FONSECA: "COMING TO AC MILAN WITH AMBITION AND CONFIDENCE"

We’re on the starting line. Today, AC Milan starts the 2024/25 season with renewed ambition and many fixtures on the horizon. On the day of the reunion which will kick off the sporting season, Coach Paulo Fonseca spoke in a press conference at Casa Milan. Alongside him was Zlatan Ibrahimović, answering questions from the press. Here is what they said:

PAULO FONSECA

WELCOME, COACH
"I want to start by thanking everyone for the welcome I’ve received, and I’d also like to thank the Club for the trust they’ve shown in me and my work. I’m motivated and excited, and I’m confident that I can do a great job here. I know that I’ve joined a Club that wants to win. I’ve visited the Museum and got to admire AC Milan’s history. I’m ambitious and want to be part of it. Zlatan told me that space needs to be made for new trophies. I’m ready to begin this adventure, and I can’t wait to start working."

BIG AMBITIONS
"I’m here with big ambitions and know that every coach comes here to win. I’m aware that I have a big responsibility on my shoulders but, at the same time, it’s a big source of pride to be here. AC Milan is a global Club, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to contribute to its fantastic history.”

IDEAS AND IDENTITY
"AC Milan have always played attacking football, and I want to build a dominant and brave team, a side that wins by playing well, that makes the fans proud and has a strong identity. Those who come to AC Milan do so to win; we can’t hide away from this truth. I expect to see my ideas implemented on the pitch, starting from our opener against Torino. Obviously, our journey starts today and without our internationals. We won’t be perfect straight away, but we want to reach that point as soon as possible."

THE TEAM
"I’m here because I believe in the players we have here, but we also need a few new additions. I’ve studied what the team did last season, and we need to be more balanced and aggressive. I’ll work on these aspects. Defensively, there needs to be a collective improvement: the fact the team conceded a lot of goals wasn’t an individual problem, but we need to change our attitude with the aim of becoming more responsive and determined."

POSSIBLE SIGNINGS
"We have a lot of quality but need to improve the team in certain areas of the pitch. We need a striker with the right characteristics. If we want to play in the final 30 metres, we need to be strong in that area of the field. We know the kind of player we want, and we want to get them on board soon. Haste is the enemy of perfection, and, as Zlatan pointed out, we know who and what we want, and it’ll happen for us at the right time."

FOR THE FANS
"I can promise the fans that we’ll fight to win every match. We need to play with courage, without fear and with the ambition to win, and this will also be the case against Inter. I have plenty of desire to start and convince our supporters, who I’m sure will be by our side at every moment. Together, we’ll be stronger."

INDIVIDUALS
"Leão is an important and decisive player. I expect to see him motivated and ready. He’s young and can still make big strides forward, and I want to help him take a further step. I’ll be counting on all the players in the squad, including Florenzi. Theo Hernández is a vital player for us, and we can use various systems to make the most of the abilities of our players. Kalulu can play in the centre or at full-back; he gives us that added option. I’m happy that I’ll have almost all of our defenders available from day one, and everyone will be important. Milano Futuro is a step in the right direction. I’ve been able to watch several young players and won’t be afraid to play them if they have quality."

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIĆ

A NEW START
"Today, we’re talking about the present. A few days ago, we spoke about Futuro. We’re happy to be here and present Paulo Fonseca as our coach. We’re working hard and are fired up, but we’re in no hurry. We have a lot of hunger and desire to start this new adventure."

TRANSFER MARKET
"We’re putting the work in but not rushing anything. I can guarantee that we’ll make new signings. We’re in the negotiation phase. Zirkzee is a thing of the past and I don’t want to mention other names. I’m not disappointed. There were a lot of rumours, but the reality is different to what was being rumoured. We want to have a 30-man squad. New players will arrive, while others will depart. In certain positions, we need to think about departures first to create space for new arrivals."

STRATEGY
"Theo Hernández is an AC Milan player. We’re fortunate enough to have three players in the semi-finals of the Euros. He is very happy to be here, and he’ll have the opportunity to play in the way that he likes under our new coach. Origi and Ballo-Touré aren’t part of the first-team project but will be involved in the Milan Futuro team. I understand the ambition of the fans. We have our strategy and are on the same page. We’re working to make them happy at a Club where there’s pressure and a huge amount of ambition. We have clear objectives and want to win."

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