AC Milan coach Fonseca: Red Star tough; directors support me

Milan host Red Star at the San Siro Stadium for their final Champions League match, with Fonseca wary of their form in Europe.

What kind of opponent is Red Star?

“They are a difficult obstacle, they only have three points, but they are coming off a 5-1 win against Stuttgart.”

Who will replace Pulisic?

“Loftus-Cheek, I have complete confidence in him.”

A Milan at two speeds between the league and the Champions League?

“They are completely different games, but in the league we are getting closer every day to what we do in the Champions League.”

How is Theo?

“He's working well, let's show him what he needs to improve.”

Is this a Milan that must always strive for one more goal than the opponent?

“We have improved a lot defensively recently. In Bratislava it was a special match, but the team has learned a lot defensively and I am sure we will do well defensively tomorrow, because the team is much better.”

Do you feel protected and supported by your directors?

'Yes, always. I have always felt the support of the company. Always.'

However, the club cannot be happy with what they see…

“We are working for change. I am here and I continue to believe that we are getting better and will eventually end up in a different position. I have no doubt about that and that is why I continue to work every day with the same confidence and positivity that I have since day one, I understand, looking at the standings, the feelings of the fans, but we are working to improve.”

Milan wants to finish in the top eight?

“The most important thing is to win the next game, but I can't say we don't think we can finish in the top eight.”

When you coach a team for Europe, do you do it differently?

“Champions League is always a different competition, it is a different motivation. The way we prepare for the matches is the same, because we always want to win. The opponents, the structures, the strategies change. In my head I know the prestige of Milan in Europe and how important it is to do well in the Champions League, because Milan is a Champions League team.”