Sérgio Conceição, the head coach of AC Milan, attended the press conference ahead of the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal against Inter (after a 1-1 draw in the first leg). Conceição first paid tribute to Pope Francis: “I am a devout Christian and always go to church. He was an extraordinary man, and his words and vision will remain eternal for us.”

How will this match be? “Big clubs always strive to reach the final stages of all competitions. I congratulate Inter for their performance in the Champions League and Serie A; it shows their strength. But this match is crucial for us because we want to win and reach the final to gift a trophy to our fans. To achieve this, we must win tomorrow and be competitive. Every match has its own story, and the result depends on our performance.”

Have you tried to awaken the team’s pride? “Before the match against Udinese, I had a good feeling and said so. I had the same feeling before Atalanta, but we couldn’t replicate it on the field. The match against Atalanta was balanced; in the second half, they didn’t cross the halfway line for 15 minutes, but we made a collective mistake in conceding a goal. Now that is in the past, and tomorrow’s match is the most important. The team is aware of this.”

What is Walker’s condition? “He has trained with the team, but like Loftus-Cheek, he is not in the best shape, but both are available.”

Do you see Inter as tired? “They have many matches, but they are used to this workload. Recovery is quick these days. I watched their match against Bologna; fatigue or lack thereof has little impact, their quality is always high.”

What Milan can we expect tomorrow? “The best Milan. We will have a competitive team that plays ambitiously against a strong opponent.”

Is preventing Inter’s treble an extra motivation? “No. Our motivation comes from our daily work, not the opponent. We focus on how to challenge the opponent. We have no chance in the league or Champions League, so we only think about tomorrow.”

Why is Jiménez no longer a priority for you? “There is no priority, only form matters. Jiménez had a good start but later faced physical issues and a drop in form. Recently, he was injured. I choose players who guarantee performance. Sometimes substitutes have a greater impact.”

Can the derby and Coppa Italia change the perspective of the season? “We must do our job and strive to win. This match is important for the players, the club, and the fans. Milan is used to competing for the Scudetto and Champions League, even in recent years. For a club like Milan, reaching the Coppa Italia final should be normal.”

Does Inter have a better chance? “In these matches, luck doesn’t matter. When the referee blows the whistle, we must execute our plan. We must play every moment like the last; that makes the difference. For me, no team has a better chance.”

What is your condition and evaluation of Milan? “It depends. I understand your questions, but I will talk about these at the end of the season. I will discuss my six months of work, the good things, and my mistakes. Everything at the end of the season.”