AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli spoke to SportMediaset in an interview in view of Milan-Lazio fixture of Coppa Italia. Here are his statements as relayed by Milannews.it:
"The derby? There is still the satisfaction of having won an important game. Fifteen games and forty-five points available are a lot, we are at the same level as last year, there will be a long way to go. Now what matters is only tomorrow's match, it's a quarter-final in a competition in which all the great teams want to go all the way and we want to try."
Is winning Coppa Italia a concrete goal for you?
"The concrete objective is to try to eliminate Lazio tomorrow, and it will be a difficult obstacle because Lazio are very well, they have won a great match in Florence and have a formidable attacking department. Now concentrate on tomorrow's match, then one step at a time."
On Giroud:
"There are always detractors and criticisms, it is normal that this is the case. I think it is also right that this is the case, but what matters is the trust we have in our players, in our qualities, in our way of playing. Olivier is proving to be the player he was bought for, a valuable player on the pitch and a person of great depth. A strong player who is giving a great contribution to the team."
What are you afraid of against Lazio?
"They have great quality-players. An offensive department made up of Milinkovic, Luis Alberto, Immobile, Zaccagni, Felipe Anderson and Pedro, I think it is of the highest level. We will have to play a very careful game, try to close all the spaces and remain very compact and have offensive solutions that can create problems for our opponents."
Will Tomori be there tomorrow?
"Let's see today, he did a good workout yesterday and he is definitely better. It is clear that the more training he manages to put in, the more his condition will grow. I think he can be available tomorrow. We'll see what happens."
Pioli on Rebic's condition:
"Yesterday he also trained, today we will see if he can be available."
On Ibrahimovic:
"He is like a lion inside a cage. His motivation, his ambition is to help the team on the pitch. He is doing everything to recover, obviously he won't be in the match tomorrow, we'll see the next ones."
On the management method of running the club:
"I think the club uses a method, a rule that I totally approve of, which is the rule of meritocracy. They make available for you the best possible situations and opportunities, then they judge you: if you deserve the spot, then you renew your contract. I think this applies both to me and to the players, it is an important aspect on which we must continue. You have to continually prove that you can be at Milan."
On Maignan:
"Mike is a strong goalkeeper, he is showing it. We were all convinced of him. He is a very determined boy, very ambitious and this means that every day he works to keep improving. He is definitely a player who is giving a lot and he must continue."
Would you like to stay at Milan forever:
"I feel fine here, certainly."
