“If there’s a problem, I don’t give a sh*t about player names” – Paulo Fonseca continues to flex his authority as Milan victorious without dropped Rafael Leão | OneFootball

AC Milan 1-0 Udinese

AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca left Portuguese star Rafael Leão on the bench for the entirety of this weekend’s victory over Udinese, during which his side survived playing most of the game with ten men to secure victory.

Milan were leading through Samuel Chukwueze’s early strike (13’) when midfielder Tijani Reijnders was handed a straight red card in the 29th minute for being adjudged to have tripped Sandi Lovric when the last man. The decision was hotly contested, but VAR confirmed the on-field call and Milan were forced to play close to 70 minutes with a numerical disadvantage.

After securing the points, Rossoneri manager Paulo Fonseca was inevitably asked about Rafael Leão, who was among the substitutes and did not feature at San Siro. “Perhaps it’s strange for you not to see Rafa,” Fonseca said. “But this must be the norm. It’s unusual to see Leão on the bench, but it’s normal for me to say that the team is more important.

“Milan is more important than some players. I decided to play Okafor and Chukwueze; perhaps it will be Leão’s turn tomorrow. Let’s not create a case because there isn’t. Leão was respectful and satisfied in the dressing room; this is the most important thing to me. We are preparing for the following games, and perhaps Leão will return to playing. He must prepare well because we need Rafa.”

The decision to omit Leão came the day after Fonseca delivered a stern press conference on Friday, in which he insisted he will not shy away from addressing problems within the dressing room. The early stages of Fonseca’s tenure have been marked by disciplinary issues, the latest of which came in their 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina before the international break, with penalty taker Christian Pulisic twice overruled when it came to unsuccessful spot kick duties.

"I don't close my eyes to problems" - Fonseca

Milan fined French full-back Theo Hernandez for taking a penalty ahead of Pulisic against Fiorentina and reports in the Italian media suggest Fonseca will be backed to eliminate ill-discipline at the club. Speaking ahead of the match against Udinese, the Portuguese coach was adamant he will provide the leadership his club needs.

"The first day [after last week's game] was very good,” Fonseca began. “I didn't see anyone. I was angry, and I don't like to see people when I'm angry. We worked with the B team boys. The international players came back yesterday. Then we talked about the Fiorentina game and we started preparing for Udinese.

"I said everything they could think of. It's normal after what happened. I don't close my eyes to problems. I face problems and look everyone in the eye. I say what I think in the dressing room, face to face. If we have a problem, I don't give a sh*t about the names of the players. The important thing in leadership is not to look the other way when there is a problem. That's what I do - directly, with the team or with the players who made a mistake.

"What's important is team spirit. Nothing is more important than Milan and we have to take responsibility when we make mistakes. It's difficult for me if someone doesn't have team spirit. Let's see what happens tomorrow. I have nothing to prove. I'm not an actor. This is how I am. I've been like this since day one. Ask the players.

"It's always difficult to change. We're changing and I have to understand that it's a big change and I have to be more patient. We need time to change. We start to see something and we have to keep going.”

The victory over Udinese moved Milan up to 4th place in Serie A. Next up for Fonseca’s side is a vital Champions League clash with Club Brugge at San Siro, with Milan keen to secure their first points in the competition this season.