Stefano Pioli spoke to SportMediaset after the victory in the Italian Cup against Cagliari and made these statements:
On the many young players on the field:
"It didn't go beyond expectations. We started a bit restrained, some of the youngsters were a bit nervous, but after the goal, we loosened up. I'm happy with their performances. The young players have changed; now it's easier to coach the more experienced ones. Their attitudes give us hope; the youth sector has done a great job."
Pioli continued:
"They can stay with us, so they won't just be considered options anymore but alternatives when needed. We wanted this victory and approached this match the right way."
On the Italian cup competition:
"We care about it. Tonight, the priorities were twofold: preserving those who have played more and fielding a team eager to win. We want to give it a try; the Italian Cup is our goal, as well as the Europa League."
On his choices:
"Clear-headed madness or risking everything? Absolutely not risking everything. I made clear choices for our moment and based on how I saw the guys. The priority was to preserve certain players: Loftus-Cheek and Bartesaghi had a fever, Kjaer can't play three games in a row, Leao was coming back from an injury. The guys showed they deserved this chance."
Regarding Luka Jovic who scored a brace in the first half vs Cagliari:
"He has great qualities; he needs to believe in himself even more. He arrived not in the best condition, but now he's physically and mentally well. He needs to persist and continue with these ambitions and motivations."
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