AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca downplayed the significance of next week’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid following his team’s gritty 1-0 away win over Monza in Serie A on Saturday.
Despite their narrow victory against lowly Monza, Fonseca did not think his team would be overawed at the prospect of facing 15-times European Cup champions Real Madrid.
“I am always fired up for every game and do not think that Real Madrid is any more important than what we played tonight,” Fonseca told Sky Sports Italia.
“I strongly believe in teamwork. Nowadays, football is challenging; we need to function as a team at all times, and that’s what we’re striving to achieve.”
Milan currently sits 25th in the Champions League standings, just outside the playoff positions, with defender Youssouf Fofana echoing his coach’s sentiments regarding Real.
Football in Spain should have been completely suspended after the worst flash floods in decades swept the eastern region of Valencia last week, killing at least 215 people, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said.
Real’s visit to Valencia on Saturday was one of the several La Liga games postponed after the Spanish FA (RFEF) ordered to re-schedule all games scheduled for Valencia at the weekend in addition to seven cup ties last week.
Ancelotti said it was nonsense that in other places of the country, the competitions continued as expected and argued that there was no enthusiasm in Spain to play football at the moment.
“Football is a party and you can only celebrate and party when you, your family and everybody is well... When people are not well, you don’t party,” Ancelotti told a press conference ahead of Real’s Champions League clash against AC Milan on Tuesday.
Ancelotti said that the 4-0 loss to rival Barcelona and the disappointment of forward Vinicius Jr not winning the Ballon d’Or award were a distant memory due to the sorrow caused by the tragedy and that he is trying his best to keep the players’ mindset in the right place for Tuesday’s clash.
(inputs from Reuters)
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