After the clear 3-0 victory against Empoli, Stefano Pioli declared to Sky Sport Italia these statements:
"It's right to rely on the strongest players, all teams do it. Luckily we have a lot of them."
Regarding the match:
"We had an excellent first half, we were good at making it easier than it could have been. Let's not look too far ahead, we're just thinking about the next match. Then we'll see if we've overcome the difficult moment."
About the group, Pioli said:
"I see my players every day, and in difficult moments, you can see if there is someone who gives up. We are all united, we help each other, and I am proud of the group we are."
Regarding the standings:
"We only think about winning matches. We had a slightly better first round than last year. There are still many matches. We only have to think about winning and scoring points."
On Yacine Adli's growth, Pioli said:
"I told him that he played the most complete game this year. He was very careful. He changed roles a few months ago and is doing it with application. With this mentality, he can carve out an important place for himself."
About Theo Hernandez playing as a central defender:
"He's putting in a great performance. Today he was impeccable from a defensive point of view and he was very good in the setting phase. It's true that we're losing a bit of his forward drive, but we have Leao, and it's not bad to leave him space for one-on-one. It's an important week, we started well, but we have two more important matches."
On Alex Jimenez:
"Jimenez is a young player with great potential, he has a strong personality. Every now and then, he overdoes it with the ball at his feet, but it's nice to see such an resourceful young man. And then Theo is doing very well as a central defender, I wanted to maintain certain balances. Jimenez suffered a bit after the yellow, but young players must have the chance to make mistakes."
About his work:
"We are doing a great job. The players have always given me great availability, and this allows me to try new solutions. We prepare the matches to have advantages over the opponents. I am proud of their availability."
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