Montella: 'I feel Milan responsibility'

By Football Italia staff

Vincenzo Montella feels “a lot of responsibility, but also very motivated” after Milan’s spending spree. “Our objective is Champions League qualification.”

The Coach sat down for a lengthy interview with the Corriere dello Sport newspaper. You can read the rest here and here.

“Anyone who does this profession cannot duck responsibility. So yes, I am happy with the team that has been put together, I feel a lot of responsibility, but I am also very, very motivated,” said L’Aeroplanino.

“A squad has been built to reach certain objectives. Naturally, it’ll take some time to adapt with 10 new players, even more so for those who come in from abroad. If we add that they are also young, then that’s even more time.

“Of course, all that is in theory, because I know full well that in Italian football there has never been much time, but I am still ready to accept this very stimulating challenge. There is forward planning here and I hope to remain at Milan for many years."

Spending over €210m puts immense pressure on Montella, but he insists they are not targeting the Scudetto straight away.

Now the top four Serie A sides will enter the Champions League from this season, giving the Rossoneri more leeway.

“The agreement with the club is that we mustn’t waste the enthusiasm of the fans, let alone disappoint expectations. We must become a team as quickly as possible and try to achieve our objective of Champions League qualification.

“If we were to miss out on that target, it would certainly be a very damaging blow both economically and in terms of image. However, there is a great deal of competition in Italy and there are teams who, even if they haven’t had our summer transfer strategy, are still slightly ahead of us in terms of planning.

“We have chosen players who are ready to go and can give a great deal, who are top players for our level and for Italian football. I therefore think that the potential is there and it’s only a matter of time.

“We have some certainties and some players who can grow over time.”

Milan won the first leg of their Europa League preliminary round tie, 1-0 away to Craiova, and the second leg at San Siro is next Thursday.

“I expect to go all the way in Europe, not to underestimate the competition and to help prepare for the future by getting the players accustomed to midweek games. It’s preparation for the Champions League, which is our real objective.”

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow