Following a demoralizing 0-3 home loss to Udinese, two Milan players, Samuele Ricci and Adrien Rabiot, offered candid and emotional post-match reflections. Adrien Rabiot, in particular, voiced his displeasure with the San Siro crowd’s jeers directed at Rafael Leão.
Ricci was direct in his assessment, refraining from making excuses and acknowledging the challenging period the team is experiencing.
“It was a poor defeat, a night to forget,” he stated, as reported by MilanNews.it. “We didn’t play terribly, but conceding three goals at home on a night where we could have made a statement simply wasn’t good enough. The only recourse now is to unite.”
He also pointed to issues beyond tactical setups.
“If we approach games like this, it indicates a deeper problem that transcends the system. We are all angry and bitter, for ourselves and for the supporters.”
Regarding the supporters’ reaction, Ricci was unambiguous.
“Considering the performance, I believe the boos were justified. Milan fans always deserve to win, and it’s right that they whistled us.”
Rabiot, speaking to Sky Sport, echoed the sentiment of a collective decline in performance, including his own.
“We all made mistakes, myself included,” he admitted, again via MilanNews.it. “I also lost focus on certain aspects. I lacked the clarity to observe and urge others to remain more concentrated.” He attributed the team’s slump to a combination of physical and mental fatigue, identifying a loss of defensive organization as the primary cause. “When we defend well, we score and we win. Today, we were disorganized.”
However, his most pointed remarks were aimed at the fans who criticized Leão.
“What truly disappointed me were the whistles at Leão,” Rabiot expressed. “In my view, we need to support him, and this kind of reaction doesn’t help. We are all in this together until the very end. It was disheartening to witness.”
