Conceicao: Supercoppa ‘not enough’ for Milan, Leao ‘must run’ | OneFootball

Milan coach Sergio Conceiçao insists that winning the Supercoppa can’t be enough for Milan, while Rafael Leao ‘must run’ regardless of his role.

Conceiçao will make his Serie A debut as a coach on Saturday in a Serie A match against Cagliari at San Siro.

The Rossoneri returned from Saudi Arabia earlier this week with the Supercoppa Italia, which they lifted after victories against Juventus and Inter.

“We strongly wanted and deserved the Supercoppa, but we are 17 points below the top spot. For a club with 19 titles and seven Champions Leagues, being satisfied with a Supercoppa is not enough,” Conceiçao said at a pre-match press conference on Friday.

“Therefore, we must focus on tomorrow’s game and win, aiming to finish as high as possible. The Supercoppa is the past.

“Now, we must improve. They must really improve a lot. There are moments in the game that I don’t like. Others have already achieved the same, even with heavier titles, much heavier. We are trying to do more and finish the season in the top four, even if we won’t be entirely satisfied. We may not win the title, but we must finish in the top four. We are working on this.”

Is he thrilled to return to Serie A as a coach and make his debut at San Siro?

Conceicao: Supercoppa ‘not enough’ for Milan, Leao ‘must run’

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 06: Rafael Leao of AC Milan celebrates victory while wearing his winners medal following the Italian Super Cup Final between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Kingdom Arena on January 06, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

“There’s no emotion, just regular adrenaline,” he replied.

“I have too many things in my head; I look at every detail, so I really don’t think about that moment. Surely, I feel something before the game starts. I am not a stone, but the priority is to prepare the lads for a good performance and mostly to win.”

Conceiçao was asked why Mike Maignan was picked over Theo Hernandez as the team’s captain against Inter.

“All players must take responsibility. I’m the maximum leader of the dressing room. Everyone has responsibility regardless of the armband, which is important to me,” he replied.

“There has been a change. I spent 25 years inside dressing rooms as a footballer, and I know how things work. Nevertheless, I must prove I have my message and way of work, and the players must believe in it; otherwise, everything becomes more difficult,” continued the Milan coach.

“A nice thing I’ve found here is that the players have accepted everything we’ve done so far and how we’ve prepared the games. We made some organisational changes, which made me happy because I’ve found a positive dressing room.”

Conceiçao said Ruben Loftus-Cheek is unlikely to be available tomorrow due to an injury setback.

“There is a little issue with Ruben, and I am sorry he probably won’t be available tomorrow. He had a setback, but the doctors will tell you more later.”

Conceiçao only took charge of the team on December 30, so he was asked about his favourite system.

“Having a good balance with and without the ball matters. As of today, I think that a three-man midfield gives more protection to the team. I also like to play with two strikers, even if the work from the attack and midfield is different. We need to work on this. It takes time, but we can change during the games as we’ve done already. They pay me for this.”

The Portuguese tactician insisted that his team would need to adopt a different attitude when facing teams in the bottom half of the table.

“I watched Real Madrid-Milan and Cagliari-Milan, and I spoke to the players about that,” he said.

“There was a different attitude, and this is not fine. The most challenging thing is not to get to the top but to stay there, so we must build on positive things and avoid drops.”

Lastly, he spoke about Rafael Leao sending a clear message to his compatriot who had played a key role in the recent Supercoppa Final against Inter.

“Rafa must run. Whether he plays as a winger or in attack, he must run and be available for the team. He has quality with the ball, and he must help when he doesn’t have the ball. It’s a collective process, not individual.”

Conceiçao also spoke about transfers, admitting that Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford is a “good player” and refusing to rule out a January move for the Englishman.