Main coach "Milan" Paulo Fonseca noted that his team encountered difficulties in the match against "Brugge," which brought the first victory in the Champions League this season. "Obviously, in the first half, we didn't cope with our tasks," said Fonseca. "Brugge was aggressive and decisively set on a powerful performance on the field of the central champions of Europe." The coach acknowledged that "they changed the flow of the match, altered our game and intensity."
When the score was 3-1 in favor of "Milan," Fonseca substituted 16-year-old Francesco Camarda in the 75th minute, and his goal, scored close to the end of the match, was canceled for offside. "But it was a wonderful moment for the entire team; they celebrated on the field for the child who had worked so hard," said Fonseca. "I'm very sorry due to the uncounted goal."
After the match, Fonseca also pointed out the team's difficulties in creating space and provoking the opponent. "The credit goes to the players, especially those who came on as substitutes," – shared the coach at a press conference. "We encountered a team of eleven players who remained deep in defense, and after numerical inferiority, it became even more difficult."
Being in the lead, Fonseca introduced changes to the squad, after which the situation on the field became favorable for "Milan." Samuel Chukwueze and Noah Okafor changed the flow of the game in favor of the Italian team, creating several pearl moments in the match.
Fonseca emphasized the importance of similar exits from substitutions, especially in difficult and prolonged matches. "When we don't find proper decisions, the game starts to slow down. We must have a different level of intensity in our actions when we fail to create space."
Francesco Camarda became the youngest player of "Milan," debuting in the Champions League at the age of 16 years and 226 days. He also became the youngest Italian player to participate in the tournament, surpassing this indicator of former forward "Juventus" and the current star "Fiorentina" Moise Kean (16 years, 268 days).
"When we don't find free space, we need to show another level of intensity in our actions," said Fonseca, highlighting the important aspects of victory in the match with "Brugge."
