AC Milan's head coach, Stefano Pioli, spoke at the usual post-match press conference after Inter-Milan, the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, which was lost 1-0 by the Rossoneri. Here are the coach's words.
"There is only disappointment now. It is true that we reached the Champions League semi-finals, and we should be proud of that, but it is clear that we dreamed of the final and wanted to beat our rivals. Failing to do so brings us disappointment, but we will have to focus on the league: the real disappointment would be not playing in the Champions League next year. Regrets? It is evident: the first 10 minutes of the first leg and not scoring from our chances. We played well today, but we couldn't raise our level enough. Inter hurt us in transition; they were situations we should have handled better, but we couldn't."
Pioli continued:
"We had the experienced player, but unfortunately, we couldn't use Zlatan. The club's policy is bringing great satisfaction. This year we managed to be competitive in the Champions League, less so in the league. At the end of the season, we will make our evaluations to understand what worked and what didn't. It's a season that teaches Milan a lot."
Pioli concluded:
"Inter? They are a strong team; they advanced from the group stage after beating Barcelona, a team that has won La Liga. We are also strong, and not having Leao at his best is another regret. In these matches, you have to arrive playing at your best, or it's not enough. We couldn't reach that level."
