Mister Stefano Pioli was interviewed by Sky Sport at the end of Milan - Cagliari. Here are his words:
Are you already thinking about the next game?
"It must be like this, it is useless to think about what we could do. It wasn't our best night, the pace and quality didn't match up to the latest performances. Even against Juve it had to be the match of a lifetime, we proved we have the qualities to do well on Sunday as well."
On what went wrong:
"In today's game a bit of everything went by in terms of emotions, we knew that by winning we could close everything so there was a bit of pressure and tension, maybe even the belief that we could win it anyway. We could move the ball faster to find more advantageous situations."
Do you believe in fate, A circle started and closes with Atalanta...
"The circle will certainly close because it is the last match. Tonight there is great disappointment, we leave tomorrow morning. Atalanta are the only high-level opponent that we have not been able to beat in my year and a half, they are very strong. We will prepare ourselves to succeed."
What didn't make you win the game?
"The result this afternoon gave them more serenity, it gives you the possibility to be freer. On the other hand, if you don't approach it in the right way, the result won't come, if it's not your evening even with a bit of luck, the result won't come."
On the changes in the match:
"I changed Bennacer to have more dynamism and physicality in the middle of the field and on inactive balls. Mandzukic had a lot of problems and this morning we called him up at the last minute. He had no longer minute."
On missing a deputy Ibrahimovic:
"Yes, but you also need to have some balance in the evaluations. In the last two there were no Zlatan, I heard first that we are Ibradependent and then that we play better without him. Mandzukic was taken for this but he has been through a lot since he arrived at Milan. In January our idea was to have a center forward ready. Today we did not lose for deputy Ibra but for a too tense situation."
Would things change between fourth and fifth place for you?
“It would change. For the whole championship we have done, not finishing in the top four would certainly be a disappointment but not a failure, this year we have laid the foundations for a winning Milan future."
