead – the Champions League play-offs. The Nerazzurri, although outplayed in the Super Cup in Riyadh, are a square team that is experiencing the opposite moment from the Rossoneri: “We have to understand what we can do to counter them when they have the ball and understand the weaknesses that all teams in the world have.” The transfer window has not helped and the Portuguese coach in a press conference admitted that “in this period, delicate, with the open market something inside the head moves. It has not been positive with all these games in between. Despite that we are working hard, but the things written bother me. They are lies that hurt. It is not easy to manage a group with such news, I find myself managing other things that do not belong to me. We have to focus to play a good game tomorrow and win.” The former Porto coach took stock after one month on the Milan bench: “There is a lot to improve, as in every team. I, like all coaches, always have my bags packed. We are starting from the base. I was called by 13 clubs in these months before Milan and I would have earned 10 times more, but I came here because I believe in it.” Conceicao went on to talk about his way of being, “People confuse a little bit not being quiet with passion. I am this guy. I live the games with emotion, passion. Sometimes yes I am angry a lot, but my character is like that. But it’s not a flaw, it’s my character. If I have to take a sedative, mah… I am like that. There is no nervousness, it is the way I am. Even if we win 4-0, I’m here gesticulating.” On the level of play “we are still a long way from what I want. I like a short team that presses high, with a very high intensity, that creates a lot offensively,” Conceicao stressed. “You ask me if I have the players to play this game. Right now I say no. That’s why we play differently. If I want to give intensity and speed to the team it is not easy because there is no time. And this is not an excuse, because I when I came here already knew that. After the first half in Zagreb you can’t go down anymore.” Among the farewells, besides Calabria, Morata is also expected to leave, “Why is he leaving? I talk every day with the players. You know that for the little time we have to work on the field we talk a lot. With Alvaro I spoke yesterday, along with all the teammates. Market situations are what they are. Like marriages, there has to be the will of the groom, the bride and also the priest. I don’t know if he understood, it’s a bit like that.” The Portuguese coach then spoke about tomorrow’s challenge: “At this level here there is no favorite because the environment is better or worse. These matches take their life when the referee blows the whistle. If there was no market it would have been better but it’s not possible, we have to focus on what we can do. We have to give life to the game, it’s the players who go on the field and the game has its own history, every game is different. The Super Cup is the past, it will be a different match.”- Photo: Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
