AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has spoken through the microphones of Sky Sport after the big win against Torino. Here are his statements:
Should they move every trip here to Turin?
“Two such difficult away matches and two such important performances are a very important sign. We are still missing a victory and we have to think about the next one”.
Do you already see the Champions League?
“We are 3 km from the summit, until you are up… Anything can happen uphill. Two weeks ago they gave us all for half dead, now we have fate in our hands. I asked the boys to play better than their opponents because if you play better you have a better chance of winning and we did it”.
What has amazed you the most these days?
“I always told the guys that I was lucky enough to coach not just any group, a group that built itself. The club has always protected us, it's good at Milanello. It is a special group, they esteem and love each other. There is no single episode but there are so many things I could tell. We have been working for a year and a half and it shows, but we will only be able to celebrate when we make it”.
On the character of the team:
“We have become a strong team from a mental point of view. I never forget that I coach a very young team that has become mature and solid, it has awareness. It is the most rewarding step for our work ”.
On Theo:
"If he plays with this attention, being inside the game with a little more mental vivacity is very strong. He can do both phases very well, with his physical abilities it is enough to stay inside the game that he can very well become one of the strongest. He has only been playing continuously for a year and a half, I always tell him that he must not be satisfied with talent. He has an incredible physical strength and quality, very well that he wants to become the strongest and must prove it every day”.
On the euphoria of the team:
"Until you cross the finish line, you can't give up anything. We have done so much that we have to hold on for a week. The team deserves it and the club deserves it, in the situation we have experienced the club has been fantastic, from ownership to the technical area. Milanello is a happy island. We are building something that can give us immediate fruits and that will give us many things for the future ”.
How is Ibra?
“For the Euros I don't know. We hope to have him for the last one for Atalanta. Zlatan is a phenomenon and he will also come out of this situation ”.
