"I'm not here to make friends" - Conceição admits his half-time rage following Milan's inaugural win.

Juventus defeats AC Milan 1-2.

Sérgio Conceição's first game as manager of AC Milan saw his team come from behind to defeat Juventus and go to the Italian Supercup final against local rivals Inter.

Milan trailed to Kenan Yıldız's strike after 20 minutes, but responded with two goals in four minutes in the final quarter of the match contested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The final will be held on Monday evening at the same venue.

Milan's winner came a few minutes after Christian Pulisic leveled the score with a penalty on 71 minutes, which was fortunate. Yunus Musah attempted a cross from the right wing, but it deflected off Federico Gatti and beat Michele di Gregorio in the Juve goal.

"Football is passion and excitement, these are wonderful moments," Conceição stated after the game. "They deserved this win based on their second-half performance, whereas in the first half, I saw the same Milan that played a few weeks ago, with guys unsure in defence, too weary to move the ball about, and incorrect pressing time.

"At halftime, we modified a few things, looked each other in the eyes, and the players had to understand what they needed to do to win the game. They needed to accomplish what we had planned, and it was my duty if we lost 2-0 or 3-0, so they were extremely gutsy in the second half, which was very different from the first.

"I am happy, but we have done nothing yet, we are in the Final and must prepare to play Inter."

I became angry during the break - Conceição

When asked how he inspired his team at halftime, Conceição confessed that he needed to be forthright and tough with his players, as Juventus had a merited lead. Having sworn not to change his well-established harsh style earlier this week, the former Porto manager is keen about being strong in his post.

"I didn't kiss or hug the team during those five minutes in the locker room. In fact, I became enraged because they did not do what I had requested or prepared. I see a bunch of players who are humble; at times, they lack the will to go further, but this will come with time.

"Players require both kindness and harshness. To be honest, I am not the kindest coach who enjoys hugging and reassuring my players; instead, I tend to become furious.

"The most important thing for this squad is to work hard, have a lot of good energy, and pursue their goals together, because they have the talent. I am pleased that the group understood my message, that I am not a coach who grins a lot, since I am not here to make friends, but to win.

Chico Conceição, Sergio's son, was set to start for Juve but was injured during the warm-up and had to withdraw. Rafael Leão, who missed the match due to injury, could potentially play in the final on Monday, according to the new Rossoneri manager.

Comments

From Chloe Kelly to Naomi Girma, here are ten players that could move in January.

As the winter transfer market opens, we take a look at ten prominent players who may change teams next month. Naomi Girma Age 24 Nationality US Club San Diego Wave Girma, widely regarded as one of the top centre-backs in the world and recently named to the FIFA top XI, is nearing the final year of her contract, and speculation has grown that she may leave San Diego. Only the world's wealthiest clubs are expected to be able to afford her this window, and she has been connected with French giants Lyon, although Chelsea are also looking for a central defender after Kadeisha Buchanan suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament damage. Chloe Kelly Age 26 Nationality English Club Manchester City Having started only one Women’s Super League game this season, a move away from Manchester City may be the solution for Kelly to secure more match minutes in her quest for a seat on the plane to Euro 2025 with the Lionesses next summer. The winger, whose winning goal clinched England vic...

Rodri of Manchester City criticizes Real Madrid's tactics following their Champions League defeat: I only saw one squad.

Rodri complained about Real Madrid's tactics after Manchester City's painful Champions League quarter-final loss, saying he "saw only one team" striving to win. City's European title defence came to an end in agony on Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium, with the Spanish giants winning 4-3 in penalties after a 1-1 draw on the night made the tie 4-4 on aggregate. The holders dominated the match, with 33 shots on goal to the visitors' eight, but Real defended deep to frustrate them and ultimately extinguish their dreams of a second consecutive triple. City midfielder Rodri stated, "To be honest, I only saw one team. They defended well. They knew how to suffer, and we know how resilient Real Madrid is. "But, in my opinion, we should take that many chances; yet, this is the trick of this competition. They understand how to play it. We congratulate them. "We gave all, and there is nothing to regret. This can occasionally be football. This demonstrat...

Borussia Dortmund is 'considering a bid' for Marcus Rashford.

Borussia Dortmund is investigating a transfer for Marcus Rashford. According to the Athletic's David Ornstein, the Bundesliga club has joined the hunt for Manchester United's out-of-favour attacker in the summer. Rashford has become a peripheral character at Old Trafford with the arrival of Rúben Amorim, being dropped from four consecutive matchday lineups. He returned for a home loss to Newcastle but missed last weekend's draw at Liverpool due to illness, and his long-term chances remain bleak. Rashford has also been linked with Serie A giants Milan and Juventus, as well as many undisclosed Premier League suitors.

Barcelona's final attempt to register Dani Olmo will face a court battle.

Barcelona's chances of having Dani Olmo and Pau Victor available for the rest of the season appear to be dwindling. After missing the deadline to remain registered for the remainder of the season, Barcelona delivered La Liga all of the necessary documentation for the sale of their VIP seats, a deal worth an estimated €110 million that would allow them to do so. However, due to the missing deadline, La Liga would not allow Barcelona to keep Olmo and Victor registered, as rules prohibit players from being registered twice. As a result, Barcelona's sole contractual option is to file a court appeal to their decision. According to MD, they have a variety of legal options. They may claim force majeure, which refers to unforeseeable situations that prevent them from assembling the documentation for La Liga, but legal experts say that is unlikely to qualify for that verdict. However, according to the Catalan daily, the most likely argument is that the registration period be extended...

Manchester United defense underwent a minor cardiac operation.

Manchester United will be momentarily without the abilities of summer acquisition Noussair Mazraoui. On Thursday, conflicting sources suggested that the Morocco international had heart palpitations and was anticipated to be sidelined for the long term. According to an update from Manchester Evening News chief correspondent Samuel Luckhurst, the 26-year-old underwent a little preventive corrective operation and recovered completely. The fact that Manchester United views it as a “relatively common condition” and that the player should make a full recovery gives them hope. The Premier League team anticipates Mazraoui's comeback to action in the upcoming weeks, according to MEN. Concerning the player's situation, Manchester United has not yet released a statement. Under Erik ten Hag, the former star of Ajax and Bayern Munich has made ten appearances this season in all competitions.

Dribble Diaries

Search This Blog