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MOVE ON: MILAN STAR SAMUELE RICCI SAYS FOCUS MUST SHIFT TO SCUDETTO RACE

Ricci believes Milan is not the Scudetto favourites but is steady in the league. He confirmed he is flexible for Allegri's midfield plans after the cup loss.

Move On: Milan Star Samuele Ricci Says Focus Must Shift to Scudetto Race
Ricci Deflects Scudetto Talk After Cup Exit

AC Milan's Samuele Ricci said the team is bummed about getting knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Lazio, but knows they need to move on quickly.

Ricci was in the starting eleven, one of five changes that Massimiliano Allegri made after Saturday's league win. Other fresh faces included Koni De Winter, Pervis Estupinan, Ardon Jashari, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Sadly for Milan, their 2025-26 Coppa Italia run ended in the round of 16 with a 1-0 loss at the Stadio Olimpico. Just one goal decided the game, with Mattia Zaccagni's header sealing the deal for Lazio in the final 10 minutes.

Ricci shared his thoughts at the post-match press conference, expressing his disappointment with the result. Here's what he had to say, according to MilanNews.

You guys usually come out strong in the first 10 minutes of the second half. What was off tonight?

That's a tricky one. We get ready for the whole game. I don't know if it's just luck, but maybe not. At halftime, we get ourselves fired up and go for it right away. Today, we were missing something; we let in a goal from a set-piece. We could have played better, and we're not happy about it.

What's your job in the field?

I play where the coach needs me. I've been playing deeper, but I can also play in a more advanced role. I still have room to grow.

Are you guys the favourites to win the league now?

No, we're doing fine in the league. We've been pretty steady, dropping some points against weaker teams but winning the important games. We're not the favourites, but we'll take on anyone.

ROMA LOAN CUT SHORT: GASPERINI SAYS EVAN FERGUSON NEEDS TO IMPROVE "TECHNICALLY AND PERSONALLY."

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini clarified he doesn't dislike Evan Ferguson but issued a clear demand: the striker must "up his game, not just technically, but also as a person."

top-news
Gasperini Puts Pressure on Evan Ferguson Before Celtic Europa League Clash.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has told Evan Ferguson he needs to improve.

Gasperini clarified that he doesn't dislike the striker, who is on loan.

There have been reports that Roma might want to end their season-long deal with Albion for the Republic of Ireland international, as he hasn't made a big splash in Italy yet.

Gasperini hasn't said he wants to cut the loan short. Most sources suggest it's possible, but only if Albion agrees.

Gazzetta Dello Sport even ran a headline this week suggesting Roma had already decided.

Many fans and media jumped on this, especially since Albion striker Stefanos Tzimas just suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for months.

Gasperini has supported Ferguson, who has been dealing with his own injury.

However, he seemed to lay down the law before the Europa League game against Celtic.

At a recent press conference, the Roma boss said he had no antipathy toward Ferguson, but he seemed to imply that he wants Ferguson to step up his game.

Gasperini told reporters, “There's no dislike for the players; it's about their performances.

“Ferguson has had many chances. Do we want to be patient with him? Yes, we do.

“He needs to up his game, not just technically, but also as a person.”

While Ferguson hasn't been at his peak, he also hasn't gotten great support when he's been on the field in Serie A or the Europa League.

Gasperini seemed to acknowledge this before the Parkhead game.

He said, “We haven't scored much all year, so it's probably a structural issue for us, even though we've played well at times.

“In these last two games, we haven't been creating as many dangerous chances.

“This isn't about individual players; it's a team problem.

SUPER-SUB CHRISTIAN PULISIC BAGS TWO; MILAN'S 3-2 THRILLER KEEPS TOP SPOT

A 29-meter strike from Rabiot and a Pulisic brace secured a season-defining 3-2 victory for AC Milan, demonstrating determination in the title race.

top-news
Pulisic's Brace Fuels AC Milan's Stunning Comeback Win.

After recovering from a fever, Christian Pulisic scored twice in AC Milan’s 3-2 victory at Torino. Adrien Rabiot chipped in, describing his own fantastic goal.

The USMNT star wasn’t even supposed to play. He had a high temperature the night before and only joined his teammates a few hours before the game.

Coming off the bench, he scored twice, helping turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win against Torino. Rabiot added a goal from 29 meters out.

I was really sick two days ago, but I felt better today. “I’m just glad I could be here and help the team,” Pulisic told Sky Sport Italia.

I didn’t know if I could play. I felt better this morning. I’m happier about the win than my goals.

Pulisic has played less compared to past seasons because of injuries, but has scored seven goals in nine Serie A games.

It’s been a weird season, and I want to get more playing time. We’ll focus on each game and see where we stand at the end of the season.

Milan's win means they're still at the top of the table with Napoli, one point ahead of Inter, a good response to their Coppa Italia exit to Lazio.

We started badly, but we improved halfway through the first half. We knew we had to play better in the second half and be more determined. We picked up the tempo, and Christian’s substitution helped, Rabiot told Sky Sport Italia.

These are the games that can turn a season around. It shows we’re determined and focused. We need to start stronger because we can’t always expect to come back from 2-0 down.

Rabiot's goal was amazing, maybe the best of his career, and seemed to come out of nowhere.

We needed a spark, and sometimes you have to try something different. We made errors, but the important thing was our attitude and how we turned it around. Everyone who came off the bench played well, said the France international.

We’ll see what happens, but with this attitude, we can go far.

Rafael Leao left the game in the first half with a possible adductor injury in his right leg.

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