AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has spoken in the press conference today ahead of the game opposing the Rossoneri to Sassuolo tomorrow in Serie A. Here are his statements:
On playing more relaxed at home after the win:
"Relaxed is not a term that must belong to us. We have to stay focused, we come from a win, but tomorrow we face an opponent other than Genoa. Sassuolo prepares well for these matches, we will have to be ready to field a performance that is up to par."
On the Super League:
"The club asked me to think only about work and our goal. Then we will evaluate what will happen in the future, this is not the time to think about anything else."
On Ibra and Bennacer:
"For tomorrow we have some problems, tomorrow morning we will understand better. Ibra, Theo, Calha and Bennacer have had some difficulties in training, but we will evaluate them better tomorrow morning".
On goals in this season finale:
"In recent years, Milan have never reached the last four. It would be an important goal, it would mean that we have grown in the last year. So the goal is there and it is absolutely important."
On whether there is a problem related to the physical condition of the team:
"No. We were wrong from a technical point of view, when you don't close games then risk. Tomorrow it will be a different game, between two teams who like to attack. There will be more space. Sassuolo have created problems for everyone."
On tomorrow's game:
"In Italian football no one gives you anything. Sassuolo will have prepared themselves in the best possible way, they also had an extra day of rest, but this is the calendar."
On Mandzukic:
"He did well when he came in, he made his presence felt. He didn't [play] a full [game] yet, but I really believe in him. He will give us an important contribution."
On whether Romagnoli will start tomorrow:
"He has done a lot in our path, he has had a physiological decline. He is not yet at 100%, but soon he will be".
On whether Donnarumma's mistake against Genoa has something to do with the renewal issue:
"I see him calm and focused. There is a small mistake from time to time, but let's not forget all the good things he did this season. Here we only think about tomorrow's game and reaching our goal, he speaks of something else only on the outside. To date we have the same points as at the end of last year, we played many games in Europe too, so the team's growth is evident. We just have to think about doing our best from now to the end."
On goals conceded easily:
"Genoa did not put us down until the end. We control the game, but every now and then we give the idea of being able to lose it. On this we must grow, we must not give our opponents to return to the game".
On Hauge's future:
"This is not the time to talk about the future. I am happy with Jens, we are a great club and therefore there is great competition."
On how much he has grown since joining Milan:
"The next matches are an exam for everyone, it's normal. Then we will evaluate the work we have done. We have good things and others that we need to improve. In my career I have never stopped studying and learning because football is constantly changing."
On whether he is satisfied with Tonali:
"He is doing well, but he can do more. The jump he made was important, he needed time to adapt to a new module. But he is doing well, he could play tomorrow."
On injuries:
"Bennacer and Calha got bruises on their ankles in the last game, Ibra and Theo instead have muscle fatigue. Let's see if they will recover."
On the different performances between home and away games:
"At home there was no lack of performances, there was a lack of quality in the last few games. In the last few home games we went ahead too few times, this was a weak point."
On what he means by improving match control:
"We have to better control the games and manage the moments better. We are a team that likes to play with intensity, but on some occasions we have to learn to better manage the rhythm of the games. We have to grow on this."
On whether the team is missing a player who takes more risks:
"On Sunday Leao moved a lot, but he was not served. We have to raise our heads more on certain occasions. Looking ahead must be an obligation".
On the double save of Kjaer and Tomori:
"These are important situations for reaching a result. You must always defend the goal as much as possible."
On managing games:
"We need to be more lucid. Against Genoa we missed some restarts in the final".
On Ibra and Mandzukic playing together:
"Anything is possible, we are preparing to try to exploit the opponents' weak points. The most important thing is that the boys are well, the more choice I have, the better."
On whether he is satisfied by having 66 points in the league:
"It is a good result to have 66 points at the moment, but then the balance is at the end. We have to stay focused on the next matches, starting with tomorrow's match."
