Milan must live up to their rich history when they face Genoa in Serie A on Sunday, head coach Paulo Fonseca said ahead of the Rossoneri's 125th anniversary. 

Fonseca had stern words for his players following their win over Red Star Belgrade in midweek, with his side needing a late winner from Tammy Abraham to seal the victory.

Milan captain Davide Calabria was one of those players criticised, with the Italy international responding to comments made about his performance on social media. 

The result moved them up to 12th in the 36-team standings and a point away from the top eight, which would mean automatic qualification to the knockout stages. 

But their attention this week returns to domestic action, with Genoa the visitors to the San Siro, as Fonseca hopes to mark Milan's 125th anniversary with a win.

"For me, it would have been easy to just talk about the victory over Red Star, but tomorrow Milan is 125 years old, and we have to live up to that history," Fonseca said. 

"And for me, after Wednesday, it wasn't like that. With Wednesday's attitude, we couldn't live up to a club that has made football history.

"I spoke to the team, I spoke to the players I wanted to speak to, and we are ready for tomorrow."

Asked why he had publicly criticised his team in midweek, Fonseca said: "First, because I always tell the truth, it's difficult for me to hide what I feel after the game.

"Secondly, these are important messages to get across. You are not inside, you don't know everything, but I had the need to speak publicly."

Milan find themselves seventh in Serie A heading into this weekend's clash, 13 points behind leaders Atalanta, but do have the luxury of a game in hand. 

But Fonseca was quick to temper expectations of challenging for a 20th Scudetto, suggesting that the gap to the summit was already too big. 

"As always, I want to be honest. I think it is more difficult now, but inside I still believe. What more can I say? It's not that it's easy, but I keep believing," Fonseca said. 

Despite Milan's struggles, Fonseca said their problems could be solved, saying: "I have already seen the Milan I wanted. I'm not a magician.

"It's always a rollercoaster: maybe tomorrow we see it, maybe later we don't. I would like to have a more constant team, especially in attitude.

"Then you can make mistakes technically or tactically, but it's difficult for me to understand this mental inconsistency of the team. It can be solved."