AC Milan director Paolo Maldini has lept to the defence of coach Marco Giampaolo after defeat to Fiorentina.

The Rossonero were thumped 3-1 at home on Sunday.

“We chose the Coach, we will defend him, it is right to give him some time. We knew there were some problems that we'd run into, although obviously we didn't expect to lose four of the first six games, but also the quality of the football is unsatisfactory," Maldini told Sky Sport Italia.

“Right now, it might look like a tunnel with no light, but as our Coach said, the way out is with hard work. We knew that relying on a young squad, during the period when we are waiting for the Coach to really become a leadership figure, there could be a risk of the pressure getting to them.

“Of course, it is the fault of the players, the club, the Coach, everyone. Last season, we finished one point off the Champions League places and they always supported us.

“I think the fans were right this evening to protest. The responsibility is to be shared around, otherwise it becomes too much of a burden to bear.

“We are only six rounds in, all is not lost. We know that in football, situations can turn rapidly. The worrying thing is that we saw such a downturn in performance from the Torino game on Thursday.

“It's strange, because we played very well during pre-season and showed good organisation. There started to be some traffic in the central area of the field, causing some tactical problems and difficulty in moving the ball around."