Milan

Italy has suffered more deaths than any other country, with over 15,000 lives lost so far and close to 130,000 confirmed cases.

Sport in the country is on hold, as part of the lockdown enforcement, and football might not resume for many months to come.

Gazidis addressed Milan supporters from his home on Sunday, speaking of "this tragedy that has hit all of us" and praising doctors and nurses, police, public transport officials and supermarket workers who risk exposure.

Gazidis said Milan's players and staff would only return to work "once things are safe", and noted club officials were working to "provide meaningful assistance" to the community.

He expressed the hope Milan could become "stronger than ever" after the COVID-19 global disaster, also promising the Rossoneri would "not forget the heroes of these times" when sport resumes.

Gazidis said Milan would, as a club, recover "in a healthy and strong way and we will do so on solid foundations".

"Football is a source of joy, which is very important," he said. "We will do our part in rebuilding hope and joy, the pride and solidarity when we overcome this terrible moment.

"Clubs are not just companies that play football, they have a role in the community and represent values without which football would be nothing.

"We will be remembered for how we behave in these days, we want you to feel that AC Milan is beside you, we want to make you proud."

He added: "Let us stay united in these difficult moments and we will be an even more tightly knit team, once we've overcome this crisis. More human, more united, stronger than ever."

There had been some confusion over the prospect of more cases of coronavirus at the Serie A club following comments from president Paolo Scaroni, who referred to "some infected players on the mend".

The remark led to some concern about unknown cases at the club, with technical director Paolo Maldini and his son Daniel having returned the only confirmed positive tests in March.

However, in a statement issued on Saturday, the club said: "AC Milan confirms that, based on all medical tests carried out to date on first-team players and technical staff, there have not been any positive cases of COVID-19.

"Players will continue their individual training program at Milanello and medical screenings will be completed for all players and staff reporting for training over the coming days."

Milan players resumed individual training on Friday at Milanello, two months on from the strict lockdown measures introduced in northern Italy, with group sessions reportedly to be allowed from May 18.

The Serie A season remains suspended but clubs are committed to completing the 2019-20 campaign rather than bring it to a premature end, as has happened in France and the Netherlands.

Milan were seventh in the standings when the competition was halted.

The coronavirus outbreak has crippled the nation, with Serie A and all sporting events suspended until April 3 following the Italian National Olympic Committee's (CONI) decision on Monday.

It comes after a significant increase in cases, with a total of 9,172 people infected as of Monday in Italy.

Milan – following in the footsteps of neighbours Inter's €100,000 donation – and Fondazione Milan have jointly donated to the response efforts of AREU (Azienda Regionale Emergenza Urgenza), the emergency arm of the Lombardy region's government.

"There are things in life more important than football," Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis said in a statement. "At a time when all of us need to take care of the most vulnerable amongst us, we must all act with the utmost responsibility and listen to the advice of the relevant authorities.

"On behalf of the club, I am proud to support the incredible efforts of our region's emergency response teams with this donation. The health and safety of our loved ones is our highest priority. We understand that our fans are going through an extremely difficult time.

"We are all worried about those nearest and dearest to us and about the implications for the future. Milan is more than a football club. It is a community of people who care for each other and we also represent the great city of Milano around the world.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Milanisti. We have already announced that we will reimburse all those who have shown their love for the club by issuing refunds to any games cancelled or postponed and we will be taking further steps to support our fans through these difficult times as they have always supported us."

Globally, there have been 114,458 coronavirus cases with 4,027 deaths.

More than 3,100 people have died in China, while over 400 people have succumbed to the virus in Italy.

The Serie A club set up a GoFundMe page with local charity Fondazione Milan with the aim of gathering support for the Azienda Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), the emergency arm for the government in the Lombardy region.

Italy has been one of the worst-affected nations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 115,000 confirmed cases and over 13,500 deaths related to the virus.

Only the United States and Spain have had more confirmed positive tests during the global health crisis.

Milan and Fondazione Milan got the ball rolling with an initial donation of €250,000, which paid for six AREU medical cars, before asking others to pledge to the cause as they set a €500,000 target.

With over 1,000 donors, they reached that goal on Friday.

Juventus began a similar initiative two days after Milan, with the club and players making an opening contribution of €300,000 towards a €1million aim.

As of Friday, Juve's fundraiser has amassed a total of almost €457,000 in donations.

Italy's football season has been suspended indefinitely due to coronavirus, with prime minister Giuseppe Conte banning clubs from returning to training before April 13 at the earliest.

Italy has been in lockdown for almost two weeks as its government attempt to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of 4,825 people in the country.

Sport across the world has been put on hold, with Serie A suspended until at least April and UEFA having postponed Euro 2020 until next year.

On Saturday, Juventus star Paulo Dybala confirmed he and his girlfriend had been diagnosed with COVID-19, though he added they were both in good condition.

Dybala is the third Juve player to test positive after Daniele Rugani and Blaise Matuidi and Milan have now confirmed club legend Maldini – the club's technical director – had tested positive, along with his son Daniel, who made his first-team debut for the Rossoneri in February.

"Milan confirms that Paolo Maldini, the club's technical director, became aware of contact with a person who subsequently tested positive for coronavirus and began to display symptoms of the virus himself," a club statement said.

"He was administered with a swab test yesterday, the result of which was positive. His son Daniel, a forward in Milan's youth team who had previously been training with the first team, also tested positive.

"Paolo and Daniel are both well and have already completed two weeks at home without contact with others.

"They will now remain in quarantine until clinically recovered, as per the medical protocols outlined by the health authorities."

More than 30,800 people have died from coronavirus, with the number of cases worldwide exceeding 660,000.

Shevchenko, who was a child at the time of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 that reportedly killed 54 people and is said to have led to thousands of deaths, said he saw similarities.

"I lived a moment very similar to this. At the time, I was nine years old," the Ukraine coach told Sky Sport.

"The only thing we have to do is avoid stupid behaviour. None of us can be sure that we have no contracted the virus.

"We must not go out, we must not think only of us, but above all of those people for whom the infection would be a greater problem."

Shevchenko thanked doctors and nurses and urged people to respect guidance from their governments.

Italy, where Shevchenko played with AC Milan from 1999-2006, has seen more than 10,000 deaths due to coronavirus.

"The only solution is to respect the rules of the government – that is to stay at home and give doctors the opportunity to do their job, which is really huge," he said.

"Give them volunteer nurses, they are the heroes of our time. They must be thanked for all they are doing."

Originally a superstar at Manchester United, he later became a 'Galactico', an MLS trailblazer and one of England's most-capped players.

Here, on his 45th birthday, we look at the highs and lows of his career.

HIGH - A STAR IS BORN AT SELHURST PARK

The goal that changed everything. Back in August 1996, Beckham was a promising young midfielder who had just become a regular for United, his boyhood club.

Then he spotted Wimbledon goalkeeper Neil Sullivan off his line and dispatched an arching effort over his head and into the net from his own half, raising his arms aloft in celebration as if to acknowledge he had truly arrived.

"When my foot struck that ball, it kicked open the door to the rest of my life," he wrote in his autobiography.

LOW - THAT SIMEONE KICK

An England debut followed soon after that goal and Beckham was a regular for his country during the qualifiers for World Cup 1998.

Yet at the tournament itself, one petulant kick out at Argentina's Diego Simeone resulted in a red card and meant Beckham swiftly went from hero to villain.

Glenn Hoddle's team lost on penalties in the last 16 but Public Enemy No. 1 had already been identified, with an effigy of Beckham even hung outside a pub.

HIGH - A TREBLE WINNER

Beckham followed up his World Cup disappointment by turning in the best season of his United career in 1998-99, when Alex Ferguson's side famously won the treble.

The midfielder had 11 assists in the Premier League and one of his six goals came in the come-from-behind win against Tottenham that sealed the title.

Later that month he would slot in at central midfield in the Champions League final, with United dramatically beating Bayern Munich thanks to two late goals which came from Beckham corners.

HIGH - SEALING QUALIFICATION AGAINST GREECE

Cometh the man, cometh the hour.

In October 2001 England were on the verge of missing out on automatic World Cup qualification when trailing Greece 2-1 at Old Trafford, only to win a last-gasp free-kick 30 yards from goal.

Beckham, by then Sven-Goran Eriksson's captain, stepped up and dispatched one of his finest, and most important, free-kicks into the net. Next stop: Japan and South Korea.

HIGH - REDEMPTION IN SAPPARO

Four years after Argentina had eliminated from the World Cup, England faced one of their arch-rivals again in the group phase.

And when Michael Owen took a tumble as Mauricio Pochettino dangled a leg in the box, Beckham stepped up with a chance to right the wrongs of Saint-Etienne.

He thumped the resulting spot-kick straight down the middle and celebrated with an outpouring of relief as England won 1-0.

LOW - PAYING THE PENALTY

'Golden Balls' was not always deadly from set-piece situations and it was a missed spot-kick that contributed to England's quarter-final exit against Portugal at Euro 2004.

Beckham began the tournament by missing from 12 yards when England led 1-0 against France - Fabien Barthez saving that effort - and two goals from Real Madrid team-mate Zinedine Zidane, including one from the penalty spot, meant the Three Lions were beaten.

Later in the tournament Beckham missed his third straight penalty for his country and blamed the turf for an effort that ballooned over the crossbar, with Portugal going on to win 6-5 in the shoot-out.

HIGH - A LALIGA TITLE FROM THE GALACTICO ERA

Beckham had left United for Real Madrid in 2003, the latest 'Galactico' to join Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Raul in the Spanish capital.

However, as he approached the end of his fourth and final season with the club, he had just a Supercopa de Espana medal to show for his efforts.

Beckham had already agreed to join MLS side La Galaxy in June 2007 when he won his first LaLiga winners' medal, though it was his replacement in the final match against Mallorca, Jose Antonio Reyes, who ultimately scored the goals which sealed the title.

HIGH - BACK-TO-BACK MLS CUPS

The rise of MLS in recent years owes much to Beckham's impact, the England midfielder having brought interest and respectability to the competition when he went Stateside.

It had looked like being an ill-fated spell in 2009 when Beckham was booed by Galaxy fans on his return from a loan spell at Milan which saw him miss the first half of his second MLS season.

A similar arrangement followed the next season, but Beckham would be around for the entire 2011 and 2012 campaigns, both of which ended with Galaxy winning back-to-back MLS Cups.

HIGH - BOWING OUT WITH ANOTHER LEAGUE TITLE

Not content with league titles in three countries, Beckham added a fourth with Paris Saint-Germain before he was done.

He played 10 times in the latter stages of the 2012-13 campaign having signed a short-term deal that would see his entire salary donated to a local children's charity.

Beckham was made captain for the final match of his career, a 3-1 victory over Brest on May 18, 2013, and he was reduced to tears when he was substituted in the second half.

Zouma was called up for World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Finland in November but was notably absent when Deschamps named his latest squad on Thursday.

Animal welfare charity the RSPCA has begun the process of bringing a prosecution against the West Ham player and his brother Yoan after video footage emerged of the alleged attack on the cat in February.

Zouma has continued to be selected by West Ham boss David Moyes in spite of public outrage, although the 27-year-old has been fined "the maximum amount possible" – reported to be £250,000 – and has apologised.

Deschamps was asked about the reason for leaving Zouma out of his plans for friendlies against Ivory Coast and South Africa, and stressed he had not taken off-field factors into account.

"I don't know if it's a strong choice," he said of Zouma's omission. "I don't know, because I haven't called him up systematically.

"In November, he came because Raphael Varane was injured. This remains a sporting choice, only sporting, as with all the choices I make.

"I've had him on the telephone and spoken with him about this affair, but I'm not going to go back over that. I've spoken about it. It remains solely a sporting choice."

Zouma started four games for France in 2021 but was often not actively involved, as Deschamps indicated.

There was also no room in France's latest 23-player group for Olivier Giroud, despite the veteran striker helping Milan lead the way in the Serie A title race.

Giroud has not featured for France since Les Bleus exited Euro 2020 at the hands of Switzerland last June.

Deschamps said: "It's going well for him at the moment. He's scoring important goals with Milan. I'm happy for him.

"I've got decisions to make. I know what Olivier is capable of doing with us. He remains available to France even if I haven't called him up for this get-together."

The head coach handed first call-ups to RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku and Lens defender Jonathan Clauss, saying he had been impressed with their club performances and adding: "I think now is the right time to have a look at them."

France play Ivory Coast in Marseille on March 25, and South Africa in Lille four days later.

France squad: Areola (West Ham), Lloris (Tottenham), Maignan (Milan); Clauss (Lens), Digne (Aston Villa), L Hernandez (Bayern Munich), T Hernandez (Milan), Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Kounde (Sevilla), Pavard (Bayern Munich), Varane (Manchester United); Guendouzi (Marseille), Kante (Chelsea), Pogba (Manchester United), Rabiot (Juventus), Tchouameni (Monaco); Ben Yedder (Monaco), Benzema (Real Madrid), Coman (Bayern Munich), Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen), Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Nkunku (RB Leipzig).

Maradona passed away aged 60 on Wednesday, with reports suggesting he died from a heart attack.

The Argentina great – a star for Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli during an illustrious playing career – had undergone a brain operation earlier this month.

Ibrahimovic joined in paying tribute to Maradona following the news of his death, writing in a post on his official Instagram account: "Maradona is not dead he is immortal. God gave the world the best gifted football player of all times [sic]. He will live forever and ever."

Maradona had well-documented issues off the field, but Ibrahimovic is adamant he will be remembered for his achievements on it.

"I'm so sorry, because for me Maradona is more than football," Milan's talisman told Sky Italia.

"He has become a religion for many and I was lucky enough to know him and talk to him.

"He is a symbol of what he has done on the pitch. I always judge him for what he did on the pitch; what he did outside, in my opinion, is his problem and not ours. 

"We must remember him for what he did as a footballer and in my opinion, he will be remembered forever. When you see number 10, who do you think about? Maradona. 

"It is a symbol, even today there are those who choose that number for him."

Ibrahimovic believes Maradona – whose death has resulted in a three-day period of mourning in Argentina – "did everything with his heart", something which sets him apart as a unique talent.

"As a person, he did everything with his heart, there were no other motives or thoughts. I don't know if that's the right thing, but that's why the whole world loved him," Ibrahimovic said.

"He was always himself. In today's football, everyone tries to be perfect, but to grow and learn you have to make mistakes. 

"Maradona always did everything with his heart and will always remain number one."

The 19-year-old won a penalty and scored a crucial second at San Siro as Dortmund booked their spot in the knockout stages.

Marco Reus’ 10th-minute penalty punished Olivier Giroud’s early miss from the spot before Samuel Chukwueze levelled.

Bynoe-Gittens made it 2-1 before Karim Adeyemi wrapped up the points for the visitors on Tuesday.

They are top of Group F, three points ahead of Paris St Germain in third after Kylian Mbappe’s stoppage-time penalty rescued a 1-1 draw against Newcastle and have a five-point lead over the Magpies with a game left.

Milan remain bottom with their only win in the group coming against PSG last month but they could still finish second if they beat Newcastle and the French club lose to Dortmund.

They were a point behind their Parisian rivals before kick-off but could have taken a sixth-minute lead when Giroud missed from the spot.

Nico Schlotterbeck was harshly penalised for handling Chukwueze’s shot but Giroud’s penalty lacked conviction and Gregor Kobel went to his right to save.

It was costly as just four minutes later Reus blasted the visitors into the lead from the spot.

Bynoe-Gittens was felled by Davide Calabria as he burst into the box and Reus dispatched the penalty.

Milan, who go to Newcastle in the final group game next month, initially struggled to recover and Bynoe-Gittens drove over as the visitors probed for a second.

Giroud was thwarted by Schlotterbeck but the hosts levelled nine minutes before the break when Chukwueze cut in from the right, between Bynoe-Gittens and Ramy Bensebaini to drill in low.

But Dortmund regrouped and retook the lead after 59 minutes through the England youngster.

A neat move involving Marcel Sabitzer and Niclas Fullkrug on the edge of the box saw the unmarked Bynoe-Gittens sweep in from 16 yards for his second goal in two games.

The visitors added a third after 69 minutes when Adeyemi was found on the edge of the area and neat footwork engineered space to shoot.

Mike Maignan got a strong hand to his shot but, while the goalkeeper almost managed to recover, he could only claw the ball away when it had already crossed the line.

Luka Jovic hit a post as Milan tried to hit back but they almost fell further behind with two minutes left when Fullkrug smacked the bar from 16 yards.

Eriksen, 28, joined the Serie A giants from Tottenham in January, but has struggled for game time since his arrival.

The Denmark international said last week he wanted more opportunities, having made just nine Serie A starts since joining Inter.

While Conte said Eriksen had been given his chances, he expects further opportunities for the former Ajax star.  

"He is playing enough. Of course, my choices are for the benefit of the team, then I could even go wrong," the Inter coach told a news conference on Friday ahead of the derby against Milan.

"However, I am happy about what Eriksen is giving Inter now, how he gelled in this squad and I think he is happy to be with this group and with me and my staff. He will have chances for sure because the season will be long and hard.

"[On Saturday] I will have only four midfielders, three will play and the other will come on later.

"On Wednesday we will play another tough game against Borussia Monchengladbach but, anyway, I think Eriksen has had many chances and has proven his talent to Inter. Just like the other players."

Inter have picked up seven points from their opening three Serie A games to sit fifth in the table.

With the coronavirus pandemic leading to a shutdown of the vast majority of all top-level sport, athletes and fans alike are having to satisfy their cravings in other ways, with video games proving an increasingly popular option.

Playing on the latest edition of Pro Evolution Soccer on DAZN, Inter youngster Esposito took charge of the Nerazzurri and Leao controlled his Milan – each player unsurprisingly putting their computerised selves in the respective teams.

Esposito's seriousness quickly became apparent, as he clattered the virtual Leao to the ground early on with Stefan de Vrij – leading to the real Leao brandishing an imaginary card.

Leao, controlling himself, put Milan in front just before half-time, slotting under Samir Handanovic after a one-two with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Esposito's reaction to his counterpart's shouts and gloating dance to the camera was minimal, as it was when he restored parity just after half-time – Romelu Lukaku netting off the post after being teed up by Lautaro Martinez.

Inter were then in front in the 76th minute. Lukaku cut out a goal-kick and then blocked a subsequent clearance, before charging into the box and returning the favour for Martinez – Esposito's celebration showing a hint of emotion for the first time.

But he had his head in his hands when Leao secured a share of the spoils, with Ibrahimovic collecting Ismael Bennacer's defence-splitting pass and coolly sweeping home.

Esposito could not help thinking his strikers might have done more.

He said: "Lautaro and Lukaku are the perfect partnership. The numbers show it - they showed it on PES too.

"I got the most out of them having watched them up close and personal. I thank them for scoring the goals, but they could've done even better," he concluded with a chuckle.

The Sweden international returned to San Siro in December 2019 after leaving Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy.

Ibrahimovic vowed he would end Milan's long wait for the Scudetto and subsequently delivered in the 2021-22 season as the Rossoneri won their first Serie A title in 11 years.

Injuries restricted the striker to just 12 appearances in all competitions last term, but only Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud (both 14) scored more goals than the 40-year-old's eight.

Ibrahimovic is expected to be out until January following an operation on his left knee, but Milan have rewarded the forward with a new contract to keep him at the club until June 2023.

Former Liverpool striker Divock Origi arrived earlier in the transfer window to bolster Pioli's attacking options as Milan aim to defend their Serie A title in the upcoming campaign, which the Rossoneri start at home to Udinese on August 13.

The Belgian scored 22 goals in 107 Premier League appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side, while only starting 34 of those matches, and will provide additional competition for striking options alongside Giroud, Leao and Ibrahimovic.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold are also included, although there is no place for Mohamed Salah.

PSG's attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are among the forwards, as is Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Veteran Dani Alves also won enough votes to make the list, even though the 38-year-old, who recently rejoined Barcelona, only played 16 times in domestic competition in Brazil this year.

Professional footballers across the world were asked to vote for the three players they considered to have the best seasons during the 2020-21 season among goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards.

FIFPRO said: "For the first time in 17 years, FIFPRO is updating the announcement about the most-voted players, reducing the shortlist from 55 to 23. This has been done to resemble a real-life 'squad' which, usually for international competitions, is the number of players involved. 

"The three goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders and six forwards with the most votes earned a place in the 23-men World 11 'squad'. To complete this elite selection, the two remaining outfield players with the most votes were added."

The keeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards with the most votes will be chosen for the World 11, with the remaining spot assigned to the outfield player with the next highest number of votes.

The final 11 will be announced at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony on January 17.

FIFA FIFPRO MEN'S WORLD 11 23-PLAYER SHORTLIST:

Goalkeepers:
Alisson (Liverpool, Brazil)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan/Paris Saint-Germain, Italy)
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, Senegal)

Defenders:
David Alaba (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid, Austria)
Jordi Alba (Barcelona, Spain)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, England)
Dani Alves (Sao Paulo/Barcelona, Brazil)
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)

Midfielders:
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona, Spain)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona, The Netherlands)
Jorginho (Chelsea, Italy)
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea, France)

Forwards:
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Manchester United, Portugal)
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Norway)
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland)
Romelu Lukaku (Inter/Chelsea, Belgium)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina)
Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)

In a pulsating encounter that saw three missed penalties and two red cards, Fiorentina prevailed to halt Paulo Fonseca's Serie A winning run.

The hosts had the first spot-kick of the game, with Moise Kean's tame effort being kept out by Mike Maignan before the forward had a goal disallowed for offside.

Former Milan midfielder Yacine Adli did break the deadlock soon after, ricocheting a low shot in off the far post from the edge of the box, and De Gea kept them ahead at the break, superbly denying Theo Hernandez from the spot. 

Kean had a second goal chalked off for offside in the second half and Milan wasted another golden opportunity from 12 yards, as De Gea got down well to keep out Tammy Abraham this time. 

On the hour mark, an in-form Christian Pulisic finally pulled the visitors level with a perfect volley, but the drama was far from over as Gudmundsson drilled his low shot past Maignan to put Fiorentina back in front in the 73rd minute.

Emotions ran high in the final moments as Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino was sent off, while Hernandez also received his marching orders for arguing with the referee after the final whistle had gone.

Data Debrief: De Gea's penalty redemption

For all the plaudits De Gea received while at Manchester United, one blip on his record was his struggles against penalties.

However, with his impressive showing against Milan, he became the first goalkeeper to make two penalty saves in a single Serie A match since Federico Marchetti in May 2016.

Since his debut in the top five European leagues (2009-10), the Spaniard has saved 10 of his 52 penalties in the league, including each of the last three, having also saved one against Fulham in May 2023.

The Portuguese coach is under mounting pressure following a disappointing start to the season.

A 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday has compounded the scrutiny, putting Fonseca's position in jeopardy.

In Serie A, Milan have garnered five points from four matches, scoring nine goals but conceding six, with defending champions Inter having eight points ahead of the Derby della Madonnina.

"There's frustration at the moment but there is also the conviction of wanting to get out of this situation. I have confidence in the team," Fonseca told reporters on Saturday.

"In the past few days, they've worked fantastically. Strong players arrived during the transfer window and we have leaders here but we're still not a strong side.

"We need time but I'm not looking for excuses."

Fonseca praised Liverpool's performance in Milan's last game, and suggested the Reds are a team his Milan side are aspiring to replicate.

"Liverpool is a good example of a team. They conceded after three minutes but they didn’t change,” he said.

"What I want is to see my players have the same confidence. Nothing must change if we make a mistake or we concede a goal.

"This is the self-confidence I want to see in my players. They can do the same and Liverpool are a great example of that."

Milan enter the derby with a poor record, having lost their last six matches against Inter.

"For us, it's an important and difficult match. We'll be up against a very good side but we need to think positively; a win would be worth a lot," Fonseca said.

"We've prepared for the match based on our opponents, who are strong, but we want to play according to our principles. We'll need to mark better and score more than them," he said.

Remarkably, all three spot-kicks were saved during the match. The home side initially saw Moise Kean's penalty kept out by Mike Maignan, while David de Gea then saved from Theo Hernandez - who was later sent off - and Tammy Abraham either side of half-time.

But after the game, Fonseca's attention was on the performance of the officials rather than the goalkeeping.

"I don’t like to talk about refereeing but this isn’t football. Football is about contact and a mere touch shouldn’t be enough to award a penalty," he told DAZN.

"Just a simple touch can lead to a penalty, we saw that this weekend as well. It makes everyone nervous, and that creates problems. This is football, not a circus."

Interestingly, neither Hernandez nor Abraham is Milan's designated penalty taker despite them taking the responsibility on Sunday.

"Our penalty taker is [Christian] Pulisic. I don't know why the players changed their minds, I spoke to him and said that it must not happen again," said Fonseca.

Pulisic did score Milan's only goal of the night, having equalised after an hour, before Albert Gudmondsson scored the winner for the hosts.

The United States international was visibly angry when brought off for Samuel Chukwueze with seven minutes to go after putting in a bright performance, but the Milan manager explained that he did not want to aggravate an injury.

"It was out of caution for Pulisic, he had a problem with his flexor during the week. Chukwueze came in well and created opportunities," said Fonseca.

In terms of his side's overall performance, Fonseca did not want to focus on their penalty problems and instead suggested they did not do enough to get anything from the match.

"In the first half, we lacked defensive aggression and strength in duels. The way we conceded goals clearly illustrates this; they almost always won the second balls," he said. "We weren't disciplined in our structure."

The defeat ended a run of three straight league victories for Milan, meaning they go into the international break sixth in the table and on the back of a defeat.

Despite that, and the gap to league leaders Napoli extending to six points, he was not panicking.

"In Italy when you win, you’ve played a great match. If we don’t score, we’re the worst team in the world, just as I’m the worst coach. I know how things are," he said.

Fonseca's assessment of the performance was mirrored by defender Matteo Gabbia, who was unhappy with how the game went.

"We are certainly not satisfied with the initial approach. We feel this defeat, as it was our fault and we did not do our best tonight," he said.

"It starts with us, I saw the right disappointment and anger in the dressing room and it can be the only positive from this very negative night. We are angry that we put in this performance."

Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata and Tijjani Reijnders were on target as the Rossoneri condemned Madrid to successive home defeats for the first time under their former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Milan became the first side in the history of the competition to score three times against Los Blancos at Santiago Bernabeu on two occasions, also achieving the feat in October 2009.

And Fonseca was delighted at the way the players executed his game plan, which he acknowledged was slightly different to normal.

"We won because the players had the courage to come here and not be afraid of anything, playing the game we wanted," he told reporters during his post-match press conference.

"We prepared for a match in which we wanted to keep the ball. In the first half, we did important things and, in the second half, we suffered more. But we deserved to win, no doubt about it.

"Today, we showed that an Italian team came to the Bernabeu to play and not to defend alone. We can still grow a lot. I have to be honest. This type of game is totally different to what we have in Serie A. 

"In Italy, perhaps, we don't have the chance to play with this aggressiveness. I don't think it's possible to do what we did today. Here, there are no teams that press man-to-man all over the pitch."

The new Portuguese coach confirmed the signing of French midfielder Youssouf Fofana from Monaco is nearly complete, with no other recruitment planned.

He would join striker Alvaro Morata, and defenders Emerson Royal and Strahinja Pavlovic, who signed for Milan earlier in the window.

"After his [Fofana's] arrival, our incomings will be completed, we will need to focus on outgoings," Fonseca told reporters on Friday.

"Some players must leave now. We have many, and it's not easy to work with a lot of players.

"We work and play to aim for the top, we cannot say that we are ahead of everyone to win the league, but we want to be fighting for the Scudetto.

"Inter are reigning champions, we know their level. Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta, apart from ourselves, also have the right things to compete."

Fonseca has only been Milan's coach for two months but has overseen an unbeaten pre-season in that time, and he is pleased with how his players have adapted to his methods.

"I came to Milan at the right moment in my career," he added. "The feeling is very positive, right from the first day, we have already improved more than I expected.

"We are expecting a different and more complex game than those we have played in pre-season. We want to show our identity from the very first game."

Milan faced Liverpool and reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in their opening two games in the competition, losing the first 3-1 at home and the latter 1-0.

They were outplayed in their opener, managing just two shots on target from eight efforts, compared to Liverpool's 11 from 23, with the Reds also racking up 3.09 expected goals (xG) to Milan's 0.61.

Fonseca's side put on a better show at the BayArena against Leverkusen, and the Portuguese head coach hopes they can translate that into a victory in what is almost a must-win match.

"We started against two of the strongest teams in Europe right now. They were two different games," he told reporters.

"Difficulties against Liverpool, quality against Leverkusen, especially in the second half. We didn't win, but we showed signs of growth.

"We have to continue to grow in this competition, and we want to win if we want to have a chance to continue. It's not decisive, but it is important, we have to win."

Fonseca also confirmed Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez will return to the starting line-up after missing Saturday's Serie A match against Udinese.

Hernandez was suspended for that game after his red card in the 2-1 defeat at Fiorentina, while the winger was dropped to the bench after that loss, which left Fonseca furious.

Samuel Chukwueze, who scored the winner against Udinese, is set to be among the substitutes against Brugge as Fonseca took the unusual step of naming his line-up.

"They will play tomorrow from the first minute," he added.

"I expect from them what I expect from everyone, that they give their best to help Milan win. It's a normal situation, even for them. And tomorrow they play."

"I will tell you straight away [Tuesday's] team. Mike Maignan, Emerson Royal, Matteo Gabbia, Fikayo Tomori, Hernandez, Youssouf Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tijani Reijnders, Leao, Christian Pulisic, Alvaro Morata."

Milan have a shortage of strikers. Tammy Abraham went off injured minutes after coming onto the pitch on Saturday, while Luka Jovic was not included in the Champions League squad.

Francesco Camarda has been called up from the youth squad and if he were to come on and score at 16 years and 226 days, he would become the youngest-ever scorer in the competition.

"This is not a normal situation to have Abraham and Jovic out," Fonseca said. "Normally we always have solutions, plus we have Camarda in whom we believe a lot. I don't think we need other players in this position."