The AC Milan coach before the match against Verona: “We’ve talked a lot these days but what we said remains between us. We have to win because we are Milan”
June 3 – Milanello (Varese)
His appeal – almost a prayer: “Let’s take the Champions League immediately, let’s not reduce ourselves to the last day…” – was accepted by the team: with Turin’s victory over Juve last Sunday, Milan were able to afford to reach the last corner with Verona without it being… a curve. A week that began with a threefold day of freedom and that freedom in the head that can only guarantee the awareness of having reached the – minimum… – seasonal objective. From here to “disarmament” the step could be short, but Pioli is too serious a coach to risk falling into such an own goal. The formation he has in mind proves it – all the starters, or almost -, what he says in the conference on the eve proves it. On the other hand, his Milan will play for the umpteenth time in front of over 70,000 spectators who are expecting a robust and convincing closure at the end of a too stammering tournament.
Paul … too generous
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“We have to beat Verona because we are Milan. Because we will play in front of 70,000 fans. Because after Napoli we would be the team with the most home points. And because we have a duty to give our best – says Pioli -. We set out to win something back, unfortunately we didn’t succeed. We played a great Champions League and a sufficient championship, where we could have aimed for second place. However, it remains a very positive season. And it’s easier to learn from such a complicated season than one where everything runs smoothly. and we will grow. One vote per year? Maldini was generous, giving an 8 with qualification for the Champions League. At school, I was very happy if I arrived home with a 7, which here would be the average between 8 for the Champions League and 6 for the championship. You had to win games that could be won.”
Better future
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Pioli had already made a large part of the seasonal balance sheets after the victory over Juve, but now the long transfer window is wide open. The coach doesn’t want to go into specifics, but he does give some indications: “I’ll meet the managers shortly. We’ve already discussed each other, in the next few days we’ll talk more in depth to try to build an ever better future. I have great faith in our managers, they already proven to be very skilled. I confirm, I want players ‘from Milan’: it means that strong and above all intelligent players must arrive. I don’t care who is right-handed or left-handed, age doesn’t matter. They must be players who play certain levels. Because this is no longer Milan where you’re happy to finish sixth, but a competitive Milan. Ibra? I’m sorry he’s not available for tomorrow, he’s tried but he’s not in a position to be on the pitch. We talked, yes, about the situation that concerns him, but they are things that remain between us. His future will be decided by him, together with the club. He will decide with great honesty his future as a player or as a non-player. He is the only one I have dealt with this kind of speech. I haven’t done it with anyone else, much less with De Ketelaere: he came to my office to tell me about the Under 21 call-up, it’s the right choice for him. In the next few days there will be assessments of the various situations, therefore also his. Kamada? He’s not a Milan player, but I know him well and he’s an intelligent player.”
Potential
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Finally, a dutiful passage on Leao and on the renewal: “Congratulations to the managers, it was something that was deeply felt in the environment and within the group. In reality, I have always been confident because I knew the will of the club and the boy. Today I’m joking I told him that he has been to my office 178 times over the years. It was a journey built with a guy who has incredible potential and who has always given a lot of availability. Ours is a good relationship, but it applies to everyone: only a strong team could revive the season after a crisis like that of January and February”.
June 3, 2023 (change June 3, 2023 | 15:02)
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