Conceicao launches into tirade after Bologna loss: 'I did not just come here out of nothing'

Sergio Conceicao launched into an impassioned defence of himself and his AC Milan side after their 2-1 defeat to Bologna tonight.

Going into the game at the Stadio Renato dall’Ara, Milan knew that they probably needed a win to keep alive their slim hopes of getting a top four spot. At half-time things were going according to plan, even if Rafael Leao’s opener had come a bit against the run of play.

However, a second-half collapse is what followed, with Santiago Castro firing in an equaliser in controversial circumstances and then Dan Ndoye netting from close range in the closing stages to earn Bologna a 2-1 win.

A second defeat in six days means that Milan are now eight points behind Juventus in fourth place and now also three points behind tonight’s hosts, with any hopes of a Champions League place now surely over bar the shouting.

What explanations do you give for the second half?

“Didn’t you count the first one?”

In the first half Milan played well, in the second?

“I say that there was a blatant handball on the first goal, we should have done more on these errors too. All the negative incidents for us happen to be decisive for the opponent. For us they are really negative for the result.

“We need to continue working, see what we have done well, we have done a little bit well, even if football is not talked about much. They are our mistakes, mistakes of another team too. These small episodes in the end are decisive.”