Fonseca Explains Difference Between Serie A and UCL

In partnership with

The Cult of Calcio

·6 November 2024

Fonseca Explains Difference Between Serie A and UCL

Milan picked up a potentially season-altering victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday after seesawing results domestically. Coach Paulo Fonseca voiced his opinion on the difference between playing in Serie A and Europe to Sky in the post-game presser (via SOSFanta).

“I think we prevailed because the players had courage and weren’t afraid of anything, trying to impose our style. We prepared the game to hold the ball and did important things in the first half. We suffered more in the second one, but we reached this win together, not just for the three goals but because we had with great quality.”

Fonseca was quizzed about Milan’s European mentality.

Video OneFootball

“I disagree when you talk down Italian football, but we can have more initiative and domination in the Champions League. We proved today that a Serie A club doesn’t just defend. We know how to play with the ball well and with patience and held our positions.”

Fonseca added that domestic matches are generally more challenging offensively.

“This was a match for a side that wanted to control the ball. We had more room, unlike in Italy. It’s hard to understand how difficult it is from outside. For instance, Monza and Cagliari play man to man all over the pitch. It’s hard to have nice showings against them. Teams with a European style have more troubles because that doesn’t happen in other championships. This is the Milan I want, but matches are completely different in Serie A. We can’t be the same outfit. It’s impossible due to the approach of our opponents. We have to be careful when making comparisons.”