AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca praised his team's resilience in overcoming the challenge of playing a man down during Saturday's narrow home win against Udinese. (More Sports News)
Milan won 1-0 in the Serie A clash at home after an early goal from Samuel Chukwueze, despite being reduced to 10 men following Tijjani Reijnders' red card at tꦓhe half-hour mark.
"I must say that the g🌱ame had two parts. The first one until minꦚute 30 when we received a red card," Fonseca told DAZN.
"We played 30 minut🅰es with great personality and quality. It was close to my ideaꩲ. After the red card, it was a game made of team spirit.
"We suffered, but we suffered together. If there♛ was any doubt on whether this team was united꧅, today we proved we are."
Fonseca believed his side deserved the win, despite Udinese having two goals disallowed, one from Kingsley Ehizibue and another from Christian Kabasele followin﷽g a tight offside call.
"It wouldꦐ have been unfair for the team. We had the best chances and it would have been unfair not to win this game. The team deserved these three points꧑," he said.
The former Roma boss also praised midfielder Christian Pulisic for his effort, including an assist and his defensive work, aꦑfter Reijnders got sent off.
"🧸Christian's game was fantastic. This is the spirit that we must always have," he said.
For Udꦗinese manager Kosta Runjaic, the defeat was a bitterly disappointing affair as his side failed to take the opportunity of th🍒eir numerical advantage.
"I'm not a referee. I am the coachꦍ. It’s senseless to say anything," Runjaic said about the two disallowed goals.
"Even with🐻 a man up, it was not easy against a team that defended deep. We needed patience, good passing rhythm and ci✱rculation and a bit of luck.
"Surelꦆy 🅠I don’t like the result because it was possible to go home with a draw."
