Arrigo Sacchi has shared his thoughts on AC Milan quite frequently this season, but his latest interview has certainly highlighted the gravity of the season. As he sees it, another revolution is now inevitable, with some golden rules to follow.
Sacchi is one of the most successful managers in Milan’s history and he has the club in his heart. As such, watching the chaos of this season, he has had a lot to say in his interviews and columns for Gazzetta dello Sport.
The most recent interview (see photo below), however, is certainly one of the best as the former manager discussed where Milan should go next. Another revolution is now inevitable, while the Rossoneri must follow three golden rules to make sure they don’t get it wrong again.
On the Bologna game…
“This Milan is not a team. I say this with regret, because you know how much I love this club, but unfortunately you can’t escape the evidence. In Bologna there were eleven players scattered around the pitch, with nothing to keep them together, without a game, without an idea.”
So what should be done?
“At this point, there is only one thing left: another revolution. In the hope that, in this case, it is done with wisdom and following the golden rules that are the basis of building a team.”
What are these rules?
“Three, not one more. The first: we need a club with clear ideas. The second: the club must choose the coach and support him from the first to the last day. The third: the players must be chosen by the coach, based on his tactical beliefs.”
Has Conceicao finished his adventure?
“It would be unfair to attribute all the responsibility for the current situation to the Portuguese coach, who arrived shortly after Christmas. Just as it would have been unfair to place all the blame on Paulo Fonseca for the results achieved in the first part of the season. The mistakes, as always, must be divided, in more or less equal parts, between the directors, the coach and the players.”
The question remained unanswered: is Conceicao done?
“I don’t think the club sees a future with him, but that’s my impression. As an external observer and a lover of Milan, I point out a few things: in the summer, the Rossoneri wanted a coach, Lopetegui, who was rejected by the fans. They switched to Fonseca. They bought five foreign players. Then they sent Fonseca away, took Conceicao and signed five more players. The result is the same: Milan never became a team.”
Why, in your opinion?
“Because to build a team you need a club that has clear ideas, and these ideas must be transmitted to the coach who has the task of making the players understand them. I’ll give you an example: Berlusconi, when he hired me, told me that he wanted to win and convince through spectacular play. I explained to him what I had in mind and he supported me at every moment.
“He had already bought Gullit and Van Basten, I asked him for three boys who came from Parma, Mussi, Bianchi and Bortolazzi, one who had spent a lot of time on the bench at Udinese, Colombo, and I wanted Ancelotti at all costs, about whom the president had doubts due to his physical problems. I told him: ‘You buy me Ancelotti and we will win the league’.
“He obliged me and I kept my word. And the following year, before buying Rijkaard, I sent him to follow a trusted man of mine for two weeks. Do today’s managers behave like this? I don’t know, but I have some doubts. To make a good team you need reliable men. On and off the pitch.”
Who would you bet on for the bench next season?
“I’m thinking of Sarri or Conte. I also like Baroni from Lazio, and I’m following Fabregas’ growth with attention and curiosity. The important thing is that a coach comes who gives a clear style of play.”
Juve aren’t doing well either. What do you think?
“Thiago Motta is a hard worker, but it seems to me that he ended up in an environment where the players believe they’ve already arrived. I don’t see, in their behaviour on the pitch, that humility and spirit of sacrifice that are necessary to achieve success. At Juve they tried to make a cultural revolution, but they’re stuck in the middle.”
This morning, the pink newspaper also reported that Cesc Fabregas is the favourite to replace Sergio Conceicao for next season. As a young coach, he has impressed a lot with Como and he would bring a certain structure, having a very set game and style.
