AC Milan's coach, Stefano Pioli, who has been doing good progress with the club, discussed his job at Milanello and much more.
These are his statements entrusted to the microphones of 'Champions under the stars' event organized in Biella:
"Honestly, I am always a little surprised by the relationships I have with the warehouse workers and with all the people with whom I collaborate and live daily in Milanello. They make me feel like a different person, but I don't think I do something special. I think my colleagues also have respect for their collaborators."
"I go to Milanello at eight in the morning", continued Pioli, "and I go home at six in the evening, when I leave and spend time with my wife, with friends, I go to eat a pizza or go to the cinema. I am a normal person like everyone else, lucky enough to have a job that I have always wanted. I am very satisfied and gratified."
On Zlatan Ibrahimovic's effect on the squad:
"With Zlatan it is easy to get along. We are two very direct people, we tell each other what we think. We both think of the good of the team, surely, when we are confronted. I think that when we start from this base anything is fine. I am not afraid of discussions or comparisons. Zlatan will never admit it but he is the first to put himself in front of everyone and take his own responsibility, he is a person of extreme intelligence and sympathy. He has certainly made us grow a lot and will still give a lot for Milan."
On the Serie A competition and the AC Milan current squad:
The Milan that I am coaching, as I have also explained to the players with conviction, is the strongest Milan that I have ever trained. The boys have grown a lot and are more aware of their abilities. They are also individually stronger. In Italy they are all really strong, Inter, Juve, Roma, Napoli, Atalanta, Lazio and also us. Now the cup competitions will arrive, they will take away some teams. We have to try to think we can win every single game then in the end we will see where we can manage to get."
On the Champions League fixture against Liverpool this month:
"The strange thing is that Milan will play at Anfield for the first time. I didn't know it honestly, I thought that over many years Milan had played there. The emotion will be strong, we enter a stadium that has always been famous for the passion and warmth of the fans. But later when you get there, what matters will be the pitch. Last year we played in Manchester in a fantastic stadium that made an impression on us without fans, so I imagine what it can be in Liverpool. I think it will be a very exciting and beautiful challenge to face. We have to think of difficult matches as great opportunities because if we are convinced, even the biggest obstacle can be overcome."
