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00:00Good afternoon. Welcome along to this pre-match press conference on the eve of Milan-Napoli.
00:06We'll start with Milan TV.
00:08Napoli have been very consistent and they look very solid on the eve of their trip to San Siro.
00:14In recent matches they've been able to gain a lot of confidence.
00:19Are they the main strength of Napoli at this moment in time that we're up against tomorrow night?
00:25Yes. Napoli are a very strong side and that's reflected in the league table.
00:31They've got a top-class coach and they're in good form.
00:35They're winning matches because they're top of the table
00:39and Napoli come to San Siro full of motivation to take on our team.
00:46But we're also very up for this match against a side that obviously are very strong indeed.
01:00Napoli have been worthy winners in their recent victories
01:07but we're also very motivated for this fixture.
01:10Sky. Good afternoon, Gaffer, and best of luck tomorrow night.
01:15I'd like to ask you, how have the last few days been for you, for the squad at Milanello?
01:21You didn't know whether or not you'd play the game away at Bologna.
01:24Do you think the situation could have been managed differently in terms of your training schedule
01:29so you could have had more consistency on the training ground?
01:32What have you made of this? I'm not being controversial at all.
01:36Just technically, how did you manage things?
01:40It has been quite hard to manage things.
01:46Even on the eve of the game on Friday, ahead of the match on Saturday, we didn't play.
01:52It was very tough to manage because when we trained,
01:55we didn't actually know at that stage whether or not we would play.
01:59And if we weren't playing, then we would have trained differently.
02:03It was a very difficult couple of days, especially because we wanted to play the game.
02:12I think we were very heavily penalised by the fact that we didn't play that game.
02:18As I said, we really wanted to play against Bologna.
02:22And physically, or technically, tactically, how are you?
02:27You're missing Tijani Reinders and Teo Hernandez through suspension
02:31and you're also without Gabbia through injury.
02:34Could you give us an update in terms of who could be fit again in the coming weeks?
02:38And have you changed your take on Francesco Camarda
02:43because he came on and looked very good the other night
02:46and maybe occasionally these performances help coaches to figure things out?
02:51That's one reason why we wanted to play.
02:56Because we now have two important players who are banned for the Napoli player.
03:04Whether it's good or bad, our players get booked.
03:08It's not always the case for everyone else.
03:11But we have these two players that are suspended.
03:16The team have trained well and I've got faith in every single one of the players.
03:22I believe in the guys that will replace Teo in TG tomorrow night, just like everyone else.
03:29As for Camarda, nothing's changed.
03:32He did very well off the bench in the Champions League.
03:36He's a good lad who always works very well.
03:38And he's simply confirmed what I think about Camarda,
03:42namely that he has a bright future in the game.
03:47Hi, coach. A couple of things.
03:49First, in recent days on the training ground,
03:55what have you made of Rafael Leão's performances?
03:58And have you already decided whether or not he'll start tomorrow night?
04:02Second, when you spoke on the eve of the game against Club Brugge in the Champions League,
04:10you gave us the starting eleven, you won the game.
04:13I don't know whether you're superstitious and you want to press ahead with this particular policy.
04:19Maybe I should, but I don't want to.
04:24I won't give you any names from the starting eleven tomorrow night.
04:28I understand why you're so curious about Rafael Leão.
04:32He's trained very well, as he always does.
04:35It's not an issue.
04:37There is no Leão gate, in inverted commas.
04:42We're sure that he will soon be back to what we expect of him and what he expects of himself.
04:49As for whether he'll start tomorrow, I don't want to necessarily be drawn on that.
04:55I'll ask you a very direct question.
04:59Are Napoli favourites to win the Scudetto?
05:02Are they favourites?
05:07I think it's always very difficult to name the favourites.
05:10Are they the best team in Serie A?
05:12They're currently top of the table, so they're the best side in the league.
05:16I think Napoli are one of the teams that can win the Scudetto.
05:21Rai.
05:23Good afternoon.
05:25I'd like to come back to Rafael Leão.
05:27There is no Leão gate, but what is it that's not working?
05:32Why is Rafael Leão having such a tough time of things at the moment?
05:37Because the coach doesn't pick him.
05:42Because if the coach picked him, there wouldn't be any issue at all.
05:45No, look, it's a normal situation.
05:47These things happen in football.
05:50They play, sometimes they don't play.
05:55As I said, when I make my team selection, I always consider a number of different factors.
06:01He didn't play, he might play tomorrow.
06:06I think this is completely natural.
06:09Mediaset.
06:12Hi, coach.
06:14You've just said that Napoli are one of the teams that can win the Scudetto.
06:19One of the two teams.
06:20No, I didn't say two, I said one of the teams.
06:26No, one of the teams.
06:29No, that's my question.
06:31Are Milan still in the conversation about winning the Scudetto after the 4-0 draw between Inter and Juventus?
06:40Napoli are loving it.
06:42Napoli enjoyed this result for the Scudetto.
06:46Talk about Napoli, Inter and Juventus.
06:48We're talking less about Milan.
06:49Are Milan still in the title race?
06:51I think so, I think so.
06:53Do the fans believe?
06:54Why should they believe?
06:56Why should the fans believe?
06:58Because we're a good side.
06:59We're improving.
07:04And we believe that we can be one of the teams that can compete for the title.
07:11Good afternoon.
07:13I'd like to ask you.
07:14The fact that Bologna-Milan will be replayed four months from now in February.
07:21Do you think this is going to have a negative impact on the league season as a whole?
07:27And could Davide Calabria play as a left-back given that Teo Hernandez is out suspended?
07:35Yes, he could play there.
07:39I don't want to say anything more about the Bologna game.
07:44We are entirely focused on tomorrow's match.
07:49Bologna's been and gone.
07:50We need to move on.
07:52Sport Italia.
07:54Hi, Gaffer.
07:56I'd like to take you back to the summer when the fans really wanted Antonio Conte to take charge of Milan.
08:05Does that give you added motivation tomorrow, the fact you're up against him as Napoli boss?
08:15No, my motivation is that I am the Milan head coach.
08:18End of story.
08:20Ever since you took charge of Milan, you said that the team are improving.
08:28And after the Udinese game, you said, this is my team that's also able to dig deep.
08:35On the eve of the game against Napoli, what do you expect?
08:37What progress do you expect from your team in terms of focus, be it defensively, offensively, in general?
08:44What more do you expect from your side?
08:49In general, I expect a number of different things.
08:54When we analyse our recent matches, our focus is always on what we haven't done so well.
09:03What we have done well as well and what we need to improve upon.
09:07It will be a different match tomorrow night, in my opinion.
09:10I think it will be a very even game against a side that defend very well.
09:20But we have prepared the game in terms of what the match might look like.
09:30There are things that we have improved upon defensively, whereas there are other things that we still need to make progress on.
09:38But we've also improved significantly when it comes to our defensive shape.
09:42Offensively, I think we have made big strides in terms of possession.
09:54We're a bit better at that at the moment.
10:00Maybe tomorrow we need to play more football in the final third of the game because Napoli are a team that press very high
10:09and then they drop deep into a low block.
10:12That's something else that we also need to improve upon.
10:15Our decision making in the final third of the pitch, the way in which we need to actually come up against a very compact low block.
10:23That's typically how Napoli operate.
10:25There are always things that we can improve upon.
10:29But I think we have improved in a number of different areas.
10:32Tele Lombardia.
10:33Good afternoon, coach.
10:35Good afternoon, coach.
10:37Having that asterisk, namely the fact that you have a game in hand that leaves you that many points further off,
10:45that creates a bit of doubt and uncertainty, is that something that penalises you?
10:51How do you manage that?
10:55I don't think it changes at all.
10:58It might penalise the club for the fan base or for those looking at the league table.
11:04It is a penalty, but it doesn't change anything in my mind.
11:11But I understand that for people who are looking at the league table, then of course it is a different kettle of fish.
11:18Tutto Sport.
11:20Good afternoon, coach.
11:21I wanted to ask you two things.
11:22First, with a full squad to pick from without injured players, what is Christian Pulisic's best position?
11:29Is it a number 10?
11:30You said that you prefer it when he tends to operate through the middle.
11:39I don't want to talk about that.
11:47I do prefer it when Christian plays through the middle.
11:50I prefer him when he is operating more centrally.
11:54Did you watch Inter Juventus last night?
11:56Yes.
11:57What was your take on the game?
12:00Did you see it as a spectacular game of football or a game littered with mistakes?
12:08Both. A bit of both.
12:14Good afternoon, coach.
12:16I wanted to come back to Rafael Neal.
12:20Because I wanted to ask you, when you took him off against Club Brugge,
12:23that was more a case of the fact that he didn't necessarily cover defensively when you conceded,
12:30as opposed to what he did attacking.
12:32No, that was just a decision I made.
12:39I think that's what the game required at that moment in time.
12:42No, it wasn't by any means a ticking off.
12:45Aria.
12:49Last week, Antonio Conte said that those who have won, those who win,
12:55know what is required in order to keep winning.
12:58Do you think the club needs to know or the players need to know with the belief...
13:02I haven't really understood the question properly.
13:04Antonio Conte said last week...
13:05Ah, Conte, okay.
13:07Conte said that those who have won know what's required in order to win.
13:12Do you think the club needs to know what's required
13:15or do you think the team needs to get into the mindset and have the belief in order to win?
13:20But Conte was talking about Napoli, no?
13:22No, he was talking about Juventus and Inter because they were up against one another
13:28and he said that those that are used to winning can continue to keep doing so.
13:36To be honest, I've not really understood the question correctly.
13:41Let's move on and we'll come back later.
13:43Sorry, I didn't understand what you're getting at.
13:47I'll try and rephrase it.
13:50Antonio Conte said in a previous press conference when he was speaking about Inter and Juventus
13:55that are teams and clubs that are used to winning trophies,
13:59he said that those who win know what's required to keep winning
14:04in terms of mindset, playing style, self-belief.
14:08I wanted to ask you whether Milan has this belief as a team, as a club
14:14and whether you have the mindset in order to be able to go on and win the Scudetto.
14:18Yes, I've just said that we want to keep competing in the title race.
14:31If we have this strength, then I'm sure we can.
14:36Everything is important at this moment in time.
14:39Good afternoon.
14:43You've never looked for excuses, you've always taken responsibility on the chin
14:48but tomorrow it's probably the hardest game you've faced in terms of unavailability
14:53because there are so many players missing
14:55and you always say that when the going gets tough, the squad responds.
14:59Is that what you need, that the squad and the team needs to respond
15:02in order to beat Napoli tomorrow night as opposed to anything else?
15:07As I've always said, I believe in all of my players.
15:11If I'm honest, it's not a case of me saying that here publicly, this is how I am.
15:17You can't do anything with players that are unavailable for selection.
15:20We've got other players.
15:25I prefer to look at it as an opportunity for those who don't ordinarily play.
15:31They have the chance to play.
15:34That's the way I like to look at things.
15:39And as I said, I believe in all of my players.
15:42I've got faith in my entire squad.
15:44It's not just because one player isn't playing
15:47that I suddenly don't have the belief that I can go on and win the game.
15:51I think all of the players need to understand that when we are a team,
16:01it doesn't matter what your name is,
16:04it doesn't matter what the name is on the back of your shirt.
16:08Tomorrow night, we really need to see a strong team ethic
16:12in order to play well against Napoli.
16:16Milan Press, good afternoon.
16:19A little earlier on, you spoke about Davide Calabria possibly playing as a left-back.
16:23I'd like to come back to that.
16:25An alternative going forward, giving the position he plays for his country.
16:30Could that be Strahinja Pavlovic, a left-back?
16:33As a full-back?
16:35Yes, as a full-back, yes.
16:37Because in Serbia, for the national team, he plays as a left centre-back in three.
16:43Yes, but they play with a back three.
16:49And occasionally, they actually build up from the back
16:52with a slightly more open, wider centre-back.
16:55But at this moment in time,
16:56I don't think Pavlovic has the skill set to play as a full-back.
17:00Good afternoon, coach.
17:02I'd like to come back to Napoli.
17:05What or who are you most fearful of when it comes to Napoli?
17:09And could this be a game that's decided on the wings, on the flanks?
17:19Yes, both teams have their biggest match winners out wide on the flanks.
17:26Napoli have two players on the left and the right
17:30who are the players that create the most opportunities for the team.
17:35And we also have some big players on the wings who can be decisive.
17:41If there are no other questions...
17:43Who are they?
17:44I don't know, I'm not going to tell you.
17:46Last question, Carlo Pellegatti.
17:48Thank you. Two questions. Good afternoon.
17:50Listen.
17:53In 1987-88 season, Rigo Sacchi's side played Napoli.
18:00Sacchi's team had already lost two and drawn four at that stage.
18:04But the game against Napoli was the match when we realised
18:08Ruud Gullit, etc., what a good side they were.
18:12Super Milan born today, Napoli destroyed.
18:16That was the headline in La Cazzetta dello Sport.
18:22Do you think this could be the game when we're talking about
18:26Milan's under Fonseca in a few years' time?
18:30We already spoke about this on the eve of the Inter game.
18:33Right.
18:40I'm not looking at it that way.
18:44I think wins breed confidence.
18:48And the bigger the side you beat, the more confidence you gain from it.
18:54But I don't think the development of a team pertains to one single match.
19:00We could play a wonderful performance tomorrow night,
19:04but if after that we go back to dropping off,
19:07then it's pointless.
19:11What I like to see most is whether the team are growing
19:15and improving, whether they're getting better.
19:18I think that's what matters most.
19:21But of course, winning breeds confidence,
19:25especially against teams such as Napoli.
19:28I'd like now to ask the head coach, not the...
19:35Americans say that attacks bring money,
19:40whereas defences win championships.
19:434-0 last night.
19:48La Borda scored last night in a game involving knees.
19:51It was a 4-0 game with a very high defensive line.
19:58So you're no longer coaching teams to defend.
20:00I see mistakes with a lot of back passes.
20:02A few years ago, I didn't see that.
20:04But you head coaches, given that defences win championships,
20:12Barcelona being 4-1, I'm talking about top teams,
20:16what's happening with you head coaches?
20:18We could spend two hours here talking about this.
20:22No, you can summarise it for us.
20:31If we look at Serie A,
20:37you certainly can't say that coaches don't work defensively,
20:42because this is the championship.
20:45If there is a championship where teams work defensively,
20:47then it's Serie A.
20:54They're typically a bit more defensive-minded here in Italy,
20:57and I think coaches do work on how to defend.
21:07I'd love to work a bit more on how to defend,
21:11but I don't have time.
21:13When you're at teams that play every three games,
21:16you barely have any time to work on anything at all.
21:19You just simply work on your game plan for the specific match at hand.
21:23That's the way it is.
21:27I think there are trends.
21:29There are trends in football.
21:36Something else which I believe is important,
21:39namely, is to work with players as individuals.
21:43These days, teams work a lot on shape,
21:47defensive line and structure,
21:51but I think occasionally we don't work enough
21:55on the individual posture of a defender.
22:03In almost every team, most goals stem not necessarily
22:07from a problem in terms of shape,
22:09but a mistake when it comes to decision-making
22:13from one individual player.
22:18That's how goals come about.
22:25But if I'm perfectly honest,
22:27I think it's harder to defend these days
22:29because teams typically defend better than they did in the past.
22:32However, there is a trend, in my opinion,
22:36which is man against man all over the pitch.
22:41It's always been very clear here in Italy
22:44that there are a number of teams that play man v. man
22:47all over the pitch.
22:51Not throughout the game, but there are times during matches
22:57where some other teams, big clubs as well,
23:01they occasionally play like that for some reason.
23:04They occasionally play like that for spells of matches.
23:10I think that also gives you more opportunities
23:13at certain stages of the game.
23:15I can give you an example.
23:21Barcelona against Bayern Munich.
23:30Bayern, in the first phase, when they're high,
23:33they press man against man.
23:36When they're in a midline block or a low block,
23:39they don't press man to man.
23:43But that's a very high-risk strategy,
23:46and what happened was Barcelona actually scored goals
23:49in moments such as those.
23:55The more risky it is in terms of pressing that way,
24:00the more rewarding it can be
24:02in terms of creating goal-scoring opportunities.
24:05But I think in general terms,
24:07teams defend better these days than they did in the past.
24:12It's harder to find space.
24:17If you look these days, it's not every single team
24:20that necessarily knows how to attack in the final third
24:25when teams are camping and sitting deep,
24:27because it's difficult to find space.
24:29Teams are set up well, they're organised,
24:32and it's difficult to actually seek out that space.
24:35Then there are matches where there are a number of goals, sure.
24:42But it's hard to find a very clear explanation for all of this.
24:45Personally, I think every team defends better
24:48than they necessarily did in the past.
24:50Thank you very much, everyone.