PA Media/dpa
Rome
New AC Milan coach Sergio Conceicao has been impressed by the attitude of his players as he tries to quickly instil new ideas ahead of Friday’s Supercoppa Italiana semi-final clash with Juventus.
Conceicao was named as Paulo Fonseca’s replacement on Monday and has had to hit the ground running as he and his players flew out to Riyadh for the Supercoppa, a competition Milan are aiming to win for an eighth time.
“I found a team that is humble, eager to learn and wants to understand what the coach requires,” Conceicao said ahead of his first game in charge.
“This is very important; it is the foundation for quality work, in my opinion. We haven’t had much time to work, but we’ve been effective in conveying what is needed.
“Each match is different, even considering my past as a player. The timing is what it is. If you had asked me whether I would have liked more time to work and have all the players available, I would have said yes.
“But I knew this from the moment I arrived and there should be no excuses: we must face Juve with our heads held high.”
By a quirk of the fixtures, Conceicao’s first game in charge could see him come up against his son Francisco, the Porto winger who is on loan at Juve, where he has scored three goals in 19 appearances.
“I’m not emotional at all, I’m a professional,” the elder Conceicao said of the family reunion. “I just have a cold and had a fever these past days, so if my eyes look a bit watery, that’s why.
“At home, I’m his father. Tomorrow, my son will be my opponent. He’ll think the same way: I want to beat him, just as he wants to beat me.
I hope not to make him happy.” The last time these two sides met it ended in a goalless Serie A draw in late November.
Juve boss Thiago Motta admitted the change in coach made it more difficult to predict how Milan might play, but insisted his players would be ready.
“We’ll definitely be ready because we know what we need to do against a great team accustomed to important competitions,” he said. “What matters most is who we are, not who they are.
“Milan’s coaching change will surely bring something new, but they already had a great manager for whom I have respect. We’re ready for anything and that’s what matters most.”
“In football, everything makes a difference, starting with small details. We need to stay focused and determined to be the best version of ourselves, improve what hasn’t worked and build on what we’ve done well.”
