ALLEGRI: “WORK, CALMNESS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL TO SUCCEED”

After an intense pre-season and an official Coppa Italia win against Bari, the Rossoneri are ready for their Serie A opener scheduled for 20:45 CEST at San Siro against the newly promoted Cremonese. On the day before their debut in the championship, Coach Allegri has spoken at his pre-match press conference, live on the AC Milan Official Appand Milan TV.

OUR LEAGUE SEASON BEGINS "We're starting the season, and there's a lot of curiosity, even from my side. The fans are very important, and we're happy with the support we received against Bari. It'll be up to us to lift the fans through our performances and by winning. Against Cremonese, we'll have another 75,000 people in the stadium, and we'll begin a journey where, in March, we hope to be in the best possible position to achieve our objectives in the final part of the campaign. Tomorrow will be a complicated and tough match, as is always the case with the first games: we're not in top physical condition yet, and the transfer market is still open. Cremonese are a tricky team to face, like all of Nicola's sides; they give you very little space. We'll need to stay focused."

ALLEGRI'S AC MILAN"I'm very happy with the lads for their willingness to work and give everything for the team: they're becoming a real team. We need to be respectful, because we don't take to the pitch two goals ahead just because we're called AC Milan. Every match will be tough, and that's why we must respect everyone we face. Only through belief and daily mental work can we achieve our goals, because in a league campaign you need to keep a consistent pace. Across 38 matches, there will be good moments - I hope many - but also difficult ones, which we must face calmly. Balance must prevail, and our objective is to play in the Champions League next year. When you're at a great Club, you must feel a responsibility to work to avoid making mistakes. I’m very happy to be here and to work towards this objective."

THE TRANSFER MARKET CAN WAIT"I believe the Club has done a good job in the transfer market, both in terms of arrivals and departures. Every day, everyone is fully aligned on the team's objectives. Right now, however, the most important thing is the match against Cremonese, and I'm very happy with all the players we have available."

MODRIĆ"There’s no need to talk about him on a technical level - his career says it all. He's integrated with great humility, and we'll manage his contribution together, because it's only normal that he doesn't have the physicality he had in earlier years. He'll certainly be very useful to the team, both on and off the pitch, and I've been greatly impressed. In the next few hours, I'll decide whether he'll start or come on during the match."

DEFENCE, MIDFIELD, ATTACK"I'm calm, because two of the four players I have can also play on the right, in addition to Jiménez and Athekame. The important thing is that everyone is ready, whether they start or come off the bench, because those who enter need to make a decisive impact - championships are often decided by players coming on in the final 30 minutes, the crucial moments. Loftus-Cheek and Fofana? They both have physical and technical qualities, and I'm confident that between them they will score at least fifteen goals this season. Up front, we've played with Leão, Pulisic and Saelemaekers; we’ve always had three attacking players. Rafa has done very well as a centre-forward, but I've also been happy with Gimenez and Chukwueze. As for Leão, there are no updates: hopefully he'll be able to play against Lecce; otherwise, it'll be after the international break."

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE"You need to prove on the pitch, through action, that you have something extra. This team has excellent qualities and strong players, but we'll have to show it in our matches. It'll be crucial to find the right team chemistry, because football is not an exact science. In my career, I've sometimes started thinking about playing a certain way before changing my mind. Last season, AC Milan won the Supercoppa and reached the Coppa Italia final - that reflects the team's qualities. I don't want to pass judgment on how things went last season; only those who were here can do that. I believe this squad has significant potential, but we will have to work to keep improving. No one has ever won without putting in the effort, and we must be fully aware of that."

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