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00:00Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome along to the press conference on the eve of Milan
00:05Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final. We'll start with Milan TV. Thank you, Nicola.
00:10Good afternoon, coach. It's your third derby of the season. I'd like to ask you, it's a
00:15semi-final first leg. How much of an impact can it have on the overall aggregate score
00:20and your chances of going through to the final? And even though you don't like looking back,
00:25is it more like the Super Cup or the second league derby?
00:33They were important derbies for us because it settled a piece of silverware
00:40and the derby is always important in terms of the environment, the fan base,
00:45and so on and so forth. There are different periods.
00:51There are some different personnel out there on the pitch as well.
00:55And we're going to try and produce a good performance and we'll see what Inter can do.
01:03Inter have been playing with the same coach for a number of years now. They've done some
01:07very solid work and it's up to us to make a fast start to the game
01:13and try and achieve what we want, namely to win. Sky, good afternoon, coach.
01:19On Sunday, after the match, you spoke to us about Rafael Leao and Malik Chao,
01:26are they fit again? You played at the highest level. Could a match like this allow Rafael
01:39Leao to be a match winner, you know, with the environment and the crowd and so on and so forth?
01:44He's okay, but so is Ruben. He's okay. He's gone under the knife and I think he'll be back in Milan
01:49today. They're all available for selection. We've still got tomorrow's training session.
01:55We haven't had too much time to work together. We did some recovery work for those that played
02:02the bulk of the match against Napoli and we've done a little bit of tactical work and we'll
02:07do that once again tomorrow, without any intensity, but we will look over the things
02:13that I think are important for tomorrow night's game. Everyone that's here is available for
02:19selection, so it's up to me to choose the best team. Coaches are a lot better after the fact
02:25because you know what you need to do or not do during the game. It's always easy to speak
02:31after the fact, after the match, but on we go. Tomorrow we'll pick a strong starting 11
02:42and I think that the players on the bench
02:46have already shown a great response. When they come off the bench, they make an impact.
02:51They look good as substitutes.
02:53I would play with 26 starters if I could, but unfortunately we have to pick 11.
03:05This derby is a little bit different to the previous ones. At this stage of the season,
03:13this match is being dubbed as the last resort in terms of European qualification. With the
03:18Coppa Italia, Milan can qualify for Europe, given your league position. Is that the case?
03:23We are aware of the fact that, first and foremost, we have a match to play
03:29and we mustn't get too hung up on only these different situations. We need to focus,
03:34we need to make a fast start and win the game. Sure, it is the shortest route into Europe,
03:41that's true. If we won the Coppa Italia, we would be in continental action.
03:46We have Fiorentina at home in our next Serie A match. There are still some games to be played.
03:56We have some games that need to be won.
04:01Hi Sergio. Was it a tricky trip, Carlos? Listen, I wanted to ask you about Santi Jimenez.
04:12No, which one?
04:15No, because after the game I thought you were talking about the other Jimenez. No,
04:19I'm asking about the centre forward, the player that you signed to score a lot of goals, the one
04:24who's not scored too many. No, he scored a few goals in training today. I need to score them
04:30in the match, that's what I told him as well. They missed a penalty and his teammates wanted
04:38him to actually take the penalty so he could get some confidence. I thought that was a good sign.
04:46No, that's your personal opinion, is it? Yes, it is. What have you said to him today,
04:50have you spoken to him over the last few days to try and understand
04:54how he can break his duck? Is it the mental side, is it the tactical side? It's a bit of everything.
05:01There are some exceptions,
05:12but there are some players that have hit the ground running and scored goals, but lots of
05:16top quality players actually take a time to settle in and to gel into the team, that's only natural.
05:26We heard that Santi Jimenez came in and scored four or five goals, sure,
05:33then he dropped off, but this happens to every player. It happens to every player that comes
05:39to Italy because Serie A is not easy, it's one of the hardest leagues in the world.
05:45There are some top class coaches, some excellent footballers, so we mustn't forget that.
05:50The biggest helping hand that I can give him, because I went through the same thing
05:57when I moved to Italy, they called me a busted flush,
06:02but then I scored the winning goal in the Super Cup against Juventus.
06:06After that, I was no longer a busted flush, I was alright, I was average, but
06:12there is time, but of course we want these players to immediately come up with a strong response,
06:19and often the best thing to do is to actually give him space
06:23so that he can grow in confidence, the confidence that he requires.
06:31It could all change in the blink of an eye, scoring an important goal,
06:35I know because I've been through it myself.
06:38Good afternoon coach, I'd like to ask you, where's the truth and where's the anomaly?
06:46Inter are 20 points ahead of Milan, however in the three games this season they've never
06:51beaten Milan, they've lost to them twice, and once they even lost a piece of silverwell against Milan,
06:57is it more of an anomaly, the former, that Milan are 20 points behind Inter,
07:02or that Inter haven't beaten Milan in three games?
07:07They're all different matches,
07:08Serie A has gone, as you're well aware of, it's not only this season that Inter are doing well,
07:17they did well in previous years as well, Milan also won the Scudetto only a few short years ago,
07:24I said Milan, yeah? I'm a little bit confused, I don't know why,
07:29always confuses me, I don't know why, no I'm joking.
07:39I think these top matches, these derbies are always different because of the atmosphere,
07:43because of the surroundings, the context and so on and so forth.
07:51Sure, Milan aren't used to being in this league position,
07:54but there are still some matches to be played and the most important thing is not to necessarily
07:59think in general terms who deserves credit or where we should have done more,
08:04or Inter deserve praise, I think the most important thing is to focus on tomorrow's game.
08:10Sport Italia.
08:17I wanted to ask you about Joao Felix,
08:19he's the player who's probably performing less than anyone else,
08:24you picked him from the start the other day and we also saw this footage of
08:30Kyle Walker saying pass the ball because none of us is messy,
08:35what have you made of him in the last few days, did you expect a bit more from him?
08:41The same thing that I said about Santi Jimenez to Carlos who asked me about him, same thing.
08:49I say it's not easy, I didn't know about that,
08:55I'm learning this, this is something new but it's only natural.
09:03It's a bit of a spat, no? That's something between players
09:07and I like players that speak to one another, in fact the players should speak a bit more
09:12because communication is hugely important within a game,
09:16as is character and personality slash communication.
09:23So I'm disappointed for Joao Felix, it's the same that goes for Santi Jimenez,
09:28I'm not going to repeat that.
09:31Hi coach, I wanted to ask you,
09:35you joined the club in a tough time and you immediately managed to bring home some silverware,
09:40how much could the potential victory in the Coppa Italia,
09:50how pleased would you be with your spell in charge of Milan over the last few months,
09:55given that if you were to beat Inter and then win the trophy,
10:01you would also then qualify directly for the Europa League,
10:04would you be pleased with what you've achieved,
10:07given all of the extenuating circumstances
10:10and how little time you've had on the training ground with the team?
10:13I don't know Andrea, I don't know,
10:16I would be happy of course to win another piece of silverware,
10:20but first and foremost we need to win this semi-final,
10:23two games against Inter and then there'll be a final against either Empoli or Bologna,
10:28this is all in the future, we're getting ahead of ourselves,
10:31I don't like doing that, I like to live intensely day in day out,
10:37with the utmost passion to try and improve the team from a professional perspective,
10:47to have my friends and family correcting my defects even as a coach as well,
10:55so I try and get better day in day out to give the utmost in the workplace
10:59and to try and improve personally with the team,
11:05at home, with the friends, family, as a father, as a friend,
11:11I don't know how I feel between now and two months,
11:15I'm not the happiest person in the world at this moment in time
11:18because of everything I've experienced here over the last three months,
11:24there have been some times when I've been a little bit happier,
11:26but there have been a lot of disappointing moments, but not only for the team,
11:32only for the results, I get on really well with the team,
11:36we saw that in the second half against Napoli,
11:39they're in the right frame of mind, we do need to improve certain things,
11:44and you've also said that as well, these certain match situations,
11:52either way it's not easy for anyone,
11:53it's not easy for me, because my name is Sergio, not Sergini.
12:08We expected your Milan side to defend better when you joined,
12:13but 17 times you've considered goals,
12:17only three times have you kept clean sheets across all competitions,
12:21why have you not been able to find that shape defensively?
12:27If Milan concede one or two goals per game, it becomes very tricky to win matches.
12:32Shape and balance pertains to the entire team,
12:35not only the defensive line in this instance.
12:42I'm a team that likes to have the team playing tight and compact,
12:47we've already spoken about that, we've worked about that,
12:52we're not necessarily giving it enough thought in the final third,
13:00we don't necessarily have the collective approach in terms of what we're thinking,
13:05and then it becomes tricky, it's not about the defensive line,
13:09it's about the team as a whole,
13:12and it's up to me to try and improve on that data.
13:16Hi coach, I wanted to ask you something, as a head coach,
13:23if I'm not mistaken you won eight cups in Portugal besides your league titles,
13:29Inzaghi's also won eight, can you also be a cup specialist as a coach?
13:37No, I also won three league titles, no, I won nine actually,
13:41because I also won a Belgian cup as an assistant head coach.
13:46No, head coaches either win or they don't,
13:52whether it's a cup, a super cup or a league title of course,
13:56then these are weighted differently,
13:58of course a league title is a league title,
14:01a Champions League is a Champions League,
14:03I don't want to play down or dumb down the Coppa Italia or the Super Cup,
14:08or a domestic title, the Champions League,
14:10it's always the ultimate in terms of what a team can achieve,
14:16but there aren't any cup specialists or league specialists if you ask me.
14:25Good afternoon coach, I'd like to take a step back,
14:29after the win over Inter in Riyadh in the Super Cup,
14:33you said Rapha Liao can become one of the best players in the world,
14:37or if not the best player in the world,
14:39in the subsequent months Rapha Liao hasn't seen that prominent in your side,
14:46yes he often comes off the bench, he plays a great deal,
14:48but often he starts as a substitute like against Napoli,
14:52what's changed, what have you not seen from Rapha over the last few months,
14:56mean that he doesn't necessarily start,
14:59you know it's not that he's the first name on the team sheet?
15:03I didn't just meet Rapha in the Super Cup,
15:07I know a number of players all over the world,
15:09because I'm a big football fan, I'm passionate about it,
15:12I watch all of the leagues, I watch the Swiss League for instance,
15:17so it's not that I came here at Milan,
15:19I saw Rapha in the Super Cup and went wow what a great player,
15:22no I knew him from Portugal when he started sporting,
15:27he scored a great goal against me at the Dragao when he was 17 years of age,
15:31I said what I've believed ever since I watched him as a kid,
15:35but then there's all that development that he needs to have,
15:38because it's easy to speak after the fact,
15:40if sometimes he plays it's because okay you know he's fits and spurts,
15:48but if he comes on and he has a great spirit and he wants to help the team,
15:51it's because he wanted to start the game and the coach has no idea,
15:55that's easy because after the game I'm also perplexed,
16:00I read about that, how I'm perplexed,
16:07because the way that people speak about football the way they do,
16:11but I'm also perplexed by all of this,
16:15I still have the same view of Rapha in terms of talent and quality,
16:19he's one of the best players in the world,
16:22that's what I've thought for a number of years now,
16:24but then you need to put that to one side and you need to find consistency,
16:29the consistency he needs in order to score 20 goals
16:34and get 15 assists at the end of every season,
16:36if he's able to find that consistency with the quality that he has,
16:39because he has the ability to do so,
16:41yes then he would be one of the best players in the world,
16:43but what I said in the Super Cup is that,
16:46he can become one of the best players in the world,
16:47but he needs to find that consistency,
16:50but don't ask me after the game,
16:52why did so-and-so play and why did Rapha play and then when Rapha starts,
16:57why did he start because he didn't play that well,
17:00that's my team selection,
17:02that's something that we see day in day out here at the training ground,
17:06that you guys can't see, you're not here,
17:08it used to be open to the press,
17:10training sessions are no longer open to the media,
17:13that's the way it is,
17:16but we know in terms of how we're managing the players workload,
17:19how they came into the game and so on and so forth,
17:22a whole series of factors that I need to decide upon,
17:26that's what I'm paid for,
17:27even though if you believe them many times,
17:30I make the wrong decisions and maybe you're right as well,
17:33because I lost some games that I probably shouldn't have done.
17:36Last two questions.
17:40Hi coach, I didn't understand,
17:43that's because my Italian is not very good,
17:45no I didn't understand,
17:47my name is not Sergio, I'm not Sergini,
17:50I don't even know why I said that to be honest.
17:57No, you did get it, no, you're intelligent.
18:12No, I played against Sergino, the Milan left-back,
18:16he was quality, Mauro will remember him.
18:22The unhappier times during your spell here at Milan,
18:24we're also referring to times like this,
18:27when we're talking a lot about the club,
18:29about new figures, new members of staff, new head coaches.
18:34No, I'm not involved in those battles,
18:36I'm talking about coaches, I'm not used to this,
18:43because as Federico asked me about the cups,
18:45because he spoke about cups,
18:48but I'm focused on winning pieces of silverware.
18:52I've won a few,
18:5512 or 13, I can't remember,
18:57I think it's 13 pieces of silverware,
19:00but because I'm in this situation,
19:02ninth in the table,
19:09they'll be pleased to hear me talking about these teams,
19:12where I coached,
19:15and they were battling to avoid relegation,
19:18to avoid dropping down to the second tier,
19:21we finished seventh or eighth,
19:22the same was with Nantes,
19:25I got them finishing seventh,
19:27I'm not used to being ninth,
19:29that's why it's been a difficult situation for me,
19:31because I'm not used to this,
19:34because I try and win every game,
19:37and I want to achieve the utmost,
19:38I don't want to be ninth in the table,
19:39that's why I was talking about tough times.
19:43Good afternoon, coach.
19:48I wanted to ask you whether the team and the players
19:52are acutely aware,
19:55that it's difficult to salvage the season,
20:02but in such a disastrous negative season,
20:04going out of the Champions League,
20:06ninth place in Serie A,
20:08it's not over, we're ninth at the moment,
20:13I'm not saying that this team can necessarily change
20:16the opinion of the season as a whole,
20:20Milan had the chance in Naples
20:22to actually stay in the Champions League battle,
20:25but after a minute,
20:27you conceded a goal after 20,
20:28you conceded another one,
20:30but the game didn't finish there,
20:31then we had the second half,
20:34we scored a goal, we won a penalty,
20:36Napoli didn't even have a chance in the second half,
20:38they just had one counter-attack right at the end
20:40with Raspadori, if I'm not mistaken,
20:43that was it.
20:47You can either see the glass is half full or half empty,
20:50you know, if you want to talk about negativity,
20:52I don't know how many years it was
20:55since Milan won two pieces of silverware
20:57in the same season, it's a few years,
21:04yes, it is a disaster in terms of the league position,
21:06in the Champions League,
21:07we wanted to go further,
21:10we wanted to make the round of 16,
21:14but this is not a league position befitting,
21:16worthy of Milan,
21:18but we can once again get into a final win,
21:24another piece of silverware,
21:25so that's why I wanted to ask you
21:26whether the team are aware
21:28of just how important this match is,
21:29not only for the fan base,
21:30but also for the club as a whole,
21:33you're absolutely right,
21:36that wasn't a demand,
21:37that wasn't a question,
21:38that was a statement,
21:39that's a perfect statement,
21:41I agree with you,
21:43thanks very much everyone.
21:47Bye.