Sergio Conceição, AC Milan coach, spoke to DAZN after Milan-Atalanta:
“The first half was balanced; we sat a bit deeper than what we had asked for and prepared, but they didn’t create any chances. We finished the first half well, but then, when it came time to put players in front of the goalkeeper, we couldn’t manage it, and we paid the price. Just like in the second half. And they scored with their first real chance; we had even talked about their crosses to the far post — it’s one of their traits. But that’s how it went.”
Why did you then switch to a back four?
“It’s not that I didn’t like what I saw, but it was to try to equalize.”
We didn’t see a lot of aggression — what held you back? Conceicao replied:
“For me, it wasn’t the derby that held us back: the most important match is the one you’re playing. Usually, those who come off the bench give us a little something extra, but I also put Sottil in a position that wasn’t really his. That usual aggression we have was missing.”
Does your future also depend on the Coppa Italia? Conceicao said:
“My future? (laughs)… Every day since Milan-Cagliari they’ve been talking about who’s coming to Milan. I mean, that’s fine for me, sure, but for the group I work with… they see all the news and there’s no stability. We have to work today to try to be better tomorrow. It’s not easy for me, because there’s not much respect either — they talk about the Milan coach as if he’s someone who’s never even been in football, and that’s just not true. My future doesn’t depend on anything. It depends on preparing the match against Inter, trying to win two trophies — and I don’t know how many years it’s been since Milan last won them. And that’s not normal.”
