Allegri: Fabregas showed ‘a lack of respect’ to Milan after 3-1 Como victory
Massimiliano Allegri has accused Cesc Fabregas of lacking respect following his post-match comments after Milan’s recent 3-1 victory over Como earlier this week.
Fabregas claimed that Como, who dominated in terms of possession, completed passes and shots on target, would have beaten Milan eight times out of 10 had the same game been replayed.
Allegri, during his pre-match press conference on Saturday, was given an opportunity to respond, and said that it is ‘difficult’ to comment on hypotheticals, and said that there were ‘two different interpretations’ of the final result.
He added that it was a ‘lack of respect for everyone who works at Milan’ to question the validity of their victory, though.
Allegri responds to Fabregas, previews Milan vs. Lecce
Allegri began his press conference on Saturday with a tribute to the late Fiorentina President Rocco Commisso, who has died at the age of 76.
“My first thought goes to the Commisso family,” Allegri said. “The most heartfelt condolences. Football has lost a sporting man with great passion, who did so much for Fiorentina.”
The attention soon turned to the upcoming test against Lecce in Serie A: “They’re coming off two excellent performances, especially against Inter,” said Allegri.
“Tomorrow is very important for us. We’ve had two draws and a home win, we have to get back to winning ways because we will then have to play away from home for more than a month after this. We will have to follow up on the good result we picked up against Como, otherwise that result will be left there.”
Allegri’s medical update was a fairly straightforward message: “Pavlovic won’t be there, he can’t head the ball. The others, more or less, are all fine.”
Allegri went on to assess the performance against Como. Many felt that Como, who dominated in terms of possession, completed passes and shots on goal, were the stronger side on the night, despite Milan picking up a 3-1 away victory.
“The important thing is to have team spirit and the desire to achieve the goal, that has to be clear to everyone. Even when we don’t play well in games, we have to get the result. It’s important to know how to read the game.
“We played two good games against Genoa and Fiorentina. We have to work to improve in certain phases, but we can’t lose track of the goal that we are playing for: To get into the top four and return to the Champions League.”
Allegri was asked if he feels that Napoli and Inter are better equipped to fight for the Serie A title this season.
He replied: “It’s a matter of what’s happened over the last few years. Milan changed 55% of its players this year, bringing in more young players and some with more experience.
“Milan’s future depends on whether or not we enter the top four. Italian football, in the way that it is, does not allow a high-level team to remain out of the top four for financial reasons. We have a responsibility. That goal is a priority.”
And when asked whether he will make any changes against Lecce on Sunday, Allegri said: “I don’t know yet, I’ll see the team today and will understand who has recovered. Leao was decisive in Como, but he still has to do better. Fullkrug came on and did well.”
And when asked to respond to Cesc Fabregas, who claimed that Como would have beaten Milan eight out of 10 times had the same game been replayed, Allegri said: “Luck is a component of life. The more we look for it, the better.”
He continued: “I think it’s a lack of respect for everyone who works at Milan, because we are getting decent results. This team has the humility to understand its limits and work on them.
“Fabregas is a young coach, he will have a very good career ahead of him. But it’s hard to say what would happen if we played again, it’s difficult. A game was played, there were two different interpretations and we scored three goals from three shots on goal. But importantly, scored three goals and defended well, especially in the second half.”