Following AC Milan’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday, all eyes were on Paulo Fonseca after he publicly criticized his players for their attitude. Despite the win marking their fourth consecutive Champions League victory, the Rossoneri coach was not satisfied with the performance of some individuals. Fonseca expressed his disappointment, suggesting that certain players did not fully meet their “obligation” to “give everything for the shirt.” His frustration with the team’s overall attitude was clear, and he warned that he wouldn’t hesitate to promote players from the Milan Futuro or Primavera teams if he did not see improvements from his current squad.
Fonseca refrained from specifying which players he was referring to, stating that he would not “go into tiny details” about his grievances. This has led to speculation among Italian media outlets about who might have been the target of his comments. Milannews.it has suggested that Theo Hernandez, who has been struggling recently, could have been one of the players Fonseca was referring to. Hernandez’s poor form could have drawn the coach’s ire, but nothing has been confirmed.
There has also been speculation surrounding Davide Calabria, who appeared to ignore the coach after being substituted off during the match. His apparent disregard for Fonseca’s decision raised eyebrows and led to further assumptions that he could have been the subject of the criticism. Additionally, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fikayo Tomori have both been underperforming compared to their previous seasons, and some have suggested that they, too, might have been the focus of Fonseca’s post-match comments.
However, Fonseca has not clarified which players he was aiming his remarks at, leaving the question of who specifically he was targeting unanswered. His call for improvement signals that he is determined to see a better attitude and commitment from his squad going forward.
