Fonseca's Bold Statement: "I don't give a..."
The AC Milan coach delivered a clear and direct message: he doesn’t care about a player’s name when they make a mistake—he’ll say it to their face.
Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca, now in charge of AC Milan, made it clear this Friday that he tackles locker room issues head-on, stating he doesn’t care about a player’s name or reputation.
"I don't boast about my leadership; I'm not an actor. What I say, I say face-to-face in the locker room. If we have a problem, I don't give a damn about the player's name—I confront the team or the players who made mistakes," Fonseca said during a press conference.
There have been rumors for weeks in Italy suggesting that Milan's locker room is out of control. Since the start of the season, there have been several controversies, such as Portuguese star Rafael Leão and French defender Theo Hernández being benched against Lazio due to their attitudes, and when Fonseca publicly criticized his players for not following his penalty-taking orders.
The latest incident, just before the international break, saw Fonseca appoint Christian Pulisic as the designated penalty taker. However, both Theo Hernández and English striker Tammy Abraham stepped up to take the penalties, missing both and leading to a 2-1 loss against Fiorentina.
Ahead of their clash against Udinese at the Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro), Fonseca emphasized his leadership stance.
"I don’t need to prove anything. I've been this way since day one. Ask the players if I've been like this from the start or not," he added.
Fonseca also hinted at possible disciplinary actions for those responsible for the loss in Florence.
"Will those who performed poorly in Florence be punished? We'll see tomorrow. For me, no player is more important than the team. We must take responsibility when we make mistakes. If someone doesn't accept this team spirit, it becomes difficult," he concluded.