Allegri discusses Milan return emotions, importance of defence, Scudetto aim and stars

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Massimiliano Allegri introduced himself to the AC Milan world for the second time at his first official press conference on Monday afternoon.

In a statement on the official website last month, Milan announced that Allegri will be back for a second spell at the club 11 years after his first one ended. He takes over from Sergio Conceicao as the head coach, who joined on December 30 but lasted just a few months.

In a feature later that day we revealed the full background on how Allegri’s return materialised, and since then there have been many reports speaking of just how hands-on and involved he is in the Rossoneri resurgence mission.

The players began arriving on Friday for the official start of preseason on Monday, with 28 squad members called up. There was a behind closed doors training session this morning, with an open one to follow in front of fans at 18:00 CEST.

Allegri’s first Milan presser

Before that, though, Allegri had the chance to address some familiar faces in the journalists who populated the conference room at Casa Milan. His comments were relayed by MilanNews.

First, a greeting…

“Good morning everyone and welcome back. I am pleased to be here in front of you. Today we begin this adventure where we will try to get some great satisfaction.”

A month and a half at Milan, you breathed that compactness that traditionally are the atmospheres in which you feel best…

“Since I arrived we have started working together with the director and all the members of the club: to get results you have to be a single unit, with a single direction to go towards, with responsibilities that we must have towards an important club like Milan.

“We share the dynamics on a daily basis, with the director and the other members. This fantastic adventure begins, I am very happy and enthusiastic.

“I returned to Milan again where I found many people that I had left and many new people, who for me are an important stimulus: meeting new people creates a completely different focus.”

What was it like being back in the famous ‘room five’ at Milanello? Is the goal to return to winning ways?

“Five is a lucky number for me, it’s the date my daughter was born, which made me a grandfather of two grandchildren. It’s not that in these 15 years I’ve won more than Milan.

“I was lucky enough to work for four years at Milan with Berlusconi and Galliani, where I had the opportunity to win thanks to the club and the players.

“Then I went to Juventus, and I take this opportunity to thank them for the 8 years I spent there: the people who supported me and President Agnelli with whom I am close.

“Having said that, I try to put the players in the conditions to ensure that they can give us important performances. The club must be a single unit, it must be supportive, and I’m sure it will be.

“The Milan squad is an excellent squad, the club is monitoring all the situations and the important thing is to get to August 31st in the best conditions. The first six months are important to create the best conditions to get to March, where the seasons are decided.”

At the end of the season, you would be happy if…?

“In the meantime, let’s start training. I believe that we need to start the season with great enthusiasm, passion, work, and a sense of responsibility to create the conditions to be in the best conditions in March to achieve the objectives at the end of the season.

“The first objective is for Milan to return to playing in the Champions League. We need to be in those positions in March.”

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What explanations are there for last season?

“Football is difficult. There is a banal example: I was watching Serie B, Spezia played in the relegation play-offs with one different player than the team that played in the promotion play-offs the year before.

“It is not up to me to say what went wrong last year, I watched the games and had a lot of fun: today a new season begins and we must focus on this. Last year Milan won a trophy, reached the final of the Coppa Italia, played excellent individual games.

“I have to take the good from last year: the value of the team is there. It is up to me to make them perform at their best: we will all have to work together, players, club and those at Milanello, to achieve maximum results.

“Milan you always have to have the ambition to achieve the maximum and never settle, having great dedication to work. Especially in the league, where it is not a one-off game, you have to try to travel at a cruising speed.

“To obtain results you have to get a certain number of points, score goals and concede fewer: goal difference in the Italian league has always made the difference, they taught me that since I was a child.”

Will your Milan be about ‘corto muso’ again [winning ‘by a nose’]? Did the club ask you to deliver the second star?

“It has nothing to do with the corto muso. Everyone’s goal is to work well, start well and bring Milan back to the Champions League. It’s the goal that we all need to have in mind, we can only get there with the daily work of each individual, and I’m the first. I’m very confident.”

Why Milan?

“First of all because Milan is a club I am very fond of. When I received the phone call from Tare and Furlani I met them straight away. I was very enthusiastic and in an hour we decided that we would start this adventure together. I am very happy with this choice I made.”

What certainties does your Milan start from? Is Vlahovic of interest?

“As for the mercato, director Tare, together with the club, monitors the market. We share the opportunities that exist every day. The exits have been shared with the club.

“Today I have 25 players and I am very happy. Things must be done slowly and well: on August 17th there is the first match of the Coppa Italia. A do-or-die match that will help us prepare for the league.”

Last year Napoli won the league without playing in Europe. Do you think there are possibilities to repeat a similar path?

“I can only say that when you work at Milan you all have to have the ambition to get the best results: you have to start working with the conviction of getting the best results. If in March we are good at being in the top positions then we will go for big things.

“Now it is useless to say that we will win the league: you have to be responsible and concrete, getting results through passion, work and the responsibility that each of us within this club must have.”

Are you going to play a 4-3-3?

“Where?”

On the field…

“In the meantime, let’s start by putting 10 out there, then we’ll see (laughs).”

Will Maignan be the captain? And are you looking forward to working with Leao?

“I saw him this morning, I’m very happy that he made this choice to stay. He’s the captain of the team, an international player, one of the best in the world. Well done to the club that convinced him to stay. I’m sure Leao will have a great season.”

Where will Modric be used?

“We are waiting for him to arrive, he will arrive in August. He is an important and extraordinary player. We have Ricci, Modric, Loftus-Cheek who is a very important player who scored 12 goals two years ago. We have Fofana, Bondo, Musah…

“We have some excellent players. In midfield we will definitely play with a three, depending on the characteristics of the individuals we will put ourselves on the field and above all I will try to make them perform as best as possible.”

Is a figure like Tare, who wasn’t there before, fundamental?

“As for what happened up until a month ago, I can’t say and I don’t know. I found a club with clarity in roles, which is the most important thing: it’s important that we all go in the same direction.

“This block that must exist from the owners to the warehouse workers must be a single block to put the players in the best conditions to do what they have to do, that is, make us win matches.”

Have you met with the owners? What message do you send to the fans who are disappointed?

“I met them. It was a pleasant lunch, I was very happy. As for the fans, the most important thing we have to do is work well, day after day: the only thing to regain the fans’ respect is to work well, with responsibility and professionalism.

“And try to get results, which is the most important thing in football. The fans will have to give us a hand, we will absolutely need them.”

You once said ‘titles are won in games where you play badly’. Is that why you are looking for an extra striker? What is your relationship with Vlahovic?

“He’s an extraordinary guy, he arrived very young from Fiorentina. I’m not a fan of statistics, but there are numbers you can’t escape.

“In the last 20 years there has only been one season where the best defence didn’t win the league: Sarri’s year at Juve when he conceded 43 goals. A great team scores 60 to 80 goals, if you concede 40 you can’t get into the top four.”

Where does your belief in Leao come from?

“I believe in him, I’m convinced. He’s coming of age. Usually a player’s most important years are between 26 and 30. I think he’s more responsible, I met him this morning and spoke to him. I think there are all the conditions to do well.”

How has Allegri changed over the years?

“I’ve changed a lot, it’s normal that it’s like that. Young people aren’t more or less good than older people, in life it’s a question of experience. In a month I’ll be 58, compared to when I started at Aglianese I’m completely different.

“With the four years at Milan and the eight at Juventus I was very lucky, they taught me a lot. These two clubs have increased the amount of experience I carry with me and that I will still have to interpret.

“You never stop learning, there’s always the possibility of improving. There’s no such thing as maintenance: either you improve or you get worse. When you don’t improve anymore it means you get worse.”

Should the word ‘Scudetto’ become an obligation, an obsession of this team?

“Aiming for the Scudetto is a proclamation that is more useful for you to write about. Being in a big club like Milan, everyone must have the ambition to achieve the maximum, then the players will speak.

“The league doesn’t lie, every day you have to be there working and every Sunday you have to be there fighting for the three points. But we can only talk about this in March. Until March we have to build for the final months.”

Have you seen Ibrahimovic again? Did you try to talk to Theo to convince him to stay?

“I haven’t seen Ibra yet. As soon as it was made official we contacted each other, we are happy. He was an extraordinary player, now he has started a career as a manager.

“As Furlani said, he is a consultant to the ownership, he must be an example for all the players with his mentality. Theo made a different choice, he is a great player and I wish him the best of luck.”

How much work will need to be done on the team’s mentality?

“I can’t judge what happened last year. We need to become a team as soon as possible, the sooner we become a team, the sooner we can get results. I saw very available and very attentive guys.

“Now let’s see today when we start with the ball, which is the most difficult thing. I’m very confident, what happened in previous years has now been done: I have to take the best of the recent past, there’s no need for a revolution.

“We need to work with order and responsibility. Then Tare will be able to seize the opportunities that the team needs between now and August 31st.”

What advice did you give to Thiago Silva? Which teams do you fear for next year?

“Thiago Silva called me, we talk every now and then. I thought he was a manager… (laughs). The teams that are always at the top are Napoli, who are the favourites, Inter, Juventus, Atalanta, Roma, Lazio. Getting into the top four is not easy, that’s why it’s important to work well.”

What profiles do you expect as full-backs? Do you trust the current central defenders?

“I don’t talk about the mercato because there’s the director, he takes care of it. We have Jimenez who can play full-back, Bartesaghi is an interesting young player. The director has time and the means to sort things out.

“The central defenders are four central defenders with different characteristics, they have room for improvement. Pavlovic has room, Tomori and Thiaw the same. Gabbia is an exemplary boy in terms of behaviour and manners, I’m happy.”

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