Fonseca discusses Milan’s lack of intensity, Leao change and Camarda’s disallowed goal | OneFootball

AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca has explained his decision to make the changes he did in the second half of the win over Club Brugge, while also claiming Francesco Camarda deserved the goal that was disallowed.

Milan finally got off the mark in the Champions League with a 3-1 victory against Club Brugge, with Tijjani Reijnders scoring a match-winning brace in the second-half with assists from two substitutes in Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze.

Prior to that Christian Pulisic’s Olimpico goal had given the Rossoneri the lead in the first half and Raphael Onyedika’s red card after a VAR review looked like making it a simply evening, until the visitors levelled early in the second half to stun the San Siro crowd.

Francesco Camarda saw a late goal disallowed which would have sealed the game and the record for youngest ever goalscorer in the competition, but Milan will bank the three goals and the three points to get the ball rolling.

Fonseca spoke to Sky after the game to comment on what wasn’t a fully straightforward night for his side but was ultimately three points, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

It was a record-breaking debut for Camarda, and so close to a goal too…

“I think he and the team deserved this moment. I’m sorry for the disallowed goal because it was a very beautiful moment for a young man who deserves to be part of this group and who worked hard to have the opportunity. I was sorry but he will score many goals in the future. Don’t be disappointed, this is just the beginning and he will score a lot.”

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What do you think of the performance?

“I think we played a game without intensity, with too slow a circulation and we didn’t understand how to do it against a team that was good at defending low. When Okafor and Chukwueze came in, the game changed, they brought more energy and the team regained intensity. After the second goal we did very good things, before we played without intensity.”

Why did Leao come off?

“There is no specific problem with him. The change is not a punishment, we needed Okafor and Chukwueze. It must be seen as normal, Rafa must see it as normal and work to be able to help the team like all the players.”

With a numerical advantage, wasn’t it possible to attack them a little more?

“Our intention was already there 11 against 11. We have to do better. I think we weren’t aggressive until the second goal. After that, yes, but we have to be a more aggressive team.”

Photo by AC Milan

Chukwueze came on and seems to be doing better as a substitute…

“I think we improved with the introduction of Okafor and Chukwueze. But we improved a lot when Pulisic went to play inside, no longer as a winger. Honestly Pulisic as a winger does not have the preponderance that he has when he plays inside and when we changed the team was different.”

Could we see Chukwueze-Pulisic-Okafor from the first minute in the next game?

“Maybe. I’m going to think about it now. I have to say that I haven’t studied Bologna, I’ll study them and we’ll decide who will be the best players to face them.”