Fonseca’s accusations for Milan’s benefit: Now It’s the club’s turn to speak

After announcing his intentions to the directors, Milan coach Paulo Fonseca decided to publicly challenge the Rossoneri dressing room, or at least part of it. Gazzetta dello Sport write how following the hard-fought Champions League victory against Red Star Belgrade, he revealed his discontent to everyone:

“With a truly disappointed, almost pained expression, as if feeling betrayed, he chose to bring his disappointment to TV – a traumatic decision that put the players face-to-face with their responsibilities.

We’ve all seen the wrong attitudes from some Milan players, but when the coach highlights them, everything changes. After those words, there’s no going back: either behaviors change, or the cord snaps. Fonseca didn’t name names, but reports suggest he spoke with Theo Hernandez the day after his outburst. Theo, the most disappointing among the Rossoneri when comparing his excellent qualities with his poor performance, isn’t the only one the coach considers “distracted.”

Fonseca is right to demand more from certain players. You can’t be a champion for just one season or only when discussing contract renewals or transfers to another club. Milan, which transformed Theo from a young Real Madrid prospect into an international-level champion, deserves respect.

Fonseca may seem weak because of his polite, never rude manners (reminiscent of his predecessor Pioli). In reality, he’s not afraid to confront champions decisively: in Rome, he did it with Dzeko, and at Milan, he didn’t hesitate to bench Leao and Theo Hernandez after their cooling break rebellion.

However, Paulo shouldn’t be the only one exposed in situations like these. When he protested the incidents in Atalanta-Milan, President Scaroni disavowed him. Now that he’s taken issue with the team, none of the Rossoneri directors, starting with Ibrahimovic, have publicly spoken to support him, to give substance to his uncomfortable accusation, to make the club’s weight and strength felt alongside the coach.

The leadership is with him, they just don’t say it. But there’s still time for the club to come out in the open: Fonseca has spoken, now it’s up to those on his side to do the same.”

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