August football should be considered as such but it is undeniable that the friendlies won against Manchester City, Real Madrid, Monza and the excellent performance against Barcelona have deluded the entire Milan environment into thinking they were ahead of schedule in the development of the new Paulo Fonseca course. The Portuguese coach was the first to understand that something was not going in the right direction. Signs, perhaps perceived in the training sessions that preceded the match against Parma, which led the Portuguese coach to disown a month of work on Pulisic as attacking midfielder and Chukwueze on the right with Loftus-Cheek as midfielder to return to a formation that seemed to have been made by his predecessor Stefano Pioli. The thought can be translated more or less like this: “The boys are having some difficulties at the moment so let’s take refuge in what they know how to do”. Too bad that on the pitch the result was even worse than one could have imagined.
IBRAHIMOVIC’S SPEECH – In the immediate post-match, inside the belly of the Tardini, Ibrahimovic held a meeting with the team: there were no shouts or harsh rebukes. Zlatan urged the team to give more in terms of sacrifice and competitive nastiness. The new signings, according to the Swede, have the experience necessary to help the group. Right away. Therefore, the players are today the main responsible for the difficult start, net of some controversial choices by Fonseca.
THREE-YEAR PROJECT – Writing tables or talking about a dismissal on the second day seems really disrespectful towards a coach, Fonseca, who signed a three-year contract. A contract that includes a long project. Everyone must do more, Milan knows it well. Starting with the Portuguese coach called to stop the bleeding starting from the next match against Lazio at the Olimpico. Because only with the results on the field can we give strength to the new course and ensure that the trust of the management, present today at Milanello together with the owner Gerry Cardinale to speak directly with all the components and confirm the new course, is repaid in every aspect.
THE NOTE – As confirmed by Ansa, Gerry Cardinale visited Paulo Fonseca and the Rossoneri team at Milanello this afternoon. Milan’s number one, in a summer in which there were many trips to Italy and opportunities to meet the team – the last during the Berlusconi Trophy at San Siro -, wanted to see players, coach and managers to concretely demonstrate his closeness and support to the Rossoneri coach and the team. Cardinale spoke with Fonseca, reiterating his support, and met with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, CEO Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada, before leaving the sports center together with Furlani. The team then trained in preparation for Saturday’s match against Lazio, a crucial match in which they will have to return to victory to emerge from the difficult moment that sees Milan with only one point earned in the first two games.
