Former Milan star warns Rossoneri against recurring issue ahead of Coppa Italia final | OneFootball

Former Milan star Serginho has warned the Rossoneri that “blackouts” could prove costly in the Coppa Italia clash against Bologna, stressing the need to stay focused from start to finish if they want to secure their second trophy of the season.

The Brazilian full-back was on the pitch when the Diavolo last lifted the Coppa Italia in 2003. Two final defeats to Juventus in 2016 and 2018 have since extended Milan’s trophy drought in the competition to 22 years.

MAY 09: Luka Jovic of controls the ball whilst under pressure from Jhon Lucumi of Bologna during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Bologna at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 09, 2025 (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Sergio Conceiçao’s men will face a tough challenge against a determined Bologna side, whom Milan recently defeated at San Siro in their latest Serie A encounter. That match saw the Rossoneri display the level of intensity that Serginho believes will again be crucial in the upcoming showdown at the Stadio Olimpico.

Serginho: Milan are a great team but can’t afford blackouts in Coppa Italia final

“Milan have confirmed they are a great team, but over the course of ninety minutes it goes through highs and lows—blackouts you simply can’t afford,” Serginho told La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview.

“Unfortunately, it’s been the same issue all season, and the risk now is ending up outside the top four in the standings by just one or two points. I still hope for a Champions League comeback, but it’s not going to be easy.

“An 80% Milan won’t be enough to win. We need a performance with the same intensity we showed on Friday, when we managed to come back.

MILAN, ITALY – MAY 09: Nikola Moro of Bologna passes the ball whilst under pressure from Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Bologna at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 09, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“Conceiçao is a good coach and had to solve several problems with the little time he had to work from January onward.

“At Milan, it’s normal to be criticised if you don’t win, but finishing the season with two trophies wouldn’t be a bad result.”

What are Bologna’s main strengths?

“They’re a dangerous and well-organised team, coming off a season where they’ve played some really good football,” the former Rossoneri player continued.

“They have an offensive mindset and playing style—Milan saw that clearly for over an hour on Friday.”

Finally, Serginho reflected on how to approach a final.

“Finding motivation is easy, but the hardest part is managing the tension—if you have too much of it, it drains your energy and can become your worst enemy,” he warned.

“You need to remind yourself that, in the end… it’s just a football match.

“Ancelotti was amazing at preparing the team for finals and always gave us a sense of calm. He did it brilliantly in Manchester and Athens.

“Gattuso, Pirlo, and Nesta used to feel finals more—they might sleep badly the night before. We Brazilians, on the other hand, were more relaxed.

“It’s just in our nature, I guess… Ronaldo, for example, before a final, was as calm as if he were about to play a friendly.”