AC Milan's head coach, Stefano Pioli, spoke to the microphones of La Gazzetta dello Sport. Here are his words:
"The Scudetto race and challenge against Napoli? We believe in it. We know that the level has risen and that our rivals are very strong: if Napoli maintain this incredible pace until the end, they will exceed 100 points and we will only have to congratulate them. But Milan too have the quality and determination to win all matches, in all competitions. We are playing on four fronts, the goal is to win a trophy."
On the Champions League:
"The Champions League has always been Milan's home, it's impossible not to feel its charm here. And being the coach of this club, it's normal to have the ambition to return to being protagonists in Europe. We can think of taking another step only if all together we raise the level of performance, quality, attention. In this way we will be able to surpass even Tottenham."
Pioli added:
"I listened to Maldini, he rightly said that a circle has come full circle with Sassuolo and that now we have to aim for other goals. And that's what we want to do: the Champions League is part of our path. For years, Milan didn't play it. then we were back, we put ourselves back to the test and we went out in the group stage. Now we have hit the round of 16 and if we want to take one step further we have to try to get into the top eight and then see what happens. So another step would be taken and we would still reach the final goal: to return to compete with the great European teams for the final victory. In the Champions League, even one moment can make the difference. as sometimes it is a matter of luck. In Serie A it is different, continuity is needed and whoever wins he deserved more."
Step by step, the formula is clear. In this phase in which is the team stronger than last season?
Will the team be stronger after the January transfer market window?
"I know that now the questions on the subject will begin but our signings will be the players who are injured today and who we will recover. I remain absolutely convinced of the quality of our group. And I repeat, as a whole we have the potential to win every single match."
Pioli on Maignan's injury, when will he return?
"It still takes a while. If he will be ready for Salerno? I don't think so."
What about Zlatan Ibrahimovic?
"We still have to wait. Zlatan has a superior intelligence, returning to Milan he immersed himself in a reality he had never experienced before. It wasn't a team ready to win. Ibra will never be satiated., victory is the obsession of all the greats and he is. That's how he wakes up in the morning: he goes into situations at a hundred per hour and doesn't stop until he has achieved his goal. We hope to have him back with us soon."
On Rafael Leao's renewal:
"In the most absolute way, I advise him to stay. We have done a lot together but none of us has yet reached his maximum potential. Rafa has had incredible development, exponential and continuous growth but there are aspects in which he can work with even more quality and intensity. Doing it with us, in a context that by now he knows very well, will make it easier. And then I see him really happy. He was here on vacation and wanted to say hello: it wasn't obvious, it's another sign of how much these guys are well together."
On Charles De Ketelaere:
"When you train such young players, the important thing is the base. I take a step back: there was no doubt that Tonali or Leao had the potential to become great players. The most difficult thing is to predict when that something will click in their head which leads them to raise their level. No one has any doubts about Charles' qualities but judgments are made too hastily. In comparison with Tonali, Sandro is an Italian boy, his home was 50 kilometers from Milan and he played a season without fans being present. therefore with less pressure: all the same, it took him a year to make the leap and metabolize the impact. De Ketelaere has been here for four months, he comes from a different championship, he has never experienced such attention in his life. Appearances are deceiving: he's simple and strong, but not immune to pressure", declared Pioli.
Will De Ketelaere be deployed as a striker? Waiting for Ibra and Giroud...
"Yes, it's possible even in the next few matches, thinking about the types of opponents we'll meet. We'll find many defenses lined up in fives, not giving references could be the solution and he has these qualities. In general, he has a whole group at his disposal to help him understand situations and the environment. Now it will be up to me to know when to push or when to preserve him. He will come, I'm sure: the experience at the World Cup did him good even if he played little, just as being with his family did him good: he came back a lot calmer. He will have his space."
About Giroud, will Milan find a way to overcome the World Cup disappointment?
"I rooted for him and Theo. I heard from them the night after the final: I said they must be proud of the path they've made. Olivier has shown himself to be the usual champion he is: on the pitch and in human depth. And Theo did see what Paolo and I have been telling him for a while: that he is becoming the strongest left-back in the world", said Pioli, "they will overcome the disappointment by returning to work with us with even more determination towards new goals."
Messi now has a World Cup, is he now the strongest in the history of football?
"For me, there are three legends in this sport: Pelé, Maradona, Messi. They belong to different eras, I wouldn't be able to make a final ranking."
Pioli on his own personal goals:
"On my first day I felt something special. I was hoping for a goal like this and I've always believed in it: the club has been very good at building a strong team. The ambition is to grow further, we know how rewarding it is to win and we don't want to stop here."
On the late Sinisa Mihajlovic:
"Example of courage and tenacity, all the displays of affection today demonstrate the value of the man, beyond the coach. He has left his mark."
