Stefano Pioli gives his words to the press in view of the match tomorrow against Bologna. These are his statements:
On Mihajlovic’s words about Milan’s season:
“I share Mihajlovic’s words, we are making an excellent path. We have 18 points more than last year, the difference is there and we are trying to get closer to Juventus and Inter. The Champions League fight will be fierce.”
On Bennacer’s return:
“He is better, but he has been out for a long time. If he does all the training today he will be called, but I don’t think he will start from the beginning. He is a complete player but with ample room for improvement.”
On the squad:
“Yesterday we had a great training session with many players, as we haven’t done for a long time. I expect the same today because tomorrow we will have to give our all.”
On Ibrahimovic:
“He is sorry for the red card that he received in the derby match. But, now he is very excited and motivated for the game against Bologna.”
Is your role more of a psychologist or a coach?
“It is always divided between the field and the mental one, let’s look at our work and give our best tomorrow”
Is this a key moment of the season for you and your team?
“Well, let’s concentrate on the next match we have against Bologna. Then, we will have two weeks to recover some of our absent players. We must have consistency. Today we had a good training session. There are 19 matches left in the calendar so this match cannot be really decisive.”
Is there a negative atmosphere around the team now?
“We don’t think about what is said outside of our club. We only focus on ourselves. we just have to think about ourselves, working and improving. We have to keep the right balance. What they say on the outside is of little interest to us, we only have to think about doing well on the pitch. We must continue ours. work. We know that judgments change quickly in football.”
Could Ibrahimovic be provoked?
“From certain situations he knows how to pull out the best. He is charged as we all are.”
How did you see Tomori?
“Well, he showed good things. He presented himself well, has good qualities and is also very intelligent and with a great desire to learn.”
On Brahim Diaz:
“He had a muscle discomfort that will be re-evaluated next week. We hope to get him back soon because in the next few weeks we will have many games and therefore we need to have as many players as possible to be competitive.”
Did you choose the starting lineup, yet?
“In football the hierarchies can change and they depend on how the players are. Even in the games where there were a lot of players we did well, it means that we have built something important.”
Has Ibra been treated differently from Lukuku?
“It is not nice what happened. I do not justify the actions, but they are things that can happen on the pitch. Ibra is certainly not a racist, now let’s put a point on this story. The property has always been on the front line to fight discrimination.”
How long will Kjaer be out?
“I hope that he will not be absent for too long. He is an important player but if we are first it is because we have done well even with many absences. In the coming weeks there will be many games, so I will need all the players that we can recover.”
What would you say to a fan to reassure him after the two defeats in a row?
“The team is there and we have the qualities to continue like this. The opponents are there and therefore we must continue to work. Getting to the Champions League qualification spot is not an easy task to achieve. But we have the qualities to achieve this goal.”
How are Ante Rebic and Mario Mandzukic doing now?
“When you are at home, you can work but doing it on the pitch is different. Rebic is improving and will do well in the next games. Mandzukic had this ankle problem, he trained yesterday and he was better. If he works in a group again today then he can be summoned tomorrow.”
