Conceicao: Feyenoord loss ‘tough’ for Milan, Torino clash a ‘Champions League final’ | OneFootball

Sergio Conceição admitted that the day after Milan’s Champions League elimination was ‘tough,’ but he insisted that even the costly defeat against Feyenoord gave him ‘confirmation’ of his players’ ‘evolution’.

The Rossoneri are forced to finish in the top four if they want to take part in Europe’s major competition next season, and their manager is aware that their upcoming Serie A trip to Torino will be decisive, which is why he urged his side to approach the match as if it were a ‘Champions League final.

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 26: Sergio Conceicao, Head Coach of AC Milan, reacts during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Parma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 26, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Conceicao: Feyenoord loss confirmed me Milan players are evolving

“Without a doubt [it’s a decisive match],” Conceiçao said at a pre-match press conference, as quoted by TMW.

“The opponent is tough; they were on a streak of seven positive results before losing to Bologna. Historically, it’s a difficult match for Milan.

“But we must stay focused—just like this morning, also tomorrow. The attitude has to be the same: tomorrow is our Champions League final. Every match must be approached this way.

“They have very interesting players, like Ricci, for example. In the way they approach each game, I always see a team that wants to achieve a positive result. So, we have to be at our best. We need to take control of the game.

“In football, there is good and bad. After every match, we start over and work towards the next one. The elimination cost us a lot, and the next day was tough. Today, I saw the group truly focused.

“We knew we were stronger than Feyenoord, we had prepared well for the match, but due to certain episodes and details, we lost.

“I had said that football is simple: score goals and don’t concede them. But within this simplicity lies the complexity of football in order to make it simple; it requires a lot of work on different levels.

“It’s important to focus on these details and help the players evolve in them. I’m starting to see an interesting evolution, and the last match gave me this confirmation. There’s no time, partly our fault because we could have been in the Round of 16. Now we focus on fourth place and the Coppa Italia. I saw the guys in good shape today, very, very good.”

epa11870704 Milan’s coach Sergio Conceicao whistles during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Inter FC, in Milan, Italy, 02 February 2025. EPA-EFE/NICOLA MARFISI

The first half against Feyenoord saw Milan failing to capitalise on their supremacy despite having all of their star strikers on the pitch, but Conceiçao remarked that ‘balance’ is his ultimate goal, even with a highly offensive formation.

“Balance is what I want for the team, and we are improving,” the coach continued.

“We are not at our best yet, but we are much better. I want a higher press, more aggression. I like a compact, high, and tight team. We can play this way, but with the right balance.

“Walker is unavailable. Pulisic doesn’t have 90 minutes in his legs, Gimenez is improving every day but is not yet at the level we want him to be. We are working on it, at least for the style of play I want; he needs to be intense for the full 90 minutes.

“I found some players struggling in this regard, as well as some injuries. Playing every three days, always in decisive matches—because here, if you draw, it’s like losing—always being on the edge, it’s not easy to manage.”

Conceicao also explained that he promotes honesty between players in the locker room when things get complicated, adding that he’s not thinking ‘about the end of the season’.

“I like it when players tell each other what they think,” the Portuguese boss stated.

“You are a true friend if you tell your teammate what you really feel—there has to be that honesty among them. This also helps them grow. I prefer a harsh truth over a nice lie that hides a problem.

“I’m not someone who calculates things; I don’t like thinking about the end of the season.

“I live each day with great intensity. I take my work home, and my family isn’t happy about it, but that’s how it is.

“I don’t always do things perfectly, but we work with great passion every day. Yesterday, we prepared today’s training session, we analyzed videos—that’s my main concern.

“Today marks 31 years since my mother passed away. I was 18 and had lost my father two years earlier. If these are the difficulties of football, then I’m not afraid of anything. So, I keep moving forward on my path.”