Carlo Ancelotti confirms he’s supporting Milan against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final and believes Gennaro Gattuso “is doing very well”.
The 58-year-old has been Coach of both teams, but is synonymous with the Rossoneri having both played for them and enjoyed a successful spell on the bench at San Siro.
Carlo Ancelotti confirms he’s supporting Milan against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final and believes Gennaro Gattuso “is doing very well”.
The 58-year-old has been Coach of both teams, but is synonymous with the Rossoneri having both played for them and enjoyed a successful spell on the bench at San Siro.
“I’ll watch it with a friend of mine who’s a chef here in Canada,” Ancelotti told Milan TV. “He’s very much a Milanista so we’ll put the Milan shirt on, that’s what I can do to support the Rossoneri.
“On Wednesday Rino’s team will have a lot of courage, I’d say to the fans to be close to the team, following them with passion.
“That’s what the Milan fans can do very well. It’s clear that this is a delicate moment because the team is a bit behind, but with the right investments and the entrepreneurial qualities the directors have I think they can rise again.
“I met both [CEO Marco] Fassone and [sporting director Massimiliano] Mirabelli last summer, they took on a complicated and difficult situation.
“They need a bit of patience, they’re taking Milan back up but it will take time. The others are running, particularly in Europe.
“There’s a good foundation there and I hope Milan can return as soon as possible.
“Gattuso? He is doing very well, the team has found its identity very quickly. They’ve struggled a lot in the last period, particularly mentally, but Rino will prepare them very well.
“He knows Juventus very well from a tactical point of view, and he’ll motivate his lads exactly as he did when he played.
“The most evident thing is that the team now has an identity in both phases of play.
“I think something that can be improved over time though is a higher press. With a 4-3-3 it’s often difficult to press high.
“In possession the idea of controlling the game is there, I think an improvement would be having more players between the lines and more depth up-front, which is something which has been lacking this year.
Ancelotti also discussed Milan’s opponents, who have won the domestic double for the past three seasons in a row.
“Juventus are a very complicated opponent, very attentive in the defensive phase. I expect a balanced game, I’m not expecting a swashbuckling Juve.
“Milan will have to be good to find spaces in a defence which plays really well collectively, but which has some problems on the individual level.”
Carletto’s daughter, Katia, had a baby son recently and the Curva Sud welcomed little Andrea with a banner.
“They have great affection for me and my family,” Ancelotti said.
“Andrea will be a Milan fan, despite his Neapolitan father. So it’ll be a fight between Parmesan and mozzarella, but I’m sure he’ll prefer Parmesan.”