Milan Coach Vincenzo Montella denies a rift with President Silvio Berlusconi – “talking to him is pleasant”.
It has been suggested that the Rossoneri patron has been irritated by L’Aeroplanino’s team selection, and would even have sacked him were it not for ongoing takeover talks.
“I sincerely believe that the President has esteem for me,” Montella told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“And I’ve told him that I will always thank him for allowing me to Coach the team I support.
Milan Coach Vincenzo Montella denies a rift with President Silvio Berlusconi – “talking to him is pleasant”.
It has been suggested that the Rossoneri patron has been irritated by L’Aeroplanino’s team selection, and would even have sacked him were it not for ongoing takeover talks.
“I sincerely believe that the President has esteem for me,” Montella told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“And I’ve told him that I will always thank him for allowing me to Coach the team I support.
“He knows football, talking to him is pleasant. I listen to his suggestions, even if sometimes they don’t match up with my own.
“He might want Suso as a second striker or De Sciglio in the middle, but in general our thinking is close. I know my place, and I’m not going to try to seek out Berlusconi.
“I talk daily with [Adriano] Galliani, a great director who no Coach has ever complained about, which can’t be a coincidence.
“When did Berlusconi last call me? Before he’d call me often, now less. But my respect for him is the same, even if we haven’t spoken in recent weeks.”
If and when Sino-Europe Sports complete their takeover, there should be money available for the transfer market. Would Montella like Cesc Fabregas?
“He’s technically very strong. But if you gave me €150m I’d still back my players, to whom I owe everything. Everyone has been so helpful and that satisfies me.
“Sometimes, because of injury, we’ve had to play without five Italian internationals and everyone who has come in has done well.
“For me, we have the best in the world and then… we have to finish the season.
“The important thing is to understand the expectations and then, together, see what the transfer market has to offer.
“You can do good things even without big budgets, taking appropriate and functional players.
“Everything works here, so no excuses. Every facet works with with seriousness for the team: the management, the secretaries, the Press office, the shop workers, the gardeners, the kitchen.
“There’s nothing I don’t like or which doesn’t work.
“There’s the great organisation which I’ve always imagined, it transmits the mentality of having a great history and always thinking big, beyond the more recent results.
“I’ve found a family with many souls ready to support you, I tried to take a step back to understand the structure and everyone’s thoughts.
“The greatest difficulty was in rebuilding the players’ belief, even if [Sinisa] Mihajlovic did a great job. If he’d stayed, maybe he’d have Coached the team in Europe.”
Is Europe the aim then?
“No, that’s too reductive. A lot comes down to the result, but not everything. I think it’s more about an overall evaluation, which can be made regardless of coming sixth or seventh.
“My judgement is already positive, I’m happy with the growth and the attitude of the team.
“The Champions League? Making up the places is difficult, but we must always have ambition. Maybe if at Juventus Stadium…
“Inter? Finishing even one point above them, given they’ve made big investments, would be great. But I don’t judge against others, I just look at what I do with my team.
“There are other competitors for Europe, Atalanta will also fight to the end.”