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00:00Welcome along to everyone, before we start with the new Milan head coach, I wanted to
00:11thank Paolo Fonseca for what he did, for the professional that he is, for the time that
00:19he spent here, the utmost of respect for him. As for the reasons behind the dismissal, he
00:30didn't manage to have consistency in terms of results, and when you're at Milan results
00:36are fundamental. We decided to fire Paolo after the match, we made a mistake by putting
00:48him up in the press conference. I apologise to Paolo and the fans, we understand the fans,
00:57we have the utmost respect for them, we're the first to be unhappy with our league position
01:02and we won't be happy until we reach our targets. The Super Cup is one of our goals, we are
01:10aiming to win the competition this season, and it will be important for us to do so.
01:20The responsibility doesn't only come down to one head coach, the responsibility is shared
01:26amongst everyone, and we need to take responsibility. Both in good times and bad, Milan are always
01:36prepared as a club for the next step, there are no surprises, and there are no panicked
01:43decisions, everything has been prepared in good times and bad. Now is the time to unveil
01:51the new head coach of Milan, Sergio Conceicao, he doesn't need any introduction, I think
01:56you all know who he is. The reasons why we chose Sergio is because he's a very direct
02:06person, he's got a lot of character, he's a winner, he has experience of taking over
02:13a club at mid-season and he did a very good job. He was at Porto, he got great results
02:19with the club, and he already has very clear ideas in his mind, some targets. He arrived
02:26yesterday, he immediately wanted the team out there on the training ground to work,
02:30and our job now is to give him the best possible chance of success, so I'd like to welcome
02:36Sergio Conceicao. Ok, let's thank Zlatan Ibrahimovic, we'll start with the questions, we'll begin
02:41with Mauro Suma, Milan TV. Thank you Nicola, good morning Zlatan, welcome along Gaffer.
02:48When you spoke to Milan TV for the first time, we really picked up on your pride of being
02:53here as a Milan head coach. How proud are you and how important will San Siro be? There's
03:06a big fan base at San Siro, they'll be important for you, for the team and for the project
03:14that begins today. Thank you very much everyone, thank you Zlatan for your opening comments,
03:21you put even more responsibility on me. I'm very proud to coach such a top club like Milan,
03:31it's a massive club, and I know this club since my playing days, but also as a coach,
03:38because I took on Milan in the Champions League as a coach three years ago, some of the players
03:43are still at the club. It's a pleasure, it's a source of pride, it's a step forward in
03:48my career, both for me and my staff. Fans are the heart and soul of a club, without
03:57supporters it's very difficult to grow and thrive as a team. We need to respect the values
04:06of the club, and we need to keep working very hard to show that we're up to Milan, the team
04:14as a whole. Not everyone is here at the moment, I'm here, that's not a good sign, things didn't
04:20necessarily go well, Zlatan was right in saying it doesn't only come down to one person, several
04:27people are to blame, all part of the club as a whole, in various areas of the club that
04:35work here on a daily basis in Milanello with the team, and now we need to give it a lot
04:40of thought, we don't have a great deal of time to work on the first game that we have
04:45on Friday against Juventus, but it is what it is, we won't complain about that, we won't
04:51look for excuses, we're here to work, and we're going to try and win things, and we'll
04:57definitely produce a very competitive side.
05:00Sky, hi Gaffer, welcome along, yesterday you spoke about hard work and how little time
05:06you have, you've also stressed those ideas today, what are you going to be focusing on
05:11in the short term, and have you already spoken to your son Chico, who you were up against
05:17in your first match in charge?
05:22I've got five children, I speak to them on a daily basis, Francisco will be an opponent
05:30on Friday, and professionally he's an opponent, at home he's my son, that's only normal, just
05:38like all fathers and children I think.
05:41As for the first question, I've already said it to the lads, we can change formation, we
05:49can play 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 4-3-3, whatever you want, but it all comes down to the team spirit
05:56and mentality, and that's non-negotiable, that intensity, that desire, that hunger to
06:07come off the pitch at the end of the game knowing you've given everything to try and
06:11win the match, and that's not easy, because I'm a very passionate man, I know you've already
06:20seen how many times I've been sent off during my career, because I really experience matches
06:25intensely and I want players to show that same passion and emotion on the pitch, just
06:30like the fans, coming back to that first question, I want to see the players show that passion,
06:36so I think we need to do that job, the players need to understand that they need to have
06:46that light in their eyes every time they step out there at Milanello, that's something very
06:51important, of course you need a game plan, organisation when it comes to a specific match,
06:56that's something else, if we can all have that mentality, all of us in our own individual
07:02positions will be stronger as a whole.
07:04Hi Gaffer, welcome along, I wanted to ask you, a little earlier you said that if you're
07:10here it's because that means that something's not gone well, I'm sure you've watched a number
07:15of Milan matches, what is it that didn't work out, is it a case of mentality or does
07:23it come down to football?
07:25It's like the people involved in the team, there's not one factor, there are a number
07:32of different things that haven't worked out, I prefer to speak about, some people prefer
07:39to speak about tactical organisation, other people will talk about fitness levels and
07:44so on and so forth, I'd like to wish Paolo all the best, Paolo had some good times here,
07:54there were some performances that I really enjoyed, others less so, but that's part and
07:59parcel of being a head coach, you can't think that you're always going to necessarily be
08:04consistent, we want to be consistently perfect, but that's not possible because you come up
08:11against opponents that have a lot of quality, there's a different test week in and week
08:14out in Serie A, the same goes for the Champions League, so we need to be prepared for that,
08:22but I don't really want to get into the details of all of that, that wouldn't be fair towards
08:31a very good professional head coach, someone who I've known for many years in the shape
08:37of Paolo Fonsi.
08:38Hi, welcome back to Milan, we got to know you as a player here in Milan, now we see
08:48you as a coach here, who is Sergio Cossi Sal, what differences are there between your past
08:54as a player and the coach that sits before us?
08:57It's all completely different, it's completely different, when we're players we think that
09:09we understand everything about football, that's not the case, we think about our own little
09:19patch of grass, whereas head coaches don't sleep at night, it's very difficult for me
09:25to get drift off to sleep, because there's a lot of information, I'm sure you understand
09:29that because you're working in football, but there's stress to try and figure out all of
09:35the various factors here at Milan, the job everyone does, from the kit man to the ground
09:42staff cutting the grass on the pitch, right up until the club president, everyone's very
09:49important, we've got a lot of desire, we the staff, to meet and get to know as many
09:55people as possible, to try and find some shortcuts to get ahead of the game, so that we have
10:03an understanding of everything and everyone as quickly as possible, because there's very
10:11little time available, on Friday we have the Super Cup semi-final, we need to be very
10:18positive and demanding in what we want to see from that game.
10:22Mediaset, hi Gaffer, welcome along, Zlatan said a little earlier that the decision to
10:31fire the coach was taken after the Roma match, so I'd like to ask you, given that you were
10:36hired very quickly, what convinced you, what stimulated you to say yes to Milan?
10:49This summer, was there the opportunity to come to Milan and were you not able to join
10:53because of your situation with Porto?
10:56No, it wasn't easy leaving Porto, I don't really want to get into that too much, in
11:02the meantime, I don't think that timing is the most important thing, as for when Milan
11:09spoke to me, whether it was in the summer or not, every week, in Portugal, in the press,
11:16they were saying that there was a new club interested in me, they were always talking,
11:22that's only natural, because news breaks that we can't control, I don't think the timing
11:31of Milan's move is particularly important, it was very quick, as you said, I arrived
11:34yesterday, I got straight out there on the training ground, there's a lot of work to
11:37do, today's my unveiling, if I didn't do so, but as I said, because of the respect that
11:42we have for you guys and for all of the fans, I think we had to have an unveiling, so we
11:47decided to do so today, but it's all been very quick, that's what you need to understand.
11:52Why did I join Milan? I'm coaching one of the best teams in world football, historically,
12:04I couldn't say no, even though there were other situations that I respect a great deal,
12:10a number of top clubs, but I immediately chose Milan, when I was given the opportunity to
12:17come and coach the team.
12:26Among the various things that Paolo Fonseca did, there was a real break between the coach's
12:34approach and certain players, he took a hard line, shall we say, we were really struck by
12:41both the fan base and the media, you're also renowned for being a fairly firm head coach,
12:49what will your approach be in general, what will your rapport, relationship be like with
12:55the players, will it be more carrot or stick?
12:57It depends on the situation, I'm 50 years of age, it's hard for me to change at this
13:05stage of my life, I've been coaching for 13 years now, I didn't start yesterday, I've
13:14changed the way that I am, the way that I am, they know that they've got someone who's
13:19very fair, who's very direct, there'll be 11 players who'll be very happy, they're the
13:24starters, those that are on the bench will be less happy, those that are at home, I mustn't
13:29swear, but it's hard, that's what comes down to managing a squad, if you're very direct
13:40in the way you communicate eye to eye with players, you look them in the eye, they give
13:44the utmost in training, they might actually be a bit more sad because they're not playing
13:49as much, there are always little dynamics within a team that ultimately decide things,
13:55we need to take strength from that, it's like pressure, there's a lot of pressure, but pressure
13:59is part of football, if you're at top clubs, if you don't want pressure, what are you doing
14:04there?
14:05Pressure is part of the game, it's a tough time, there are tough times, but you need
14:09to look towards better times, because it's hard to get worse, so we're confident that
14:20we're going to do a good job, and as I said to the players, I can speak as much as I like
14:27here, I can speak really well here, but ultimately it comes down to results, we'll try and get
14:30results too.
14:40Welcome along, I wanted to ask you, Milan are moving from Fonseca, and when he came
14:47in Zlatan introduced him by saying, I wanted to dominate football, to now Fonseca who seems
14:54to have a different skill set, do you think at this moment in time, given how little time
14:58you have available, no time at all, can you change your tactical approach here at Milan,
15:07or at this stage, are you better off pressing ahead and then gradually making tweaks?
15:23I'm true to my convictions with the team in the way I work, I don't depend on the context
15:27here, technically, tactically, as I said to you earlier on, the formation is not hugely
15:32important, it's more about the dynamics and the shape, and we need to make sure that we're
15:36always the right way out there on the pitch.
15:42The game plan depends on the opposition, but ultimately the foundations of what we'll be
15:46doing will be on our team, and the principles of play that my players need to understand.
15:53As for dominating proceedings, football is simple, very simple, if you ask me, there's
15:59one goal where you need to score goals, and there's another goal where you mustn't concede.
16:03As for dominating football, dominating proceedings, ultimately, dominating is your results.
16:08If you're talking about ball possession, or tiki-taka, I think tiki-taka is about putting
16:15the ball in the back of the net, Corriere dello Sport.
16:22Good afternoon, Gaffer, good morning, welcome along.
16:27As you said earlier on, if you're here, it's because there's been a failure on the sporting
16:31side, as Zlatan has manned up and taken responsibility.
16:38Do you honestly believe this team can make the Champions League next season your eighth
16:42in the table, and above all, at a time when there's a very difficult context, the fans
16:49are protesting the ownership, and so on and so forth.
16:54Do Milan have the potential to make up ground in the Serie A table, and which players will
17:01be available for selection for the Super Cup?
17:04Yes, we'll do everything in our power to get there.
17:07There's a lot of work to be done.
17:12Sure, there are players at this moment in time that aren't available for selection,
17:22important players over the first six months of the season, but we need to work with those
17:28that are available for selection.
17:29We mustn't look for excuses.
17:32I've got faith in every player in my squad, and as for those that are available for selection,
17:39we'll go to Saudi Arabia and fight to try and win this first match.
17:48Of course, as a head coach, you'd much rather have everyone available for selection and
17:52not have any injuries, but injuries are part and parcel of football, and we need to look
17:57at those that are available.
18:00Sport Italia.
18:03Good afternoon, coach.
18:04Welcome along.
18:05I saw some of your comments a few years ago when you said, players are all the same.
18:11Do you confirm that particular statement, and have you spoken to Rafael Liao and Teo
18:16Hernandez, who ended up on the bench under the previous head coach?
18:24What was the first question?
18:28Do you think players are all the same, or two top players like Rafael Liao and Teo Hernandez
18:34should always start?
18:35No, I think players are all the same in terms of how I manage the dressing room.
18:42There's no difference as to whether you're 17 or 37 years of age.
18:48Depends what they produce day in, day out on the training ground.
18:52If they work as professionals, up to the most, the maximum, not what they think is
18:57their maximum, but another peak, right to the peak of their powers, there's no difference
19:05to me really between one player and another.
19:11In the dressing room, in front of everyone, they know that I'm as demanding with them
19:16as I am with everyone else.
19:19After that, there are some debates on a personal level, those that can come to me individually
19:23and speak to me, and of course, the way I speak to Rafael Liao will be different to
19:27the way I speak to another kid, because they've got different characters.
19:36I like to really get to know all of the players that I have, who their father is, their mother
19:41is, their siblings, I like that.
19:48Those players have a whole backstory that leads to the way that they behave and how
19:51they conduct themselves in the team, that might actually justify their background, but
19:57I like all of those different facets, but individually, sure, but collectively in the
20:02dressing room, in terms of how I manage things, those that deserve to play is based on what
20:07they've produced on the training ground, how they've worked.
20:10Have you already spoken to them?
20:11Yeah, I've spoken to everyone.
20:12Tutto Sport.
20:13Hi, Gaffer.
20:14I wanted to ask you the following, in terms of how you manage the squad as a whole, managing
20:26Milanello day in, day out, what sort of coach will you be?
20:31There are some coaches that want to have an eye on every single facet on a daily basis
20:37and then speak to Furlani and Zlatan on a daily basis, with Moncada as well, or do you
20:45feel that you need someone alongside you, so it might be someone that you can speak
20:52to on a daily basis?
20:53Do you want to work on your own at Milanello, make your decisions and then speak to the
20:57club and the senior management, or how have you managed things in the past?
21:06Everyone has their job to do.
21:11We communicate on a daily basis.
21:16But I really like to get to know all of the various departments, to speak to the doctors,
21:22the physios, what job they do, how they work, whether they come in once a day, twice a day.
21:33I think they need to come in twice a day.
21:35I'm just giving you some examples.
21:38I spoke to a very important nutritionist today.
21:42I really like to get to know all of the various departments, but that's my job.
21:48But very quickly there's a lot of information, we're trying to get to know as much as we
21:52can as quickly as possible.
21:54As for the ownership, I'll speak to them when I need to, when they need to speak to me,
21:58or we're here day in, day out, working at Milanello, working towards the same objective
22:03in the same direction.
22:06We're all pulling in the same direction.
22:12And we all want one thing, namely that Milan can finish in the top four in the Champions
22:20League places, just like the question I got earlier.
22:22There's already a title on the line and we'll see in the Champions League as well.
22:26We've got a couple of matches that are important against Girona and Dinamo Zagreb.
22:30We'll see where we finish there as well, because we're Milan.
22:34Last two questions.
22:35Hi Gaffer, best of luck.
22:41The January transfer window is also on the way.
22:46Have you spoken about that?
22:47Does this team need a few new faces?
22:50Do you need to act?
22:51A generic question on the January transfer window.
22:55The first thing I said is that I want to get to know not only the first team, but also
22:59Milan Futuro, the under-23 side, and also the kids that are here, the lads that are
23:05here.
23:06It's not like me to actually necessarily ask for players.
23:11I want to get to know the players that have featured predominantly in the last few matches.
23:16I've looked at the last several games.
23:20But I don't really know the youngsters too well, so I want to get to know with them first
23:24and foremost.
23:25Then I'll speak before then we decide whether we need to act or not.
23:28Carlo Pelegati.
23:29Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already mentioned this.
23:33I got to know you as a head coach, not as Porta, but as Nantes head coach.
23:38You took over Nantes in second bottom, then you took 35 points from 19 games and finished
23:45seventh.
23:46So you've already come in mid-season.
23:48What are the analogies?
23:49What are the differences?
23:51What are the issues you expect to encounter here, taking over a team mid-season?
23:57They're different situations.
23:58OK, it was the same period of the year.
24:05We all did a great job there in France, where there was a different squad.
24:11The club was different.
24:12It was all very different.
24:15You mustn't make comparisons.
24:16Sure, in terms of the situation, there are similarities, but it's not the same thing.
24:22There's the pressure I was speaking about here, but I've got the pressure every day
24:27to be better than I was the previous day.
24:29I put that pressure on myself.
24:30I'm very demanding with myself.
24:31I had set high standards.
24:33And this pressure, this environment, it needs to give us a bit more.
24:37It needs to motivate us more and not the opposite.
24:41We mustn't be intimidated by it.
24:45You need to take this pressure, see it as responsibility.
24:48As Zlatan said, everyone needs to step up, take the responsibility, work very humbly,
24:53100%.
24:54We know that we've got a very difficult job ahead, but we're very confident about what's
24:59to come.
25:00Thank you very much.
25:01Thank you very much, everyone.
25:02Happy New Year.