Sacchi warns Milan directors and tell fans to ‘be patient’ with Fonseca | OneFootball

Ex-Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi tells Rossoneri fans to ‘be patient’ with new boss Paulo Fonseca but warns club directors to ‘avoid the same errors of the past.’

Fonseca’s tenure at Milan begins today, while the Rossoneri will begin the pre-season next Monday.

“What will Fonseca’s Milan look like? How will they play? Which players will they sign? Of course, fans ask all these questions while waiting to see the team on the pitch in the pre-season,” Sacchi wrote in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Milan are in the middle of a revolution, both technically and in terms of club directors. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have a big impact. It remains to be seen if the path taken is the right one.

“I’ve been following Paulo Fonseca since his time at Shakhtar Donetsk and he did well there,” continued Sacchi.

“Then he came to Italy, in Rome, and it’s always tough to judge a Giallorossi coach because there is a lot of pressure and there isn’t always the necessary calm to work deeply. Fonseca then moved to France, at Lille, where he finished fifth and fourth.

“Milan followed him closely before hiring him, and they were convinced of his quality. I can’t judge him without having seen him and fans must be patient because you can’t construct a building from one day to another.”

Soccer odds suggest the Rossoneri are not favourites to win the title in 2024-25, but the summer transfer window has just begun, so they’ll bring in a few reinforcements this summer.

“The fundamental thing is that the coach and the club are on the same page and that there won’t be misunderstandings or, even worse, disputes,” argued Sacchi.

“The transfer window is open and the coach must follow the coach to build the team he has in mind.

“I read many names for the striker role, from Zirkzee to Lukaku. They have very different skill sets, so I ask myself: How can they both be suitable for Milan? I’d like to hear Fonseca’s opinion about this. The same could apply to other players. Milan had a tough start last season because of the many signings (many foreigners) completed in the summer. It’s never easy to assemble a team, especially when they come from abroad and must adapt to Serie A.

“It is a fact that Pioli gave the team an identity only in the second part of the season. If there are lessons from the past, I hope Milan directors won’t make the same errors.

“I think Fonseca has already proved that he relies on solid organisation and the pitch’s dominion. This is very important because it’s in line with modern football. Anyway, it is fundamental that his players press all over the pitch and keep the right distance between the lines; otherwise, the whole work will be ruined.”

Sacchi, who won a Serie A titles and two Champions League as a Milan coach, ended his analysis with a message for the fans.

“They’ll have a key role as well. I know Milan supporters quite well. They are exigent, they love beauty and they want to be entertained. In this case, they’ll need to be patient and don’t put pressure on the coach or the players.”