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Marco Giampaolo, has decided that he will work on the 4-3-3 formation, fielding Rebic and Suso on the flanks to support Piatek in the middle. According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, though, the 4-3-1-2 hasn't been scrapped completely and should Piatek fail to work with another striker next to him, then Giampaolo could decide to field Rebic and Leao up front.
 
Taison has seemingly taken shots at Shakhtar Donetsk as a deadline day move to AC Milan failed to materialise.

Earlier on Monday, we received an exclusive from our mercato expert Vito Angele who told us that attempts were being made by Milan to sign the Brazilian playmaker.

The Rossoneri attempted to reach an agreement on the basis of a loan with obligation to buy under certain conditions, however that notion was rejected by Shakhtar, we were told.

Now, we have been informed that Taison is in fact angry at his club because, at the age of 31, he knows that the offer from Milan could have been the last chance to be able to play in a top European league.

We were also told that he had an agreement with the Ukranian club in that they would essentially allow him to leave if an offer from a big club arrived that was deemed acceptable.

The player himself has taken to Instagram, posting the following on his story: ‘Congratulations on ending my dream
 
Today’s edition of Gazzetta Dello Sport (via MilanNews.it) takes stock of the future of Lucas Biglia, whose contract with the Rossoneri expires in June next year. In fact, a move could be on the cards sooner than expected.

Following the arrival of Ismael Bennacer, who will be the starter in Giampaolo’s team, it will be interesting to see how the Argentine midfielder reacts to being the alternative. Att 33-year-sold, he might come to peace with his new role.

However, as the newspaper points out, he could also consider other options. It is no secret that Milan are willing to let him go, considering his high salary, which could result in a mutual termination of his contract.

Therefore, Biglia could decide to leave as early as January, claims Gazzetta. Should the Rossoneri terminate his contract, then he should have no issues finding a new club, considering he would join on a free .
 
Theo Hernandez insists he is ‘sure’ Milan will beat Inter in the Derby della Madonnina later this month.
Theo is still recovering from an ankle injury, which kept him out for the majority of preseason, but the former Real Madrid left-back should be available for the San Siro showdown on September 21.
“I really want to play in it,” he told Sport Mediaset.

“It’s the first Milan derby that I’ll have played in. I’m sure we’ll win it if we put in a lot of effort.”
The 21-year-old was one of several young players to join Milan over the summer...
“We’re buying young players, but good young players. I think we have to give our best on the field and then the fans will be happy with us.”
 
Ili AC Milan irudi kama zamani inahitajika atafutwe kocha then ifanyike Project ya usajili itayochukua misimu hata mitatu mfululizo ya kufanya usajili wa nguvu tokea nyuma hadi mbele

Ili irudi ilipokuwa zamani AC Milan inatakiwa kila dirisha kubwa la usajili itumie pauni zaidi ya milioni mia. Bila kusajili vizuri na kwa pesa nzuri sahau kabisa kurudi katika enzi zile za AC Milan
 

After picking up our first points of the season against Brescia, Milan will hope to build on that this weekend in a difficult trip to face Verona.

It’s been a slow start to the new Serie A campaign as coach Marco Giampaolo’s influence has yet to be seen in its entirety, and the break after just two league games for the internationals has added to the frustration.

SEE MORE: Why Milan face crucial decisions on double contract renewal for key duo

However, the return of domestic football is nearly upon us, and the Milan coaching staff will undoubtedly have been working relentlessly over the past week or so with the players who remained behind and in terms of identifying key tactical factors which could help us win the next game.

With that in mind, Giampaolo has some important, and yet difficult, decisions to make on his starting XI for the Bentegodi, with perhaps the four main ones below.

Conti-Calabria

Calabria has been given the nod so far this season, but after Conti’s agent, Mario Giuffredi, insisted last week that they turned down opportunities to leave and are committed to forcing their way into Milan’s plans, as per MilanNews, there will be a battle at right-back this season.

While Calabria is arguably the more solid and safer option of the two, largely down to Conti’s injury troubles in recent times, the former Atalanta star will get a chance to stake his claim at some stage.

Whether that’s as soon as the Verona clash remains to be seen, but perhaps with Theo Hernandez on the opposite flank to provide balance and to lessen the responsibility of bombing forward to offer an attacking option, that could also suit Conti and help him settle into the line-up to prove his worth to Giampaolo.

Musacchio-Leo Duarte

Mateo Mussachio has been a regular presence in the starting XI for some time now, with Mattia Caldara sidelined by injury for the majority of his time at the club thus far.

However, Milan swooped for Leo Duarte this summer to offer quality and depth in central defence, and it’s possible that the Brazilian ace will get a shot in the coming weeks.

With the Derby della Madonnina to follow next weekend, if there is an ideal time to allow him to settle in and acclimatise to the demands of Serie A, it’s this weekend. However, if he doesn’t feature on Sunday night, then it’s fair to say we’ll be waiting a while until his debut as it’s unlikely Giampaolo will throw him straight in against Inter.

Rodriguez-Hernandez

After such an impressive outing in pre-season, which was disappointingly cut short by injury, as soon as Theo Hernandez gets the green light to start, Giampaolo must bring him into the XI.

Ricardo Rodriguez continues to show a lack of intensity and urgency in a Milan shirt, and that not only results in a non-existent threat down the left flank, but it also puts pressure on himself by not showing enough positivity and inviting mistakes.

Vulnerable defensively too, Giampaolo has to give Hernandez the nod as soon as he’s cleared to start by the medical staff as with his key attributes both defensive and attacking in mind, he would appear to be an ideal fit for the way in which Milan want to play.

Rebic-Castillejo

As per MilanNews, it’s been suggested that Giampaolo could stick with Samu Castillejo after the international break to play as part of the front three.

That’s despite the signings of Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic this summer, with both arguably offering more in the final third than the Spaniard.

The sensible choice would be Rebic given his experience at the highest level, and he’s not only capable of offering what Castillejo does off the ball, but he can match that with quality in possession, which is something that has been missing from the ex-Villarreal star.

In a game where we’ll look to dominate possession and try to break down a stubborn backline, Milan can’t afford to have any passengers not playing their part in what needs to be a top attacking performance.

Verona will pose a threat too of course, but the players in the final third need to show quality to break them open and a clinical edge to take our chances. Based on his pre-season form and his lack of influence in the first two games, doubts remain over Castillejo’s ability to provide that consistently to find a breakthrough
 
AC Milan will switch formations to a 4-3-3 moving forwards this season, according to the latest reports from Sky Italia (via MilanNews).

There have been rumours about a potential change back to the formation used under Gennaro Gattuso for the vast majority of last season since the opening game of 2019-20.

Milan were beaten 1-0 in Udinese to begin the campaign, failing to register a single shot on target in the process.

Giampaolo told Sky Italia hinted the game (via Football Italia) that he is considering scrapping the 4-3-1-2 in favour of a 4-3-3.

Sky – as cited by MilanNews.it – have always maintained that Milan will return to using the 4-3-3 as Giampaolo alluded to, and now they have re-iterated that once again.

The arrival of Ante Rebic on deadline day obviously gives Giampaolo a more obvious choice for the left side, and as a result Sky have predicted how the Rossoneri’s starting XI will look once the squad is fully fit.

Donnarumma; Calabria, Caldara (Duarte), Romagnoli, Theo Hernandez; Calhanoglu, Bennacer, Paquetà; Suso, Piatek (Leao), Rebic
 
Milan have started negotiations with Mino Raiola and Gianluigi Donnarumma to extend the player’s contract, according to Rome based newspaper il Corriere dello Sport via Calciomercato.com.

The report details how the Rossoneri are keen to extend the 20-year-old goalkeeper’s contract, which is currently set to expire in 2021, so they wouldn’t be forced to sell the player below his perceived market value.

However, there is already a problem. The club find it difficult to offer the player a net salary of €6m and instead would prefer to drop it to €5m.

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Milan’s objective is to focus on the player’s love of the Rossoneri.

Donnarumma was widely linked with a move to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint Germain this summer but reportedly turned down the move, citing his commitment to Milan. It appears that the Rossoneri plan to use this in the negotiations to force the player to accept a wage drop.
 
AC Milan coach Marco Giampaolo is reportedly not very fond of Rafael Leao’s show off nature and is trying to change that.
We are yet to see the talented striker make his first minute debut wit the Rossoneri but he made a late appearances in the 1-0 defeat to Udinese. The youngster did well during pre-season, however, Piatek remains Giampaolo’s first choice in attack.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Leo must remain patient about his first minute debut as coach Marco Giampaolo is trying to improve certain aspects of his game. “Good but instinctive” declared the new AC Milan coach after training him for the first time.

The Italian acknowledges that “Leao possesses an abundance of physical power, technique and speed but also lets himself go with useless plays, of pure aesthetic nature”. Giampaolo is trying to change that and make Rafael more disciplined the report adds.
 
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is interested in a move for AC Milan’s star winger Suso, according to reports from Spain.

Suso was linked with a move to a number of different clubs over the summer amid doubts whether he could adapt to Marco Giampaolo’s 4-3-1-2 system.

La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Fiorentina were interested in a move for Suso, while Roma and Lyon were also strongly linked by a number of different outlets.

Attention though has now turned to Suso’s renewal, and a report from Calciomercato.com on Thursday stated that the Spain international is after a substantial pay rise to commit his future to the club.

According to a report on Sport Witness – who cite Spanish source El Desmarque – claim that Pep Guardiola wants Suso at Manchester City to replace David Silva.

The Spaniard has amassed 20 goals and 26 assists over the last three seasons in Serie A alone.

Calciomercato.it also recently claimed that City are looking at Alessio Romagnoli due to Aymeric Laporte’s long-term injury.
 
With the additions in midfield and attack this summer, Milan coach Marco Giampaolo now has options and quality depth at his disposal this season.

As the most talented deep-lying midfielder in the squad, Ismael Bennacer is expected to get the nod as our regista, but the two spots either side of him may well be up for grabs as the season progresses.


SEE MORE: Four key decisions Giampaolo must make on Milan XI vs Verona
Further up the field, Suso and Krzysztof Piatek have featured heavily through pre-season and the start of the new campaign, and so they’ll likely continue to play key roles.

That in turn leaves the third spot in the attacking trident open, with Samu Castillejo entrusted with providing quality in that department thus far.

Unfortunately for the Spaniard, that required quality hasn’t been particularly forthcoming from him. After an underwhelming pre-season, he has struggled to have a telling influence on our general play while failing to offer a genuine threat in the final third.

That in makes his position in the side questionable, while the pressure is seemingly on both Hakan Calhanoglu and Franck Kessie to deliver in midfield with MilanNews noting that those two and Castillejo are all expected to start against Verona this weekend.

Competition queuing up behind them

Castillejo at risk?
Castillejo is arguably under the most pressure to keep his place in the starting XI, particularly when considering Ante Rebic, Rafael Leao and Giacomo Bonaventura are just three options off the bench who are looking to break into the line-up.

Bonaventura has recovered from injury while Rebic and Leao will be hoping for a chance after having had time to settle at their new club.

Castillejo, 24, has managed to contribute just four goals and four assists in 42 appearances for Milan and so for an individual with such a vital creative role in the side, that simply isn’t good enough.

Nevertheless, as per the report above, it would appear as though he’s going to get another chance to impress on Sunday, and he must produce in Verona until Giampaolo feels as though it’s the right time to make changes.

With his figures in mind though, the expectation is that Castillejo will play a key part in our work off the ball given his tireless work ethic, but that isn’t going to be enough to stay in the side long term with the quality knocking on the door to displace him.


Calhanoglu and Kessie must step up
As for Calhanoglu and Kessie, these are two players who are under pressure this season to now take their respective games to the next level.

The Turkish international is seemingly aware of that, as per Pianeta Milan, and scoring the winning goal last time out against Brescia will certainly be a confidence boost.

However, popping up with the odd goal or assist isn’t enough for a player with the talent and technical quality that he possesses, more is needed in being a creative spark in midfield and to help us dominate games and dictate the tempo.

That’s ultimately why we signed him, and the goals and assists will hopefully flow from there as a result.

Kessie is slightly different in that with his attributes, he remains a vital option in our midfield. It could have been very different this summer with La Gazzetta dello Sport noting that he came close to a switch to Monaco, but ultimately it was decided that he was too important to Giampaolo to let go.

His energy, tenacity, work rate and powerful driving runs forward make him a fundamental piece in our midfield. Yet where the 22-year-old has consistently let himself down is the end product, decision making and lack of composure in the final third.

For a player with his quality, he must offer more from an attacking perspective as he’s certainly capable, but he hasn’t yet shown the maturity and improvement to make a key difference. Thinking back to the chances he’s been involved in over the last two years, tallies of 12 goals and eight assists in 98 games for Milan is nowhere near good enough.

Similarly to the case noted above with Castillejo, we have Rade Krunic, Lucas Biglia and Bonaventura pushing for a spot in midfield, while Lucas Paqueta should perhaps be ahead of them all in the pecking order anyway when he returns to full fitness after a summer and international break spent with Brazil.

In the report above from MilanNews, it’s even suggested that Paqueta could come in for Kessie with Giampaolo eyeing a midfield trio overflowing with technical quality along with Bennacer and Calhanoglu.

It remains to be seen if he’s brave enough to take a risk with the balance of the side and play such attacking football, but Castillejo, Calhanoglu and Kessie are all seemingly under pressure this season and if they don’t produce this weekend, they may find themselves on the bench before too long.
 
AC Milan are choosing between one of two formations to deploy in this weekend’s clash against Hellas Verona, according to a report.

The Rossoneri travel to the Stadio MarcAntonio Bentegodi on Sunday evening – a place which has yielded just nine wins in 32 games against Hellas – for the third game of the Serie A season.

Several question marks remain surrounding Marco Giampaolo’s possible starting XI due to the various physical conditions of players after the international break.


MilanNews – who cite Tuttosport – provide an update on the team we can expect to see in Verona, starting their report by stating that it will be either a 4-3-1-2 formation or a 4-3-3.

New signing Ante Rebic has little chance of playing from the first minute, they state, meaning Samu Castillejo has a very good chance of starting his third game of the season.

The Spaniard should form an offensive trident with Suso and Piatek, but whether that will be with wingers or with a No.10 and two strikers remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Theo Hernandez will start from the bench, and the midfield three will see Ismael Bennacer as the anchor with Franck Kessié and Hakan Calhanoglu to the side.

Therefore, as per the report, the likely XI will be: Donnarumma; Calabria, Musacchio, Romagnoli, Rodriguez; Kessie, Bennacer, Calhanoglu; Suso; Castillejo, Piatek.

Sky – as cited by MilanNews.it – recently stated that Milan will return to using the 4-3-3 as Giampaolo alluded to after the Udinese game.
 
Giampaolo: “I know how I want the team to play, Piątek needs to be a complete striker, there are no new players and old players – there is only Milan”
Sep 14, 2019

Marco Giampaolo has spoken to the press ahead of tomorrow’s game against Hellas Verona, explaining that his decisions are always based on the weekly work and nothing else.

After a very long international break, Milan finally return to the pitch tomorrow as they take on Hellas Verona at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi (20:45 CEST).

Even though only two Serie A games have been played until now, Giampaolo is already getting criticism from fans who don’t seem to like his choices so far. Today the coach, who joined the club in the summer from Sampdoria, faced the press and answered their questions.

“Good morning to all, the first thing I’d like to do is joining the rest of the Rossoneri family in sending condolences to Cafu for the loss of his son,” Giampaolo started.

“The work done over the international break, what kind of atmosphere I noticed around the team in the last couple of weeks and if the glass is half full right now? Over the last two weeks I’ve only coached about 7-8 players as the rest went to play for the national team. They’ve all worked hard, those who went to the national team got some match training, and the rest of the team has been working well and with enthusiasm. Everyone has trained hard until this morning.

“If the glass is half full then we’ll continue to work hard to make sure it’s fully full. Through hard work we’ll sort out many things, I’m sure of that. And it is the team that gives me this confidence because they do the things right and work well, and with enthusiasm. Things will be sorted out, the team will improve over time, I’m certain of that.

“I have a much better record than Milan in games after international breaks? I pay no attention to such statistics. Anytime there are international qualifications, whether it’s the World Cup or European competitions, there’s always a problem. I never really paid attention to these statistics, they’re more of a coincidence than anything else. I don’t think it makes the difference between winning and losing.

“If we can draw any conclusions from the first 60 days of Giampaolo at Milan? Like I said, we’ll work hard to fill that glass, I’m very happy with how the team engages in the project. At the moment I’m coaching 21 outfield players, 24 in general, and they are all fully committed to this club, to this project.

“Their enthusiasm and hard work gives me confidence, I know there’s a lot of work to do, and we need to bring the new arrivals into this project. For the moment I have to focus on making this team more united and cohesive. The team has to do very well in both phases of the game and we have to find the right balance between these two phases: attack and defense. I’m confident like I said, that over time we’ll continue to get better and do things better.

“The fact that the Derby is in one week and that Verona has never been an easy field for Milan to play at? Regarding the Derby, it’s always important to win, winning is always important regardless of what comes afterwards. The fact that Hellas Verona’s stadium is particular for Milan does not really matter. I don’t believe in such things. The team must play to win every game no matter who we face. Wins give you self-belief, they make you believe more in what you’re doing. But the thing that matters most is the attitude, and I’m convinced the attitude is right, the players train well, are highly-motivated and are doing very well in training.

“How long will it take for ‘my Milan’ to show results? It’s wrong to define as ‘my Milan’, Milan is of the Milanisti. I work on an idea, on the behavior. In the end, it’s the players who make the difference with their quality. I tried to get the team a mentality, I like my teams to play football, I like them to dominate the game, but in the end it’s the players who play a difference with their qualities. What point are we at, I don’t know… but I do know that the team always works to get better and there is no end to how much you can improve. In recent seasons, the Italian league has become ever-more balanced, there is much more balance between all the teams. The smallest details can make the biggest difference. A mistake on a set-piece can result in winning or losing a game, so it’s the small detail that makes all the difference.

“If I consider Paquetá more of a mezz’ala or a trequartista as he played up front in the last 30 minutes against Brescia? Against Brescia the game was a bit different as I added an extra midfielder so I pushed him forward. He is capable of doing both roles. If I need a player who is more offensive, more of a striker, more forward then I can play with that kind of player; if I need more of a midfielder then I can choose another player. The player who is chosen to be trequartista needs to know both – he needs to know to play as an attacker and as a trequartista.

“In what shape is Piątek and how do I put him in his best position? In these three days he’s trained well, I’ve been very happy with how he’s worked. Piątek shouldn’t be a player who thinks only about attacking the last 20 meters of the field, he’s not a ‘pirate’ player, he needs to be a complete striker, and he needs to do both phases of the game. I’ve been very happy this week because he’s done things differently. When he had to seek depth and add depth to the team that’s what he did.

“I chose André Silva [against Brescia] because I needed certain characteristics but that doesn’t mean that Piątek can’t do it too. At Milan you can’t always play long balls forward, you need to build-up as well and Piątek is capable of doing it because I’ve seen him to do it in training. So he has to leave behind his ultra-direct approach. He is a complete forward and I need to play as such, scoring must not be an obsession, he needs to find focus on playing well. And if he plays well the goals will come as a result. It’s more difficult to score when you play poorly, when you play well the goals will come as well. As to where his best position is, he will be a striker and not a midfield (smile)
“If I have a path in my mind as to what formation to use considering I changed it from Udinese to Brescia or if it will depend on the overall development of the team? After 70 days, leaving aside the presence or absence of different players, I know how I want the team to play. I made some slight changes, moving Suso more to a position he prefers and also shifting Castillejo a little. That doesn’t mean that Suso can’t play as a trequartista, I’m certain of that.

“We didn’t change anything in our style of play, we just shifted positions slightly… it’s as if I played Hakan on the left midfield or the right midfield, in the end it makes no difference on how the team plays – they work on the same concepts and play on the same concepts. I can put a player in a position to express himself better in a certain role, but I continue to remain certain Suso can play as a trequartista.

“What do I say to those who don’t want Castillejo on the pitch and to those who say I’d rather play players who know me than stronger players who don’t know me? I find the question about Castillejo offensive, he’s a hard worker, an honest guy and I’m very pleased with him. As for strong players, who defines what player is strong and what player is not. The strength of a player is like shares in the stock market. I think I can tell the difference between strong and weak players, but at Milan there are no weak players. There are some that might be slightly better than others, but Milan is a very young team. So it’s completely possible that a very young player now will become stronger than someone who is currently considered better.

“My goal is to create a squad, I want 11 players who do everything well. I have to be credible with everyone. And I have 11-12 other players who I don’t field, who all want to play. And I need to be able to defend my choices as to who I pick to play. I make my decisions based on the team, how they work and how they develop. And I can tell you from past experience that there are players who hardly saw the field but over time they became untouchable. It’s down to their development, how they understand and assimilate concepts I try to impart.

“My decisions today, the 14th of September, are geared towards team growth, I will continue to always evaluate the players on a weekly basis, I don’t look at their ID papers, and I don’t look at the salary or how much they cost to buy. I want to see the hard work they put in training, otherwise I’d lose credibility.

“The criticism regarding the lack of use of the new arrivals and if Suso is the starting trequartista considering no trequartista was signed in the mercato? As I said earlier, I’ve got 23 problems, 11 play and 12 don’t and that will be the same every day. One game you might see one player, the next you’ll see someone else. I said it last week – I’m not interested in such questions.

“In the modern football, squads are composed of more than 20 players, and the first-team choices are based on the work in training. Bennacer, for example, had only trained twice before our first game, so there was no way I could field him. But in that same position, I have Biglia who’s a great player, and I must choose – one of Bennacer and Biglia, one will play and the other will stay out. I have no intention to discuss the transfer market, I am happy with the group I have, happy to be coaching them. Our trequartista can be a striker or a midfielder. It’s how you do the things that make the difference, it is how you work on the field that makes the difference.

“If we’ll have to wait a long time before we see Leão and Duarte playing? 11 players play, if Leão plays then someone else will have to sit out and if Duarte plays someone else has to sit out [smiles]. If the rules change I’ll be much happier [laughs]. At what point is Duarte in assimilating my style of play? Duarte has improved, he’s a very intelligent and curious guy. We film our training sessions and he goes to my staff on a daily basis to study and improve.

“But I’m unlikely change central defenders, the defense is a very particular unit. Romagnoli and Musacchio have been doing very well, Musacchio is a good player and has a strong leadership, don’t underestimate him. You [the journalist asking the question] don’t seem to like the old players too much do you [smiles]…? Do I need to play the new players…? There is no such thing as old or new

“Who will play tomorrow between Bennacer and Biglia? One of the two [laughs], that’s a certainty. And tomorrow when I field one, you’ll ask me why the other didn’t play… If I win, I’m right and if I don’t then you [the journalists] will be right. The ideal position on the pitch of Rebić? He says his ideal position is as a left winger, but in the national team he played as a striker and as a right winger. He’s in good condition, so I’m sure he can do well.

“If Theo Hernández will be able to start tomorrow? He’s recovered well, he’s an enthusiastic guy and he’s very lively. Medically, he’s fine but he needs to work on his fitness. But he will not play tomorrow. Ricardo Rodríguez and Theo? Rodríguez is a very consistent performer, he always brings the bread home. Hernández is slightly different, he’s more of an attacking fullback. He pushes forward more, he’s more of a physically arrogant player. They are two different players in terms of characteristics but I like both of them very much. As soon as Hernández is settled in to the style I want, we can use both alternating.

“What I expect from Hellas Verona? I have a lot of respect for Ivan Jurić. Even though he’s struggled over recent years, he’s a good coach. In our job, results are what decide everything. His team is aggressive, they have a good approach. It’s a team we have to be very careful with. In the last three days I’ve had all my players available, we’ve worked to make sure we’re ready to take on this opponent. I expect an intense game, a game in which we need to do well when in possession and when we’re not in possession. The objective is to play well, you must never underestimate an opponent. The difference between winning and losing can be the tiniest of margins. The team knows this and they know what I expect tomorrow.

“How do I see myself considering this morning in the press Arrigo Sacchi called Maurizio Sarri an ‘esthete’ and Antonio Conte ‘impatient’? I’m a humble worker of the vineyard [laughs]. What has changed since I said Milan need to hold their heads high and play football when I arrived? Nothing, we still want to play football with our heads held high.”
 
Giampaolo to Sky: “In the second half the team played well as they had to. Verona had a good defensive game and we had our trend upfront. There are things to improve but the win is positive and will help us to work.”

Giampaolo: “I won’t hide the dust under the carpet, I won’t hide behind the positive result. I will tell the team what needs to be improved.”


Giampaolo: “We have to work on playing systems. We afforded playing 4-3-3 because we were 11 men vs. 10. I would like the team to have an identity. I need to give the team as much certainity as possible. We need more tactical maturity.”

Giampaolo: “The team believes in what we do. I see this in training. We must always be honest. The team is doing things well and has plenty of room for improvement. They are used to play individually but I try to make the individual available to the collective work.”
 
AC Milan head coach Marco Giampaolo has discussed a number of key issues following the win over Hellas Verona.

The Rossoneri emerged as 1-0 victors in their third league game of the season against Hellas at the Stadio MarcAntonio Bentegodi on Sunday night.

Despite Mariusz Stepinski’s first-half red card on his home debut for Hellas it was far from easy work for Giampaolo’s side, but Krzysztof Piatek scored the only goal after the break.

Hakan Calhanoglu’s shot was handled by Koray Gunter and the referee pointed to the spot; the Poland international dispatching confidently to net his first goal of the season.

Piatek saw a second goal disallowed for offside in the final ten minutes and Davide Calabria was shown red for a clothesline on Matteo Pessina in a dramatic end to the game, but the Rossoneri clung on for a vital win.

The team has moved on to six points from nine ahead of next week’s derby against Inter, and Giampaolo has insisted that the hard work must continue.

“The games are not all easy, today the opponents were aggressive,” Giampaolo told RAI Sport, as per MilanNews.

“The important thing is to have won, trying to do the right things with numerical superiority. Hellas resistance could not last the whole game, they never gave up. We did what we had to do.

“We have to work a lot on different aspects. I like that the team works to seek improvement. They are attached to the things we do.

“I know there is still a lot to do. My goal is to make the team as much of a team as possible.”

On Lucas Paqueta, Giampaolo added: “The playmaker is a new role for him. He can guarantee technical and physical depth.

“But he must learn to move like midfielders. I wanted to reinforce that department with a player with his characteristics, I will work on it.”

Ante Rebic came on for Paqueta at half-time to make his debut for the club.

“Rebic can also play second striker. He has selflessness and good legs, he has entered well.

“He has played in the Bundesliga and the national team so he has a good condition. But he too must breathe the team’s amalgamation.

“They all went to the national team, I changed six players. I know that to be better you have to work. The condition is good.

“The team works hard, follows me. We have the idea of recovering the high ball, we need to metabolise and understand what is the maximum of the things we can do.”
 
Defender Mateo Musacchio has stated that Milan ‘are only thinking about winning’ ahead of next week’s derby against Inter.

Musacchio was on top form for the Rossoneri on Sunday night, helping keep a clean sheet as Milan made it back-to-back wins in Serie A with a 1-0 victory against Hellas Verona.

Krzysztof Piatek got the decisive goal for Marco Giampaolo’s side as he tucked away a second half penalty, and later saw a goal ruled out through VAR for kicking the ball out of the keeper’s hands.

There were two red cards during the game in what was a feisty encounter; the first coming when home debutant Mariusz Stepinski went in over the top of the ball on Musacchio and was rightly given his marching orders.

The second sending off came in the final few seconds of the game when Davide Calabria was adjudged to have clotheslined Matteo Pessina on the edge of the box.

Nonetheless, Milan held out for a crucial three points ahead of next week’s litmus test, and Musacchio offered his thoughts on the win.

“We won, this is the important thing. It was not easy, they all put themselves behind the ball, it was not easy to find space,” he told MilanTV.

“It is very important [the defence], it is not just the work of the defenders, it is the work of the whole team.

On Calabria’s red card and the offside int he build-up, he added: “I have not seen, I have to watch it on TV.”

Finally, the Argentine looked ahead to the derby against Inter next weekend.

“It will be a special week, we want to play this game. They have a strong team but we will only think about winning, we know we can do it.”

📊 Mateo Musacchio vs. Hellas Verona:

🤝 97% passing accuracy
✅ 14 duels won
🚫 5 blocks
👊 3 clearances
❌ 6 interceptions
💪 7 tackles won
🏆 8/10 rating - Man of the Match
🔴⚫️

10:21 AM - Sep 16,
Musacchio also discussed the alleged racist chanting from Hellas fans on Kessie.

“It’s amazing that there are still people who might have that kind of behaviour these days. It’s revolting.”

The journalist later asked if he thought those responsible would be punished. Musacchio laughed
 
After defeating Verona 1-0 on the road, Milan manager Marco Giampaolo spoke to the press.

"The team gives me certainty, they work well. I need to still make it more balanced, I know which can be strengths and weaknesses. But I work to improve the players, the philosophy and endurance of the team. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I like the passion with which the players move. They're up to date."

"The team played well in the second half, how they needed to play. We operated with two central defenders plus Biglia. Then there's always the occasion to unlock. Verona played an honest match, but our team always had an offensive trend. There are many aspects to improve upon. The victory is positive because it helps us to work, but there are things to improve upon and I don't hide. I will present them to the team and we'll resolve them.

On Piatek's celebration: "It didn't seem to me a celebration to discuss. Piatek participated and played hard."

On the formation: "We need to work on our systems of play. The 4-3-3 allows us to do that because we have one extra man. I want the team to have a precise identity, we need to continue and work. Milan needs to acquire tactical maturity, some individuals needs to still improve in the complex of play. In the second half I told the team to bring Rebic and Suso on the lines. The team took it in the middle of the pitch, and then the goal arrived on a solution. Playing there against a team with 10 men is not easy. It takes patience and you need to be good and strong. The players worked well."

"All matches are difficult. The victories are earned, the opponents are warriors. Var removed doubt and uncertainties of the past. The team believes in the things we do, I have daily feedback. The players are a bit used to playing as ind
 
Among the Milan derby attendees on Saturday: Van Basten, Ronaldo, Desailly, Capello, Dida, Serginho, Jankulovski, Simic, Zambrotta, Tassotti, Ambrosisni and Vieri, in addition to FIFA president Gianni Infantino
 
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