Repubblica: Conceicao and staff helped Milan squad get fitter – the details | OneFootball

One of the important things that Sergio Conceicao has worked on during his time at AC Milan is the fitness of the players, a report claims.

According to a report from La Repubblica, when Conceicao arrived at Milan at the end of December he found a squad that were not only struggling psychologically after a poor start to the season but also from a physical point of view.

The condition of some players has improved, the paper states. Mike Maignan has lost weight and his performances have benefited, while Luka Jovic is in top form after also undergoing a physical transformation.

The comments that prove it

Conceicao himself basically confirmed that he asked Jovic to shed a few pounds in order to try and help his performances become a bit sharper after the recent 3-0 derby win over Inter.

“Jovic has been working really well in the last 3-4 weeks. He also lost a few kilos, which was important. He gives us that little something we wanted for the match. He doesn’t give references to the defenders, he works well with the midfielders,” he said.

Speaking on the Kyle Walker Podcast, the 34-year-old revealed that he is enjoying the food out in Italy but it is important to remain disciplined when it comes to food, because Conceicao and his staff are watching.

“We get weighed every day. Your weight can’t change in a day. Even if you go out and have a big pizza or steak, it is not going to be drastically high so they ask ‘what have you been doing?’.

“If you have two or three days off you have to be a little careful because the manager is very keen on keeping the lads’ weight down. That is the way football is going. Every small detail matters.”