Italian Supercup Final in Doha; AC MILAN
MONTELLA: "THIS FINAL IS AN OPPORTUNITY"
On the eve of the Italian Supercup final, coach Montella and captain Abate spoke at the press conference
In the fascinating city of Doha, coach Montella and Ignazio Abate spoke to the journalists at the regular press conference ahead of the match against Juve, which could give the Rossoneri their first trophy of the season. These were the two Rossoneri's words to Milan TV and the rest of the press.
DOHA
"We are enthusiastic about playing such an important match in Doha. It's a pleasure to be here. Playing a few Serie A matches here? Why not".
LATE ARRIVAL "This cannot be an alibi. Still, we should have arrived on the 21st, instead we got here on the 22nd".
JUVENTUS "We are facing a very strong side, built to win both in Italy and in Europe. They have players who adapt to different game plans, therefore I am expecting Juve to change their style of play during the match. They have a winning mentality, and this mentality has to be our goal too".
THE MATCH "We have both improved since our last meeting in October. We expect this match to be played at a higher level. We want to control the game and show our qualities, but this will also depend on how our opponents play. Lightness of spirit can be our weapon. We need the right attitude, to play with enthusiasm and the right mentality".
GIFT "This trophy mustn't be seen as a burden but an opportunity. We have the chance to make a gift to our President and we'll do everything we can to make this happen".
IMPORTANCE OF THE MATCH "As a manager I have experienced several important matches: a Coppa Italia final and a Europa League semifinal. For sure, tomorrow's game is the most important at this stage".
OBJECTIVES "I give the boys daily objectives. Every match can be a test. In the grand scheme of things, the ultimate goal is the team's improvement".
ABATE
THE EVE OF THE MATCH "It's an important day, we are eager to do well. We are happy the fans are proud of us and tomorrow we want to win for them too. We are preparing for this game like always. It's going to be a difficult match but we have to play with lightness of spirit".
THE GROUP "We are a young and mainly Italian team, but we must not forget our foreign players. Together we are a great group".
TRUST "Winning against Juve has given us a boost in self confidence. We have excellent qualities, but we are facing the team that are leading in Serie A. We come off a positive stretch, even though we haven't won in the last two matches. We are positive we can do well. I think both teams know the importance of tomorrow's match. We will need to play the perfect game. Over this campaign's top clashes we have always shown our qualities and we'll try to do the same here".
LATE ARRIVAL "I don't want to talk about this. This glitch can give us more hunger to win it tomorrow. We don't want it to become an alibi, still we should have arrived here in Doha a day earlier".
LAST TROPHY WON "It's been a few years now (Supercoppa Italiana 2011 ed.), therefore we want to win it for our President"
