Gennaro Gattuso believes Cristiano Ronaldo has improved considerably in recent years, but wants Milan to show “courage” against Juventus in the Supercoppa.
It kicks off in Jeddah on Wednesday at 17.30 GMT.
Much of the Press conference was dominated by questions about Gonzalo Higuain and you can read those answers here.
Suso is suspended, so we could see Lucas Paqetá start again after his debut in the 2-0 Coppa Italia victory over Sampdoria.
Gennaro Gattuso believes Cristiano Ronaldo has improved considerably in recent years, but wants Milan to show “courage” against Juventus in the Supercoppa.
It kicks off in Jeddah on Wednesday at 17.30 GMT.
Much of the Press conference was dominated by questions about Gonzalo Higuain and you can read those answers here.
Suso is suspended, so we could see Lucas Paqetá start again after his debut in the 2-0 Coppa Italia victory over Sampdoria.
“Paquetá is in good shape, he is available and did some good things in the Coppa Italia. He can improve a huge amount and we’ll see if he starts tomorrow or not.”
The tactician often jokes with the reporters, but he spent most of this Press conference staring at his own hands.
“I felt the tension more as a player than a Coach. It’s completely different. We are up against a side that has been dominant in Italy and Europe for eight years, they know how to play for trophies, but it’s important for us to be here and feel this experience too.
“We’ve got to play our game with a relaxed approach, because the strongest team doesn’t always win in a one-off match. We want to see a great performance to beat Juve tomorrow, we’re well aware of that.
“I am a man who often follows his instinct and for the last five years in this profession my focus has been on being as credible as possible in the eyes of my players. I say with great honesty, I am not thinking of myself, but what this game can represent for my players.
“I want to help them realise we can do it, we can raise the bar and push through the limits. I don’t want to see us panic or fall apart at the first error. I don’t want to see a repeat of Olympiacos, a game we had in our grasp and threw it away. At the first error, we lose all our confidence. It has been happening to Milan for a long time, even before I got here, and I want to see this team maintain its courage.”
Milan lost 4-0 to Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final back in May.
“I want to see the same performance we had against Juventus in Turin. We did everything to cause them problems. I remember we started strong in the Coppa Italia Final too, but then conceded a naïve goal and it all fell apart.
“I want the spirit I saw so many times, not sitting there sulking or thinking over that it was my fault, we made a mistake, etc. Keep going, keep concentrated for 90 minutes, not thinking about how strong the opposition is.
“After disappointments in football, you take some time to get over that. We are playing the Supercoppa tomorrow, not calculating what could happen in positive or negative after that.”
Patrick Cutrone came on as a substitute in extra time against Sampdoria and scored both goals to secure a Coppa Italia quarter-final spot.
“Cutrone has fire within him and has no need for firing up. He is a player who lifts the team when he comes off the bench. He’s not happy when he doesn’t start, but nobody is. We need to spend some time on helping him understand certain things, but he’s improving.”
Gattuso was asked: How do you stop Cristiano Ronaldo?
“With team organisation, the characteristics of individual players in his zones. Over the last six or seven years, Ronaldo has become an incredible player. When I used to play against him, he’d put on a show. Now he’s not doing that, he does everything with vehemence and does it all to be effective, hurting the opposition. He gets better with age.”
There has been controversy over the choice of venue, not only because of the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but also the restrictions on women entering the stadium on their own or in certain sections.
“For Italian football, it must be a source of pride that we have been welcomed so warmly. We’ve heard for years that Italian football has become second tier, but we are proud to be here. We are glad to see women will be in the stands tomorrow and we’ve been treated very well.”