• 2 days ago
Transcript
00:00For Mr. Fonseca, you're Milan, so I take the match to the other team, for a few months we've noticed that, it's a team that don't overthink it, they play to win, they don't overthink it, they play for the victory.
00:30Tomorrow, a draw against Real Madrid, considering who they are, wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?
00:38Honestly, I always try and transmit the will to win to my team, to my players.
00:53Tomorrow won't be any different, I always think about winning, I always want to win.
00:59We know that Real Madrid are a very good team, but I only think about victory, it depends on what happens afterwards, maybe if it's a positive result, it might be a negative result, it depends on how the match goes.
01:23Mr. Fonseca, I'd like to know if you have decided if Rafa Leao will play, and what you expect from him, if he's in the match from the first beginning.
01:42Sorry, I didn't hear the final part, have you decided to select Rafa Leao from the first minute, and what do you expect from him?
01:49Rafa will play from the start, and we expect from him what we always do, that he can be decisive in this match.
02:19Alvaro Morata is a very important player for our team, not just as a player, but as an example.
02:46He's very professional, he's very intelligent, and he's doing very well here.
02:58He's very important for our team, he needs to play, but what he's doing, what he's contributing to the team at the moment is very important, it's decisive for us.
03:15Playing here is special for him, playing in Spain, but I expect the usual Alvaro that we've had this season, working really hard for the team, and having lots of energy.
03:36A question for Mike Mignogna, what's it like playing at a stadium like the Santiago Bernabeu, and how are negotiations going for your contract with Milan?
03:59My contract isn't the most important thing at this moment, we've got a very important match tomorrow night.
04:12For me, for us we'll take it normally to play at the Santiago Bernabeu. It's not normal, but we have to act normally, we have to be lucid, we have to be calm, we have to be composed.
04:33We have to only concentrate on our team, and try and get a positive result.
04:45A question for Mike Mignogna.
05:02Has there been any discussion between Mbappé and you?
05:32It's a difficult time, but we know that the great players show up when it's required. I've got no doubt that tomorrow will be very difficult for everyone who's involved.
05:50Francesco Rocchi.
06:21Obviously, Carlo Ancelotti is a reference point for me, an example. One of the best coaches in the world. Whatever he says is important, and it's worth listening to.
06:46Even at this moment, particularly at this moment, it's good to hear him say that, his thoughts, that Milan have got potential, and I thank him.
07:00Mike Mignogna, you're the leader, the quiet leader of this team. Tomorrow night, what will it be like to be one-on-one with Kylian Mbappé, but not just him, also Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham?
07:22As I said to your colleague, it's a football match. I'm going to play a football match, even if it's Real Madrid or another team. I will have the right adrenaline to play correctly, to play well. We need to stay calm, though. We have to be focused and intelligent and composed, focused on what we're doing, and that's it.
07:47I wanted to ask if you saw Barcelona against Real Madrid, the superclassico, and has that had any impact on how you will judge the match, plan it?
08:04Yes, I saw Real Madrid against Barcelona. It's impossible not to watch that match. They're two teams I like to watch, and I was watching Barcelona carefully because they were playing Real Madrid.
08:24Obviously, we're a different team to Barcelona, but the important thing is to have the right intention and to see what Real Madrid intend to do. We'll try and pick up on things Real Madrid did in defence against Barcelona to see if we can use that.
08:55I want to speak about Rafa Leau again. A lot of people have asked questions about how you are managing Rafa Leau. I want to know if this subject, the theme of Rafa Leau for you, is being talked about too much.
09:20No, no, honestly, no. I know what's important for me and for the team. I think it's normal that people like you, journalists and the media, talk about these situations. It's normal.
09:42I understand that. I have to understand that, but I still take my own path and do what I think is important for the team.
09:52One of the best Milan teams this season was the one with two strikers that played against the Derby. Is that an option for tomorrow?
10:11No, because Tammy Abraham won't be available. He's only just started to train, so physically he won't be able to play all of the match. I think he'll be able to play part of the match, but not from the start.
10:32Tomorrow will be a special evening for Teo Hernandez, who's returning to the Santiago Bernabeu. What do you think of Teo Hernandez's season so far?
10:47I think Teo started the season with a few physical problems, with a few small injuries. Now he's coming back to his best physically. He's getting better. He's growing.
11:08We watched the last match and I think he still has margin to improve and feel better.
11:21I have a question for Mike Mendión. Do you think you're in the top five goalkeepers in the world?
11:52There are lots of great goalkeepers. In my head, I don't think about being the best. It's not my style. Maybe I was voted fifth best in the world, but I don't think about rankings or other people's standings or voting.
12:16I have to just try and think of myself and the team and achieve certain objectives. The priority isn't things like this. The priority is being focused on every moment for today and for tomorrow's match.
12:34Last week, Vinicius Jr. won the Golden Ball. What do you think about that?
12:55For me, I'm not interested in individual awards. They don't bother me. There are so many different things that affect these awards. I understand that people are interested in these individual awards, but for me, I respect the decision.
13:19It's difficult to say that one player deserves the Golden Ball more than another. For me, it's difficult to say that and I respect that. It's not easy to say.
13:32What's it like? How do you feel about playing tomorrow against Carlo Ancelotti, such an important figure for Milan?
13:51It's always special for me. He's a reference point. I'm a big fan of Carlo Ancelotti, not just as a manager, as a head coach, but as a man, as a person. He's an example for all of us coaches and for me. I'm really motivated and he's a great motivator and it's wonderful.
14:16Good evening, Mike. First of all, how important is this match for you? Do you consider this match a European derby?
14:43It's a match with the clubs that I think have won the most Champions Leagues, so I think this is the most important thing.
14:59It's difficult to say. There have been so many matches in the Champions League for Milan, so it's got a great history, lots of legends, but this is a match with two attractive clubs for the neutral to watch or for football fans to watch.
15:26I hope this will be at the level that people expect historically from a match like this and for people who enjoy football will like it.
15:37The eve of the match against Inter was very similar to this. Milan were not favourites. The bookmakers made Inter favourites. You came up with an unusual formation. Are there any differences or similarities between the eve of the derby and the eve of this match against Inter?
16:07What's similar is that Milan weren't favourites in either match, but they're completely different matches. They're different opponents. They have different styles of play. You can't compare Inter and Real Madrid.
16:37In the short time we've had, we've prepared it slightly differently because it's a different team. Real Madrid are different to Inter, and we have prepared a different strategy as well to face Real Madrid, who are a very, very good team.
16:58I want to quote the French writer Alexandre Dumas. He speaks about courage and he speaks about putting fear into your opponents. Can you repeat your performance against Inter when you play Real Madrid?
17:21Every match has its own story. The Inter match and the Real Madrid match tomorrow will be very different. We have to be brave in every moment to play our football. We have to have the courage to attack and to defend and to play the right passes, play our passes and work hard for the team.
17:49We have to be brave enough to play football and have no fear. When we enter the pitch, we have to be ready. We have to be brave. We have to be ourselves.
18:03Thank you for watching Mr Fonseca and Mike Mignon's press conference.

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