According to “Varzesh3,” when AC Milan last won the Coppa Italia in 2003, Serginho was on the field. Since then, two defeats in the final against Juventus in 2016 and 2018 have extended Milan’s trophy drought in this competition to 22 years.

Sergio Conceição’s squad faces a tough challenge against a determined Bologna team—a side AC Milan recently defeated at San Siro in their last Serie A match. In that game, the Rossoneri displayed a level of intensity that Serginho believes will be crucial in the upcoming clash at the Stadio Olimpico.

Serginho told Gazzetta dello Sport: “Milan has once again shown that it is a great team, but over 90 minutes, there are ups and downs—downs that are absolutely unacceptable. Unfortunately, this issue has persisted throughout the season, and now there is a risk of missing out on the top four by a few points. I still hope we can secure a Champions League spot, but it won’t be easy.

An 80% performance won’t be enough for Milan to win this game. We need the same intensity and energy as in Friday’s match, where we managed to turn the result around. Conceição is a good coach and had to solve many problems with limited time since January.

At AC Milan, it’s natural to face criticism if you don’t win. But if you end the season with two trophies, it won’t be a bad result. Finding motivation is easy, but the hardest part is managing tension. If it’s excessive, it drains your energy and can become your worst enemy. You have to remind yourself that in the end… it’s just a football match.

Ancelotti was exceptional in preparing the team for finals and always gave us a sense of calm. He did this brilliantly in Manchester and Athens. Gattuso, Pirlo, and Nesta had stronger emotions before finals. Maybe they didn’t sleep well the night before. But we Brazilians were calmer. I think it’s in our nature… For example, Ronaldo was as relaxed before a final as if he were about to play a friendly.”