Moncada on how Milan sign players, the algorithm, working with Zlatan, Theo and Mike’s renewals and more… | OneFootball

Geoffrey Moncada and Zlatan Ibrahimović during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Geoffrey Moncada has given an extensive interview to Milannews.it, discussing many different things.

Moncada has been at Milan since 2019 and his power in every season has only risen, as he is now part of the trio that leads off the pitch, along with Giorgio Furlani and Zlatan Ibrahimović, all reporting to owner Gerry Cardinale.

Moncada, who started out as a scout, doesn’t often give interviews, but yesterday he spoke at length to Milannews.it’s Pietro Mazzara and Antonio Vitiello:

What is your day like here at Milanello?“I right away have a meeting with my team, both on the plan of the day and of the week. We discuss things with Zlatan [Ibrahimović], with [Jovan] Kirovski all the things we have to do. Also with the Team Manager. We talk about the games we’ve seen and a lot of other things. We have a young group that needs to be guided. It is important to talk to them not only about football but also about the things that happen to them or that they need off the pitch. To help them. Milanello is the home of our sporting division, where there’s also Milan Futuro.”

To get a sense of the mood and build personal relationships, too…“Yes, we do it. It’s a young group that needs closeness, to talk. Also, about other things, not just football. We try to do this with the coach and with Zlatan, also with all the directors: we have created a working group also for the families. It’s important. We work together every day, we have a good team, we are young, we are hungry, we want to do more and there are many things still to do.”

Looking at the identity card, Milan have a very young management group: you are 37-year-old, Zlatan is 43-year-old, Furlani 45-year-old. Do you feel like you a breath of fresh air in a system where many directors are well over 50-55 years of age?“There is a good mix. There are people like me who come from the world of scouting and player relations, there is a finance man like Giorgio who is a real ‘crack’ when it comes to the economic part and then there is Zlatan who has the point of view of a former great footballer. I think that only by working together can we do things well, a single person, alone, cannot do it. All the top clubs, in Europe, work like this.”

Milanello during a training session. (@acmilan.com)

What is your relationship with Ibrahimović?“We talk every day. We meet at Casa Milan, at Milanello, we go out to eat together. We have a good relationship, very direct. He wants to know things without wasting time, I like that. We are together every day.”

Do you also discuss which players to sign?“Yes, he enjoys it too. I even set him up with a profile on a professional data and video analysis platform, so he can review players himself.”

Zlatan Ibrahimović during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

But to sign Morata, who has brought some much in terms of leadership, you didn’t need any algorithm…“That’s the perfect example of a ‘non-algorithm’ signing. We signed the captain of the Spanish national team, someone who has won everything and already played in Italy. I was completely convinced about Álvaro – I knew he was the perfect player for us. He has an important mentality in the locker room, of a leader.”

Did you make the first call to the player?“No. First I spoke to the agent, there is also this work to do [laughs]. Zlatan then spoke t o the player because he knew him, and then we spoke together. I like this example because it doesn’t come from data. Last year, Morata scored 22 goals for Atlético Madrid. He’s still a very interesting player for us. I’m happy he’s here, and he feels very comfortable here.”

Álvaro Morata during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Where are the renewals of Theo Hernández and Maignan?“We started discussions two months ago. I can say we’re in a good place. I don’t know who will renew first, but the talks have begun positively. Everyone is really happy here—I haven’t seen anyone wanting to leave. You can ask them; they’re all content at Milan.”

As Reijnders confirmed in recent days…“I repeat: we are and they are happy at Milan. We are working. We have to try to close the things that are open.”

And the renewals are also a result of how much you make the player feel good…“Exactly, it’s not just the part on the pitch. We have to put them in the best possible conditions to be able to do well, but also build a direct relationship with us. They have no problems with me and Zlatan. It’s true, we are young in terms of age, but they can talk to us directly and quickly. We can discuss and we are here to help the team.”

Mike Maignan during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Today you are a Technical Director, but you were “born” a scout. How much of that role is still inside you and in this Milan?“When I was Chief Scout, I was away almost every weekend traveling to watch games, either in Italy or abroad. Now I can’t be away all the time because I have other responsibilities. For example, if we play on Saturday, I’ll travel on Sunday to see a game. I want to see players up close, which is why I try to move discreetly—to avoid creating pressure on the player I want to evaluate live. Watching them in person helps me assess many aspects.”

When Milan needs a player, what are the steps?“First of all, we start by analyzing our team and the areas to develop and improve. We don’t just use the algorithm as has been said for a long time. That’s not true. We have a database that helps you see players from other countries. You can be the greatest scout in the world, but you can’t see all the leagues. The data helps you identify profiles and give you input on certain players, young or not, and can tell you that there are profiles that fit your search in other leagues too.”

San Siro before Milan-Lecce on September 27, 2024. (@acmilan.com)

When we talk about the Milan mercato we talk about data, we talk about algorithms, we talk about Moneyball. Do you relay entirely on these tools or is fieldwork equally important?“The data tells you if there is an interesting player to watch. And we watch him first on video, with all the scouts watching him, and then maybe we go and see him live. But before we go and see him on the field we have to know the player.”

How many people in your team work on this?“I have ten scouts at my disposal, five who are in Italy and five who are abroad.”

Do they provide you with a fully prepared report on a player, are they specialized in flagging a profile that you will then go and see?“It’s a mix. We follow a methodology: first, the scouts analyse players via video from their specific regions. Then, during the weekend, they go to watch the players live to confirm or refute their initial impressions.”

From there, do you also go to see the player live?“Yes, I try to.”

Stadio San Siro before Inter-Milan on September 22, 2024. (@acmilan.com)

Before buying a player you have to see him live, right?“Yes, it’s impossible to finalize a deal without seeing the player live. I have a lot of trust in my scouts – we need that trust to work together. Sometimes I might like a player, but nine scouts could tell me no, that he’s not good enough. It’s important to reach a consensus. Watching them live is crucial – you notice many things. Videos reveal a lot, but essential aspects like speed and physical impact in duels can’t be judged on video alone.”

Do you also consider how they train?“Yes. For example, years ago I went to Strasbourg to see Youssouf Fofana live, because the training was open. Today, however, it is very difficult to enter a sports center. It is good to watch the training, but it also depends on what type of training you go to see. If we go a day after a match [with the team only doing a recovery workout] then it doesn’t help you.”

And what was it that you noticed about Fofana that struck you?“I saw a young player full of confidence who worked hard in training. His relationship with the fans was also interesting – he was always smiling and approachable. I liked that. It was his first year at Strasbourg in Ligue 1; he became a starter immediately without first going through the youth academy. It was fascinating to see how he trained.”

So when did Fofana’s name first appear in your databases?“I joined Milan in January 2019, but I had already scouted Fofana when I was at Monaco. At that time, he was playing for Strasbourg’s second team. I brought my database to Milan, and we continued tracking him. When he started playing regularly in Ligue 1, it became challenging because German and English clubs got involved. We followed him until he joined Monaco.”

Youssouf Fofana during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Your database must contain a lot. Is it untouchable? Are you protective of it?“[Laughs] No, I’m not. It includes reports and information collected over many years. It helps track a player’s growth. We always need to stay humble when evaluating players – someone we don’t like now might impress us in two or three years. I love changing my mind about players – it’s important.”

Did Leão enter your database already from the time at the Sporting youth team?“Yes, I remember watching him play against Belenenses for Sporting. I think he was 17 at the time. He played as a number 10, almost as a second striker, with a lot of freedom. He was tall, lean, and technically outstanding. He scored with incredible confidence. He was definitely someone to follow. Of course, many other scouts saw him too – I wasn’t the first. But when you attend an under-17 match in Portugal and see a player like that, you start tracking him right away.”

And then in 2019 he arrived at Milan? Did you report it? Can you explain how it happened?“We created a shortlist because we needed a new left winger. There were some great names [laughs]. Among them were Leão, Malen, and Marcus Thuram, who at the time was at Guingamp. They were that type of profile: physical. Today Leão, Malen and Thuram are playing at a very high level, but four or five years ago, it wasn’t so obvious. Leão was playing for Lille and had only been a starter for six months. We brought him to Milan, but it wasn’t easy. In general people are often very critical of players, but for me, it’s crucial to always give them the proper time.”

Rafael Leão during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

The director of AZ Alkmaar said that Reijnders is a strong player and everyone was sleeping except for Milan. How did you get there?“There are aspects, sometimes, that instill doubt in you. Reijnders took a long time to reach high levels. He didn’t play straight away at AZ: he was in the second team and went on loan. And then you ask yourself: Why at AZ, who normally put good players on the pitch straight away, he didn’t play? This was our doubt. But he was obviously in our database: we created videos, we analyzed the data, there were many reports where we always saw him doing well. He didn’t do badly and he didn’t do top-top things. He always did well. But the last season he played at AZ he was playing in the Conference League: I saw him against Lazio, I also went to see him against West Ham… And there I said to myself that this player can do everything, he runs a lot, he’s technically good. He’s always positive, he always goes forward. I liked his profile, I thought we could bring him to Milan and then see how he would develop. In June we had a meeting with Stefano Pioli, at his home in Parma. He immediately told me that he needed a quality midfielder, a number 8 playmaker, a versatile profile. So I showed him Reijnders, Stefano immediately told me that he liked him. From there we moved forward quickly in the negotiations.”

And this year he’s also finding the back of the net…“I think he can easily get to 10 goals. But he can also make assists, which are just as important. Everyone talks about goals, true, but finding the final pass is also important.”

Tijjani Reijnders during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

And so we return to the data again… How much do they help you analyze the performances of individuals and the team?“With the coach, we review the team’s phases and use data: how we press, what type of pressing we do, xG [a metric that measures the probability of a shot becoming a goal], xA [a metric that measures the probability of a pass becoming an assist], and all the chances we create to score. We analyse why we didn’t score, for example. It’s a mix of video and data. We do this type of work every week to understand what’s working and what isn’t.”

Does this type of work also help you decide which players should stay at Milan to continue their journey and who might not have more to offer?“I’ll give you an example. Over two months, you might think a player performed poorly, but you still want to check the data. Then you see that while they didn’t perform well, they still created a lot. This helps because you realize they’re at least doing something. There are players who, even based on the data, don’t do anything – zero. They don’t attempt dribbles, shots, or duels. So yes, data helps. But the one thing data can’t reveal is a player’s growth potential. How they’ll develop after two or three years is hard to predict. It’s an unknown, which is why the coach, the staff, and the scouts who watch players live are so important. By seeing them live, you might understand that they can improve, bulk up a bit, or work on their weaker foot. There are many things data can’t help with.”

Ruben Loftus-Cheek during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

And then there’s Fonseca. How did you decide on him?“Paulo has a style of play, which we saw at Lille, that I think Milan needs. At San Siro, we have to control the game and the ball. We must be solid in these areas. Paulo has an excellent ability to work, he does interesting training sessions. He works with both individuals and the team. For example, he might work with all the midfielders: after training, he’ll take four or five of them and do specific drills. It’s November now, but by the end of the season, I’m sure we’ll see many players who have made significant progress under him.”

This progress is to consolidate Milan at the top, right?“The top 5 in Europe are City, Liverpool, Bayern, etc. We want to try to at least get close, but it’s not easy. Even Liverpool took eight years to get to this level, it wasn’t like that before. They did an important job. However, they had a strategy with a coach who has a precise playing methodology. We want to do this type of playing methodology with a coach who has clear ideas and develop the players.”

So Fonseca’s decisions, like how he manages Leão, are always supported by the management?“Yes, we work together every day. And now I think Leão is a completely different player. Just look at his performances in Madrid, Cagliari, and with the national team. These situations can happen – no one is perfect all the time; otherwise, it would be too easy. You have to accept that players can have tough moments and support them, just like Zlatan and I did with Rafa, offering him support and constructive feedback. We’re a family.”

Paulo Fonseca during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Can Theo become even more of a leader and a driving force?“He will. He doesn’t even realize the potential he has yet. A left-back like him… I think he has a great career ahead of him; he’s still young.”

Did you have Theo in your database too?“I’ve had him in there since he played for Atlético Madrid in the Youth League—I saw him when I was at Monaco. But then Real Madrid signed him [smiles]. After that, we tracked him at Alavés and Real Sociedad, where he had incredible stats. He still has a lot of room for growth. He’s already scoring and assisting a lot; it’s very hard to find a left-back like him.”

Theo Hernández during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Are you already starting to identify what this Milan team needs?“Yes, we’ve already started talking about various profiles. With Ibra, Giorgio Furlani, the coach, Gerry Cardinale… we’ve already had discussions. We more or less know the profiles we want, but I think it’ll be more for June. We’ll start with the missing profiles and then create a shortlist.”

Can you reveal which ones are missing?“No, not yet [laughs]. Maybe soon, but if I talk now in November, it’ll be difficult for us. In the coming weekends, I might travel to see some of these players, with the scouts.”

So now we need to follow you and see where you check in?“Maybe I’ll change my name [laughs]; it’s easier that way.”

Geoffrey Moncada and Zlatan Ibrahimović during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Fofana said that Milan is also in the running for the Scudetto, but you have to give it some time…“Yes, I’m sure this team has room to achieve that.”

Even this year?“Yes. We struggled in the first matches, but we’ve seen that in big games, like against Inter and Real Madrid, we’re there. We’ve really seen a great Milan. We need to aim to see that consistently, focusing more even in the other matches. It’s a mental thing. We’re doing everything to stay on this path.”

Pulisic is undoubtedly one of the best signings of the past two years. How did you choose him?“At Dortmund, he was incredible, truly strong. Chelsea signed him for a reason – he’s a player who can play on the right, the left, as a number ten, or behind the striker. In Germany, his stats were impressive; at Chelsea, not so much. We thought it wasn’t possible for a player like him not to perform at a high level in the Premier League. When we lost Brahim Díaz, his name immediately came up as an option for that market. Timing is everything – maybe two years ago, it would’ve been impossible. But when the opportunity arises for a player like that, you have to grab it immediately.”

In what role do you see him? Winger or in the middle?“Last year as a right winger he had the best season of his life. Today, however, perhaps we need him as an attacking midfielder”.

Christian Pulisic during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

Which signing has given you the most satisfaction at Milan? Perhaps because it was a unique negotiation?“Tijjani Reijnders. He’s a player who emerged later on. We followed him for many years in AZ’s second team. I went to watch the U20 World Cup in Argentina, and I had already met his agent in Italy. We talked about Reijnders, and the negotiations started in Argentina – it didn’t begin in the Netherlands.”

So traveling helps?“In Argentina, always [laughs]. Like with Enzo Fernández [who later went to Benfica], I was always in Argentina. The Reijnders deal started in Argentina in May. Negotiating with a Dutch club wasn’t easy, but the club did well.”

Tijjani Reijnders during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

You’ve told us about scouting and observation, but as a Technical Director, what are your responsibilities?“Since taking on this role, I’ve developed a deeper relationship with the staff and coach. We do a lot of video analysis. I enjoy discussing tactics with them, how we play, and what we can improve. Then there’s the ‘locker room aspect’ – talking to players and asking how their families are doing. It’s a mix: in the mornings, I’m at Milanello; in the afternoons, I’m at Casa Milan or in the office. I’m still young, and I have a lot to do and learn. I can’t just focus on one thing or the other. It’s important to be present here at Milanello, but it’s also essential to be active in Europe—seeing what other clubs are doing, meeting new directors, and so on. I have to try to know everything in advance to do my job as best as I can.”

In 2019, you started using a methodology that was relatively unknown in Italy, going beyond the classic standards. Now, many new owners of Italian clubs are adopting this methodology. Did you gain an advantage by starting earlier?“What I like is that we now have the scouting and data departments working together. Previously, the two departments operated independently. Now we all work together, and I love that. Those working with data have realized the need for a human element, while we’ve understood the importance of data in uncovering other aspects.”

How proud were you, as a group, to retain Leão when it seemed like things could have gone differently?“First of all, credit goes to the club. They did an excellent job; it wasn’t easy. When Rafa decides to do something – as you saw in Madrid – nobody can stop him. That’s why it’s always a good idea to hold onto a player like him. He’s Milan’s number 10, and I’m thrilled to have him with us. And it doesn’t end there.”

Geoffrey Moncada and Zlatan Ibrahimović during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

In the process of choosing a player, is there a minimum number of matches you watch, both home and away?“At least two home games and two away games. Another very important thing is holding meetings with the player’s entourage. Sometimes there are ten people close to the player, and you need to know that right away. You need to understand who they are and how they work – not just the agents but also the family and friends. That’s why we sometimes travel to meet the players in person, not just to watch their matches. It’s another key aspect.”

How do you choose a player worthy of San Siro?“I like watching matches against Premier League teams, where the pressure is immense. I also look at games involving Turkish or Greek clubs. For instance, when a Dutch team plays in that kind of environment, it’s very important to see how the player reacts to the atmosphere. San Siro isn’t easy, of course. But if we’re afraid of a stadium, that’s not good. Part of our job is also to help players improve in that aspect.”