Gigi De Canio lost on his Genoa debut, but caused Milan quite a few problems and was denied a penalty.
Gigi De Canio lost on his Genoa debut, but caused Milan quite a few problems and was denied a penalty.
Kevin-Prince Boateng’s late strike secured the Rossoneri’s 1-0 win at San Siro, though Alessandro Nesta’s handling offence in the first half looked worthy of a spot-kick.
“I asked these lads to give a response and prove their worth, to show pride and believe in safety,” said the Coach after chaotic scenes on Sunday in which the ultras forced players to hand over their jerseys.
“That performance was more important than the result. It can give us confidence for the final rounds of this season.”
Genoa are still only one point clear of the relegation zone and will play their remaining two home matches behind closed doors after the fan protest.
“Clearly I wouldn’t be here after three changes of management if there weren’t problems. This team thought it would be fighting for Europe rather than against relegation. When they saw that was no longer possible, they somewhat let go. Now we must recapture our psychological strength.
“At times games are decided on incidents. Nesta’s handling offence was important, just as Bosko Jankovic was sent off only because the Rossoneri badgered the referee. Without that double yellow card, the goal probably would not have arrived.”