AC Milan vs Hellas Verona preview - Seedorf eyes winning start at Milan
Posted Saturday, January 18, 2014 by PA
New AC Milan coach Clarence Seedorf will have to put emotions to one side when he makes his Serie A coaching debut against Hellas Verona on Sunday.
The 37-year-old, who played 10 years at AC Milan before leaving the club in 2012, was appointed by the Rossoneri after they parted company with Massimiliano Allegri earlier this week.
Allegri was shown the door after Sunday's 4-3 humiliating defeat at Sassuolo left Milan 30 points adrift of league leaders Juventus.
Seedorf is aware of the responsibility he carries but insists he does not think his lack of coaching experience will be a disadvantage.
"I feel a lot of emotion and a sense of duty," Seedorf said. "I need to give 100 per cent to rebuild this team and bring enthusiasm and security to the squad.
"We can return to do great things for the fans.
"I left Milan in May 2012 in what was the end of a cycle. My job is that of building another one."
Milan have won just five of their 19 league games and are 11th in the standings at the halfway point of the campaign.
"We have a lot of work to do in order to bring Milan back to the top," Seedorf said.
Seedorf inherits a team that are still alive in the Champions League and the Coppa Italia.
The Dutchman was on the stands at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium on Wednesday evening as Milan beat Serie B side Spezia 4-1 to set up a meeting with Udinese in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.
Milan take on Atletico Madrid next month in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Hellas go into the encounter at the San Siro on the back of their first reverse of 2014, a 3-0 loss to Napoli last weekend.
The result brought to an end a four-match unbeaten run for the Verona outfit and saw them drop to sixth place, level on 32 points with Inter Milan.
"We have to put this defeat behind us and focus on another difficult game against AC Milan," Hellas coach Andrea Mandorlini said.
The hosts will be without midfielder Sulley Muntari, who must serve a one-match ban this weekend.
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