Unity, solidity, ambition and motivation: Five key themes from Allegri’s presser analysed

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Massimiliano Allegri was officially unveiled to the media on Monday afternoon, in his first press conference since returning to AC Milan.

The first thing to note, with it being a return, is that Allegri saw some new faces among the crowd of journalists itching to ask him a question, but also many familiar ones too that have remained covering the club since his first spell.

The word ‘aura’ is often overused in football discourse nowadays, yet it feels fitting for what was exuded in the conference room at Casa Milan. The moment Allegri walked into that room with a beaming smile, it felt like he commanded it.

It is probably the aforementioned benefit of returning and seeing faces he knows and being in an environment he knows, and in turn the journalists were more at ease too. Still, the new coach answered the questions with the charisma that has always been present.

What exactly did he speak about? Just like we did for Igli Tare and Giorgio Furlani’s press conferences last month, we have picked out five key topics of discussion that Allegri was questioned on, given that the full thing came in just shy of 3,000 words.

Creating unity to thrive

One message that Allegri was keen to stress in various answers he gave was that Milan are simply able to achieve more when everyone has the same shared goal.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

It is of course nothing revolutionary, but fans would be forgiven for feeling like the Rossoneri haven’t really had that ‘togetherness’ since the best days under Stefano Pioli, namely the Scudetto season and the Champions League semi-final run.

The cooling break saga in the Lazio game, the penalty debacle in the defeat to Fiorentina, the row between Sergio Conceicao and Davide Calabria after a last-minute comeback win over Parma – the list of unsavoury incidents from last season in nearly endless.

As Allegri rightly points out, the first port of call for his work on the squad – something that must begin from day one of preseason – is to create a group that will fight for every second of every game for their team-mates. In this way a resurgence is possible, with a team performing above the sum of its parts.

Defensive record the priority

One year ago, Paulo Fonseca was in the same hot seat answering questions about how he wants his Milan to play. His initial press conferences spoke about a desire to implement an ‘attacking and dominant’ style of football.

In the end we only saw it in fits and spurts, which led ultimately to his sacking before the end of the calendar year. Allegri, on the other hands, has a very different priority in terms of achieving success.

He proclaimed: “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.

“When we have the ball we have to attack well and score goals, when we don’t have it we have to defend well and not concede goals. There are two phases: when you have it you have to score goals, when you don’t have it you must not concede goals.”

Now, Allegri is a coach known for getting the phrase ‘corto muso’ officially into the Italian dictionary. For those unaware, that means ‘winning by a nose’, and it is something that his sides have become known for over the years.

The Livorno-born coach has become known for a defence-first style, putting a very high priority on keeping clean sheets, because after all you cannot lose a game if you don’t concede a goal. His comments do very little to dispel the notion of that.

Frankly, though, he is right that it is the main thing to fix. After having the joint-best defensive record (31 goals conceded in 38 games) and winning the Scudetto in 2021-22, things went downhill massively from there.

In 2022-23: 43 goals against, fourth-placed finish. In 2023-24: 49 goals against, second-placed finish. Last season: 43 goals against, eighth-placed finish. Conceding comfortably over one goal per game will get you nowhere.

Sure, at the moment Milan’s defensive unit feels very incomplete. There are doubts about the centre-backs (from best pairing to a possible sale and signing) while two new starting full-backs must arrive. Allegri, though, coaches the team to become a compact unit, and he will do the same again.

Scudetto question navigated carefully

We again rewind to one year ago, and the unfortunate words of Fonseca. After Milan closed out their 2024 Soccer Champions Tour campaign with a penalty shootout against Barcelona, the Portuguese responded to a question about the aim for the season, stating: “To win the Scudetto.”

By the end of November – when the current Lyon coach was heading towards getting the sack – he became the only one to defend the title dream. After a 0-0 draw against Juve, and with the team in seventh place, the speech about being ‘attacking and dominant’ felt a distant mirage.

What is the relevance? Well, words are empty and it is the pitch that does the talking and gives the verdicts in football. Naturally, Allegri was asked about whether Milan must aim for the second star, especially in a year without any European distractions.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Some may say that he dodged the question, others might say that he expertly weaved around it. The response given though was very reminiscent of the one Antonio Conte gave after arriving at Napoli, with the idea in essence being to get to the home straight of the season and see how the table looks.

Allegri and Conte renewing their battle after 11 years without facing each other is one of the fascinating sub-plots to the upcoming 2025-26 Serie A season, and it is absolutely zero coincidence that they are the active coaches with the most Scudetti.

What do we take from Max’s answer? He believes that he and his team have the responsibility to aim to win trophies, but ultimately they must earn the right to be in the position to attack the title dream when March rolls around. A sensible riposte, if you ask us.

Faith in stars confirmed

Whatever Milan do, the truth remains that the futures of Leao and Maignan will continue to be discussed. Both in different lights, of course. However, the situation remains clear, the Rossoneri have no intention of parting with either.

The Frenchman’s situation is there, and will be for a while, due to his expiring contract. It is an inescapable murmur. With Leao, it is a case of quality in a position where, in Europe, it is lacking at his level. Therefore, again, there will always be whispers.

Of course, Allegri was asked, then, about his faith in the duo and their futures, starting with Maignan.

“I saw Maignan 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.”

Reports also confirm this today, with the Diavolo hoping to re-open discussions regarding a new deal. Of course, the goalkeeper was left frustrated by the last round of talks, especially with everything previously agreed.

The reasoning for that decision was due to a lack of certainty on him. So, with Allegri choosing to keep the goalkeeper as his captain, it proves that there is that certainty and belief, that, perhaps, was lacking. Whether that be from the past head coach or the management.

Then, the coach was asked about Leao, a question guaranteed to arrive considering how linked the pair have been.

“I’m sure Leao will have a great season. 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.”

Put simply again, these are words of someone who believes in the player and his future. These are not pre-emptive words of a transfer away. This, instead, is a statement of belief and intent. Leao, at least for now, will not be going anywhere whilst Allegri is in this position.

This did not just shine through in the press conference. During training, the pair worked closely, with reports stating that this task feels like a ‘mission’ for Allegri. Leao is not just a player, but something to be bettered.

@Antonello_Gioia: "Every time he could, Allegri approached to talk with Leao… Close-up conversations, explanations of details about posture, about looking at the goal, about how to do the drills. Allegri is on a mission with Rafa, evidently."pic.twitter.com/l0Gg9AREH6

— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) July 7, 2025

Generally, it boils down to one thing. Milan will go as far as Leao and Maignan take them. The leadership is clear, and it is them. The leaders of the team, away from the armband, in every sense of the word, is this duo.

If the Rossoneri are to return to the top level, the pair will be essential and Allegri only wants to reinforce this.

Love and motivation for Milan

In his first season at Milan, Allegri won the Scudetto. Little else needs to really be said about that campaign. It is a testament to his quality as a coach and his ability to take over situations and instantly get success.

Whilst he did not win another Italian league title with the Rossoneri, he also won the Supercoppa Italiana in his second season. However, due to squad changes, his tenure quickly began to take a turn for the worst in his third season.

Despite this, he remained until January 2014, where he was sacked. Then, 11 years on, he returned to pick up where he left off. Here is what he had to say about his return to the Rossoneri:

“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.

“Other offers? The most important offer for me was Milan, I am enthusiastic and happy to be here. Milan has a wonderful charm. […] We do a wonderful job and when we enter Milanello we have to do it with great enthusiasm, remembering how lucky we are.”

There are several things to take away from this. Firstly, that he has that attachment to the club already. This can be beneficial in several ways, but the main two are that he knows what the demands of the club are already. Then, that he also wants the best, as you would expect in any job, but with an attachment, it is more than just a need, it is a desire.

Following that, we can make a point about him accepting the job quickly. Again, a few things can be taken from this.

Firstly, that he still has the attachment, and second that he was pitched something worth getting excited about. It is important to remember at this point, he was still being asked to become the next Napoli manager.

So, with that on the table potentially, the guarantee of Milan proved to be too much to turn down. Surely the lure of the project played a part in this, as did working with Leao, imaginably.

Finally, there is a bit of romance to it all. From his first step into the conference room, there was a charm to everything that had been lingering since the rumours first became tangible. A certain feeling of recoupling.

Allegri’s legacy is clear for all to see, but as a character, there is something more there, past the inevitable factor. Something that draws you in, as a fan, journalist, player, member of staff. Whatever that is. The Livorno-born coach just possesses that aura, and this was clear again yesterday.

Then, there is the other side of that romance. It all coming together. After an eighth-place finish, the managerial market would probably not be too great. However, there Allegri was. Fate, if you will. There’s a certain romance to that too.

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