<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/christian-pulisic/">Christian Pulisic</a> is once again at the center of Italian soccer’s most unforgiving conversation. With Fabio Capello already weighing in, another Milan legend has now stepped forward, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the American’s difficult start to 2026. As Milan navigates a decisive phase of the season, pressure is mounting, not just on the team but on the individual expected to carry it. And when voices like Capello and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/Alessandro-Costacurta">Alessandro Costacurta</a> speak, the message tends to echo far beyond a single weekend.



This is not unfamiliar territory for Pulisic. From Dortmund to Chelsea and now <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/ac-milan/">Milan</a>, expectation has followed him relentlessly. What has changed is the tone. What was once admiration is now conditional, and patience is thinning as the club’s title ambitions face subtle but real threats.



Every January seems to reopen the same chapter. Christian Pulisic hits a stretch where the conversation shifts—from how good he can be to why he isn’t showing it. The Rossoneri, meanwhile, have drifted into a pattern that rarely wins championships:&nbsp;too many draws, not enough decisive moments, and missed opportunities against teams they should be beating.



The numbers tell the story.&nbsp;Pulisic has not scored since December 28 and has not registered an assist since November 23. Milan has lost just once all season, yet&nbsp;eight draws have eroded its margin, leaving it&nbsp;five points behind Inter with 16 matches to play. In a title race that tight, stars must tip games. That burden falls squarely on Pulisic, and that is where the debate intensifies.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Pulisic e Nkunku per chiudere al meglio il 2025 | AC Milan 3-0 Hellas Verona | Serie A Highlights" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eAhf8ztRmtw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<h2>What did Costacurta say?</h2>



Only midway through the discussion does the latest criticism emerge, and it comes from a figure whose words carry historical weight. Speaking live on Sky Italia’s&nbsp;Calciomercato L’Originale, Alessandro Costacurta turned his attention to Milan’s attacking unit of Pulisic, Rafael Leao, and Christopher Nkunku after a quiet winter transfer and a depleted squad.



“Milan must wait for those three or four players to improve their performance, especially in attack,”&nbsp;Costacurta said.&nbsp;“I’m talking about Rafa Leao, but also Christian Pulisic, who started well but is not feeling well now.”



The verdict was blunt but calculated. The five-time Champions League winner did not question Pulisic’s talent. Instead, he placed&nbsp;responsibility squarely on the player to raise his level, particularly in moments when the team needs individual quality to break deadlocks. “Nkunku also needs to give a little more,”&nbsp;he added.&nbsp;“I think Milan are hoping the players up front improve their individual performances.” This was not outrage, but expectation.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/01/14162056/pulisic-fiorentina-1920x1080.webp" alt="pulisic fiorentina" class="wp-image-615881"></figure><figcaption>Christian Pulisic of AC Milan in action against David de Gea goalkeeper of ACF Fiorentina</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Capello set the tone earlier</h2>



Costacurta’s comments did not arrive in a vacuum. Days earlier, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/fabio-capello/">Fabio Capello</a> had already opened the door to criticism following Milan’s frustrating draw against Fiorentina. Writing for&nbsp;La Gazzetta dello Sport, Capello focused on missed chances and a lack of ruthlessness—particularly from the American star. “Pulisic did everything thanks to Füllkrug,”&nbsp;Capello wrote.&nbsp;“The attacking duo created two or three chances out of nothing, but the American uncharacteristically missed them all.”



Then came the line that defined the discussion: “Mistakes uncharacteristic of him, like when he tried to beat De Gea instead of shooting… in that space, only Ronaldo Nazário could have beaten the goalkeeper and scored.” It was not mockery. It was a reminder of limits, and of how thin the margin is between brilliance and waste at the highest level.

Christian Pulisic under fire again as another Milan great echoes Fabio Capello’s harsh verdict: Alessandro Costacurta sends stark message to USMNT ace after disastrous 2026

Christian Pulisic under fire again as another Milan great echoes Fabio Capello’s harsh verdict: Alessandro Costacurta sends stark message to USMNT ace after disastrous 2026 - World Soccer Talk

destacadas

<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/arrigo-saachi.jpg" alt="arrigo-saachi" width="400" height="512" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-119615" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/arrigo-saachi.jpg 400w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/arrigo-saachi-150x192.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/arrigo-saachi-300x384.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px"></figure>
“I never realized that to be a jockey you had to be a horse first”. One of the most famous quotes in the history of soccer came from a man under intense pressure from the Italian media. Having never played football as a professional player, Arrigo Sacchi’s ability to manage a team trying to reach the pinnacle of European football was in scrutiny. Having beaten AC Milan twice with Parma, Sacchi had been handpicked by Silvio Berlusconi, who attempted to revolutionize Milan with new signings after buying the club.
Early results were far from promising, but once Milan got into form, they displayed why they are thought of as arguably the greatest side in soccer history, winning back-to-back European Cups. The players at Sacchi’s disposal were of fantastic quality, but Sacchi himself played a huge role in Milan’s success, showing new tactical innovations which have influenced managers even today.
Sacchi got his true breakthrough at Parma, after he performed well at Fiorentina as a youth coach. In his first season at Parma, he led the side to the Serie C1 title. More importantly, however, Sacchi faced Milan twice in the Coppa Italia in Sacchi’s second season. Parma faced Milan in the group stage, winning 1-0, before meeting Milan again in the first knockout round. Once again, Parma won 1-0. Berlusconi watched Sacchi’s progress, and eventually hired him as manager.
Early into his tenure, Milan suffered defeats away to Fiorentina in the league, in the UEFA Cup to Espanyol, and lost in the Coppa Italia. Despite the media pressure, Berlusconi backed Sacchi. Sacchi repaid the faith of Berlusconi, leading Milan to their first Serie A title in nine years in his first season at the club, overtaking Napoli late in the season.
During his time at Milan, Sacchi placed a large emphasis on the mental side of soccer. Sacchi demanded the utmost from all of his players, and in return, Sacchi gave all he possibly could for the team. By the time Sacchi left Milan in 1991, after four seasons with the club, both he and the players were completely exhausted. The players had given their all and had been rewarded with huge success.
Sacchi’s team was known for its organization and balance. Sacchi had brought in new ideas to the club, which the players had accepted. For example, one of the main training drills Sacchi imposed was “shadow football”. The goalkeeper would start with an invisible ball, and the players carried the responsibility of deciding the best option with the ball. The players had to judge whether they should pass or dribble the ball in different situations, determined by the voice and actions of Sacchi. Another key element of Sacchi’s training was the resemblance to actual games. The team worked so hard during the week that they enjoyed the soccer at the weekend due to their preparation. The team planned moves ahead of time, which they would use in games. Many of the goals the team scored came from the training ground.
Franco Baresi once said that the players felt satisfaction because the dedication in training paid off during matches. An example of this is the winner scored by Frank Rijkaard in the 1990 European Cup Final against Benfica. Both of Benfica’s center-backs did not cover space and instead stuck to their man. In response to this, Sacchi ordered Marco Van Basten to drop deeper and to push the ball forward into Rijkaard, as a center-back would follow Van Basten, leaving space in behind. Sacchi later said they practiced the move leading to the goal in training around 30 times.
However, Sacchi did not just have different methods of training but he also displayed new tactics not seen before. He played an attacking 4-4-2 formation with Milan at a time when Italian teams were known for their superb defensive play. Sacchi ordered his team to always be on the attack. He ensured that the distance between the defense and midfield was never greater than 25 meters. Sacchi also had his team press very effectively. In a 4-4-2, Sacchi was able to have three lines of pressing, the attack, the midfield, and the defense. The intense pressing tactics were deployed to disrupt the opposition’s possession. Often, Sacchi’s team would “partially press”, where his side would concentrate on jockeying instead of winning the ball. Other times, his side would “totally press”, where the team played as if they were on a mission to win the ball back. The team, when they needed to recuperate, would utilize “fake pressing”, where they made pressing movements, but at a lower intensity.
The idea of applying pressure on the player with the ball has been utilized effectively now by many successful managers of this generation, including <a href="worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/10/07/four-ways-to-stop-jose-mourinhos-dominant-chelsea-outfit/">Jose Mourinho</a>&nbsp;and Pep Guardiola. Sacchi also applied zonal marking instead of man-marking. His team were able to switch effectively from one style to another, depending on the situation of a particular match. Rafa Benitez is one manager who has taken inspiration from Sacchi, and is one manager who uses zonal marking. Despite all this, the most interesting concept of the Milan team was the team’s offside trap. At this time, the offside rule was different. If any one player was in an offside position when a player received the ball, the flag was raised. Now, only the player receiving a ball is taken into account for offside, not other players who are not interfering with play. To counter this, when opposing teams tried playing balls through Milan’s defence, the team (defence and midfield) would simultaneously move forward at pace. Timing this tactic to perfection, at least one player would be found offside. This tactic was risky – just one player’s failure could result in an open route to goal. However, Milan played with a calculated risk and with Franco Baresi in the side, a master of playing offside, the team was successful. A great example of this was shown against Real Madrid, where Milan constantly frustrated the opposition with their offside trap.
Mauro Tassoti, Alessandro Costacurta, Paolo Maldini and Baresi. Those four names represent possibly the greatest back line of all-time and were the base of this side. The Italian back four contained major quality, with superb defenders, and two of which who will go down in history in the top 10 greatest defenders. The two I am talking about are of course, Baresi and Maldini. At this time, Baresi was the Milan captain. Already very experienced, Baresi also served as the Italian national team’s captain, leading the side to the 1990 World Cup semi-finals and the 1994 World Cup final. Maldini was rather young at the time, 19, and would later captain the Italian national team and Milan. The back line played as a sliding arc, rarely playing as a flat back four.
Further forward, Milan’s Dutch trio caused havoc for opposition defences. Van Basten was at his peak at this time, supported by Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit. Rijkaard served as the leader in midfield, sitting next to Carlo Ancelotti. Gullit played alongside Van Basten up top.
The greatest performance of the side came in the second leg of the semi-final in the 1989 European Cup, where they thrashed Real Madrid 5-0. The first leg had been away in Madrid, where Milan earned a 1-1 draw. At the San Siro, Milan were on the cusp of greatness. On that night, Ancelotti, Rijkaard, Gullit, Van Basten, and Donadoni all scored. And make no mistake, this was a Madrid side who had won five consecutive La Liga titles.
Despite all of his success at Milan, the club’s legendary manager Sacchi left in 1991, four seasons after joining the club. In his last season at the club, Milan failed to win a trophy. He is remembered as the last manager to win back-to-back European Cups, in 1989 and 1990. Sacchi brought in a plethora of new tactics, including playing an attacking 4-4-2 formation, using zonal marking, and pressing in different styles in different situations. It’s fair to say that Sacchi exceeded any expectations.
By the end of his tenure at Milan, Sacchi and his players were completely exhausted from the hard work in training and ultimate dedication during matches. Sacchi was succeeded by Fabio Capello, who continued to lead the side to success. Capello brought in new players, such as Gianluigi Lentini and Jean-Pierre Papin, but the core of the side remained the same.
Sadly for Sacchi, he never really saw much success after his tenure at Milan. Sacchi led Italy to the 1994 World Cup final, but after that he failed to achieve any success before his retirement in 2005. Although he failed to achieve win trophies elsewhere, he formed a Milan side which will be remembered forever.
Arrigo Sacchi’s time in the spotlight was short, but the legacy left by his tactical innovations make him known as one of the greatest managers in soccer history.
Follow me on Twitter for anything related to soccer/football: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PrezunesRashid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@PrezunesRashid</a>

Appreciating Arrigo Sacchi and His All-Conquering Milan Side

Appreciating Arrigo Sacchi and His All-Conquering Milan Side - World Soccer Talk

Latest news from Alessandro Costacurta. Find out about all the news related to Alessandro Costacurta on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Alessandro Costacurta"

News

Christian Pulisic under fire again as another Milan great echoes Fabio Capello’s harsh verdict: Alessandro Costacurta sends stark message to USMNT ace after disastrous 2026

News

Appreciating Arrigo Sacchi and His All-Conquering Milan Side