Costacurta Critiques Milan’s Mentality After Europa League Defeat
Legendary former Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta has offered his thoughts on the reasons behind the Rossoneri’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Ferencvaros in the Europa League earlier this week. He highlighted a significant ‘mistake’ that players ‘cannot afford to make.’
Costacurta Criticizes Milan Players’ Attitude, Warns Against Complacency
The atmosphere surrounding Milan following their 3-1 Derby della Madonnina victory over Inter last weekend quickly dissipated following a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home against Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday. This loss marked the team’s third defeat in four European matches this season, putting their chances of progressing to the knockout rounds in jeopardy.
Questions have arisen regarding the players’ mentality and attitude ahead of the Ferencvaros match. Costacurta noted that some individuals seemed to think they had already become big players, describing this as a serious mistake.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Costacurta explained, “Keeping the same intensity that they had against Inter would have been difficult. But at the end of the day, that’s the difference between a team that wins and one that doesn’t.
“Within four days of the 3-1 win over Inter, some of them thought they’d already become big players, and that’s a serious mistake. Thinking you’ve already reached a certain height can be fatal. You think you can do things easily, that you will always succeed, and that’s a mistake you can’t afford to make.”
When asked which players disappointed him the most with their attitude and performance, Costacurta responded, “Musah, a few minutes into the game loses the ball cheaply. Diawara comes carrying the ball out from the back and then throws it away. Cisse receives the ball to feet without ever creating any trouble.
“I’ve framed these three, but it wasn’t all their fault, but it’s also clear that they didn’t start with the right mentality.”
He was further probed about whether he believes there is an attitude issue among Milan’s rotation or second-choice players. Costacurta stated, “I wouldn’t say that Musah is a second-string player. A lot of the youngsters made mistakes, yes, but it wasn’t only them.
“In my opinion, Rabiot was the worst on the pitch. We’re talking about a leader here, one of the best midfielders in the world. The blame should be equally distributed. It was bad from the youngsters, but also bad from those who should have gone up to them and told them to wake up.”
“This doesn’t mean that we should just reject certain players permanently, though. We’re still waiting for answers, though: We can admit and forgive poor technical choices, but we can’t forgive poor attitude. That always has to be right if you play for Milan.
“I’m saying this as someone with a deep connection with these colours; you always have to play as if you’re facing Inter and always try to put your opponent in difficulty. On Thursday, it was obvious to everyone that this didn’t happen.”
On the same evening as the Ferencvaros defeat, Alphadjo Cisse received his first call-up to the Italy national team. However, he was substituted at half-time during the game and has been among the players facing significant criticism since then.
Costacurta expressed understanding regarding manager Roberto Mancini’s decision to explore new talent, stating, “I understand Mancini’s decisions; he’s always trying to scout new players. If you have fewer options than before, it makes sense to try and develop someone.”
Lastly, Costacurta was asked if any players in the current Milan squad demonstrate the right attitude. He replied, “I’d say Pavlovic, who is always attentive, showing the attitude that everyone needs to have. It might be easier to have that as a starter, but at the same time, anyone who is given the chance should want to breathe fire and command the pitch when called upon.”
