Billy Costacurta, a Milan legend with seven league titles and five Champions League trophies, has expressed concern about the lack of the right mentality in the current squad, especially after the latest cup match. According to him, to win consistently talent alone is not enough; a mind and will stronger than muscles are required, as well as a spirit of sacrifice and the same care in every commitment. Costacurta saw none of these qualities at Milan in the cup match, contrasting the euphoria of the derby win over Inter with the fatigue and lack of intensity shown against Ferencvaros.
The former defender stresses that the difference between a winning team and a non-winning one lies precisely in the ability to maintain the same intensity. He harshly criticised players who, after a big win like the 3-1 victory over Inter, think they have become strong and can make things look simple, calling this a fatal mistake. Costacurta cited concrete examples: Musah losing the ball carelessly, Diawara taking risks with the ball as a centre-back, and Cissé asking for the ball at his feet without ever going into depth, showing a lack of seriousness and the wrong mentality.
However, Costacurta clarified that the blame did not lie only with the young players or the “second lines”. He stressed that Musah is not a second-line player and that the worst player on the pitch was Rabiot, a leader and one of the strongest midfielders in the world. Responsibility, in his view, was shared: the young players made mistakes, but so did those who should lead and tell everyone to “wake up”. He added that wrong technical choices can be forgiven, but not a superficial attitude and mentality, especially when playing for Milan.
Costacurta insists that every match must be played as if it were a derby against Inter, always trying to put the opponent in difficulty. He believes a winning mentality can be trained, by leaving players out for a few matches or by bringing them back immediately to see whether they have understood. If a player does not show desire and determination to face every challenge as if it were a derby, he should stay at home or on the bench. As for coach Amorim, Costacurta thinks he may not have fully perceived the situation, since the first half was “unbroadcastable”. He cited Pavlovic as a positive example of a player who is always attentive and has the right attitude.
Taken from La Gazzetta dello Sport