Fonseca compares Milan to rivals and makes prediction: “In the end we will be ahead” | OneFootball

Paulo Fonseca compared AC Milan to some of the other teams vying for supremacy in Serie A when asked about the idea that patience is wearing thin.

Fonseca arrived at Milan during the summer transfer window to replace Stefano Pioli, and with it a new era was launched after nearly half a decade under the previous coach.

Expectations and optimism were high that the Portuguese would bring a new lease of life to transform what had become quite a stagnant environment, but there have been growing pains.

The Rossoneri currently sit 10 points off top spot and nine from the Champions League positions. This is despite the fact that teams like Napoli, Lazio, Fiorentina and Juventus all made big chances too, hiring Antonio Conte, Marco Baroni, Raffaele Palladino and Thiago Motta respectively.

During his pre-match press conference before the Empoli game, Fonseca was asked the following: There are teams near the top of the table who changed a lot in the summer, like Milan did. Is the excuse of change running out?”

More Stories / The Match

GdS: ‘An own-goal for Milan’ – Vasquez returns to face his parent club

29 November 2024, 16:35

D’Aversa hopes ‘beauty of football’ can help injury-hit Empoli overcome ‘stronger’ Milan

29 November 2024, 15:20

Fonseca discusses defensive worries, ‘two faces’ of Milan’s attack and ‘different’ Leao strategies

29 November 2024, 14:52

The response was as follows: “I’m sure that in the end we will be ahead of some of these teams. But let’s talk about us. We started the pre-season with 15 players and the ‘kids’.

“We went to the USA, things were beautiful. We started eight days before the first game with the other players, the most influential players of the team who were at the Euros. And we worked on things for eight days. After that we never had time to train.

“And now, little by little, our training is more video, we are improving. But when you change so much it is more difficult. I don’t think that these teams, except Napoli, have not had the players in pre-season: those are 4-5 weeks of training that are very important when you change.

“Then one of these teams does not play in the Champions League during the week. Napoli have a new coach but he has the whole week to work.

“Then there are two very strong teams like Inter and Atalanta with the same coach for years. If we only want to talk about results I am the first to say that we have to do more.”