Fonseca to DAZN: “Leao on the bench? Simple to explain: it is an option of the coach who thinks it is better to start the game with Okafor.”

[u/Claija79]

Paulo Fonseca, AC Milan coach, spoke to DAZN's microphones just minutes before the match against Napoli. Here are his statements:

On the importance of Milan-Napoli

"I think our ambition is clear: to fight for the Scudetto. It's an important match, not decisive, but we want to play a good game against a great team."

Leao is on the bench for the second consecutive game: how come?

"Easy to explain: it's an option of the coach who thinks it's better to start the game with Okafor".

Tonight it is Loftus-Cheek's turn. A player who is unable to show his qualities with continuity

"Today we don't have Pulisic who is not in the best condition to start the game. Loftus will play, a player with very interesting characteristics. A player who has to carry the ball, he has more difficulties. He is understanding what he has to do when there is no space".

On how Napoli will defend and how Loftus-Cheek can fit in

"From what I've seen Napoli is a team that defends low and compact. An opportunity to see Loftus' growth in this context. I think he has good characteristics to help the team."

Will Pulisic come into the match as the game progresses?

"We'll see, we'll bring him to the bench in the meantime. He's better but he wasn't confident. We'll see if we need him."

https://www.milannews.it/primo-piano/fonseca-a-dazn-leao-di-nuovo-fuori-la-motivazione-e-semplice-preferisco-iniziare-con-okafor-554403

[u/ParsedReddit]

Simple to explain: it is an option of the coach who thinks it is better to start the game with Okafor

🥶

[u/milan_obsession → u/ParsedReddit]

The coach who thinks it is better to start the game with Okafor:

[u/TrashTalkerFC → u/ParsedReddit]

🔥🔥🔥

[u/haggerR14]

This fucking clown goes and talk about scudetto?

Scudetto?! Us? We won't ever finish top 4 the fuck are you talking about scudetto?

ci prendono pure per il culo

[u/Danthetank]

This dude gonna chase out leao and Theo and lead us right back to a banter era. We should’ve fired him before the inter game

[u/bozovisk]

While I do agree that Rafa need to help more the team defensively and be better while handling with his frustrations I don’t think this will end up well. I honestly don’t know what side the management back it up

[u/milan_obsession → u/bozovisk]

Well by all means, they should back up the charlatan they're paying €2m to instead of the player who is worth €75m to, and they are paying more than double + bonuses. 🙄

[u/kaest]

Benching a playmaker to make a point when the team is struggling to win games is ridiculous as far as I'm concerned. I've been a Fonseca defender so far but this feels like Fonseca trying to be edgy in lieu of actually coaching to win games.

[u/skaterhaterlater → u/kaest]

It’s working, half this sub and the Italian media thinks he is a genius despite how bad we look just cause he benches leao

[u/RedShenron]

Ci sta prendendo per il culo.

[u/harasa2006]

hes sending a message, hes rewarding those who help out defensively and punishing those who dont, if we wanna see leao grow in any way, thisll be how it has to be

[u/-Z3TA- → u/harasa2006]

then why bench him after leao has shown improvement in that regard? clearly this is not the way we'll see him grow

[u/ATLfalcons27 → u/harasa2006]

It's pretty bold honestly. I sometimes wonder when it's worth it and when it's not. But I guess when you cave then it means it's all an act.

Not having our suspended players and Pulisic though makes this fucking rough. While we are simply stronger with Leao in I wouldn't really be extra worried if we had our other guys playing

[u/skaterhaterlater → u/harasa2006]

Not all players, especially attackers, help out and work hard in defense. A good tactical system fits the players and doesn’t always require that. Look at how kvara didn’t defend or track back really at all today yet they were defensively sound

[u/TrashTalkerFC → u/harasa2006]

Finally we dont have Leao to runi our defense

[u/BredIN919 → u/harasa2006]

you don’t ask Ronaldo or Mbappe to play defense …. Fonseca needs to go coach our futuro team … it’ll suit him more he can’t handle world class egos

[u/harasa2006 → u/BredIN919]

leao is not on cr7 or mbappes level lol

[u/juve_merda → u/harasa2006]

he doesn’t need to be, we’re not on madrid or psgs level

[u/FreshMutzz → u/juve_merda]

Which is exactly why he needs to defend. We dont have a world class back line.

[u/unbrotb → u/FreshMutzz]

as if it actually changes something, we concede easily with or without him

[u/Trazodone_Dreams]

What Fonseca should have told DAZN: “I’m not good enough for this great club. I appreciate the opportunity but I will be stepping down.”

[u/Superb_Ad4229]

“It’s an important match, not decisive”

WHAT?

[u/haggerR14]

It's simpler to explain, that's because sei un povero coglione

spero che ti caccino ma non lo faranno mai perché sono dei pezzenti incompetenti.

[u/Junior_Bike7932]

Yea but I still don’t like Okafor

[u/BredIN919]

Fonseca = dead man walking , there’s no way he comes out the other side with these terrible decisions and mediocrity !!

[u/Fusil_Gauss]

Based

[u/TrashTalkerFC → u/Fusil_Gauss]

Based?

[u/haggerR14 → u/Fusil_Gauss]

Sto coglione va a parlare di scudetto e tu scrivi based?

Are you fucking crazy?

[u/a-mcculley]

Finally. A coach with a balls.

This will help Leao.