Cagliari’s coach, Claudio Ranieri, lamented his team’s performance following their 4-1 loss to AC Milan in the Coppa Italia.
Speaking to Sport Mediaset after the match, Ranieri expressed his disappointment with how his team essentially ‘melted like snow in the sun’ after conceding the first goal.
“We knew that this was not our match and I played almost all those who play less,” he stated, suggesting that he had tipped his less experienced players into the fixture, a decision he seemed to regret in hindsight.
Despite his expectation that these players would seize the opportunity, they appeared to lack ambition following Milan’s first goal. Their desire to attack declined, along with their mental freedom, resulting in the significant defeat.
“After the first goal, we lost our ambition and the desire to attack, the mental freedom. If you lose against Milan, it could happen”, Ranieri inclined. According to him, the loss was regrettable, insisting that they should have held on, displaying a better attitude.
More of his thoughts can be gathered from Cagliari’s news site.