AC Milan is determined to change its fortunes when it takes on Lazio in a Serie A clash on Sunday, according to coach Sergio Conceicao, who emphasized that the team must stop attributing its struggles to misfortune.
Following back-to-back league defeats against Torino and Bologna, Milan also suffered elimination from the Champions League after a 2-1 aggregate loss to Feyenoord in the playoffs.
“We recognize the situation and understand what has happened—both due to our own mistakes and factors beyond our control,” Conceicao stated during Saturday’s press conference.
“We can’t keep blaming bad luck, but we can focus on correcting our errors and improving our performance to achieve better results.”
Milan’s hopes of securing a top-four finish in Serie A took a significant hit with Thursday’s 2-1 defeat at Bologna, where they surrendered a lead.
“I saw some positive aspects in the first half against Bologna,” Conceicao noted.
“We conceded a goal that should not have stood due to a handball. However, we can’t dwell on that—we didn’t perform at our best after that moment. We need to find more fluidity and balance in our play.”
Milan contested Bologna’s equalizing goal, arguing that Santiago Castro’s finish stemmed from an unintentional handball by Giovanni Fabbian. However, the VAR review upheld the goal.
Inconsistency has plagued Milan this season, with the team managing to win three consecutive Serie A matches only once. Currently sitting in eighth place after 26 games, they trail league leaders Inter Milan by 16 points.
“The physical trainer tells me that the team is at 100%, but I want it at 150%,” Conceicao asserted.
“We likely need to push ourselves further in every moment. To play the way we envision, we must improve our pace, acceleration, and sprinting ability.”
Sunday’s matchup will be an emotional one for Conceicao, as Lazio holds a special place in his career. The Portuguese coach spent three years at the club across two spells.
“Memories are a natural part of being human, but regardless of the past, my focus is on winning,” Conceicao said.
During his time at Lazio (1998-2000 and 2003-2004), Conceicao contributed to six trophy wins, including a Serie A title and two Italian Cups.
