AC Milan's head coach, Stefano Pioli, spoke to the media in a press conference today at Milanello in view of tomorrow's Serie a fixture against Cagliari.
Here are his words:
Will Milan return to winning ways?
"That's it. That's what we all want, for many reasons, because it's been too long since we've had a victory. Because I believe second place is still an important goal and not entirely secured. And because we're professionals, out of pride and respect for our club, for our fans, and all the motivations that lie within this match."
A couple of curiosities, going back a few days: Florenzi's interview was very nice. Speaking about your work, he often said that you seemed to be almost a lightning rod for the team, you've taken too much criticism, only those of us who know him well know how much he's suffering during this period. So, can you tell us more about how you're experiencing this recent period, if you want to make it public?
"The only thing that would bother me - and nothing is bothering me anymore - is if the team didn't have the right motivations to finish the season well. That's the only thing that matters to me and that I'm worried about. How I am doesn't matter, in the sense that I'm focused on these last games, then at the end of the season, I'll meet with the club and our future will be decided. But I believe that part of the role of the coach, my role, is also to be a lightning rod, to protect the team, to protect the club because all the responsibilities are there, and this has never been a problem for me."
Is the team ready for this end of the season? Pioli replied:
"The team is doing well. It's clear that we are at the end of a long, demanding and complicated season, and there may be those who have a little more energy, those who have a little less, those who are a little better, some a little less, so I will try to choose those players who I believe have the energy, the best possible condition to try to put on a good match, with quality concentration to try to win tomorrow's match."
Paolo Maldini talked about managing everyday life, even during difficult moments. Was it more difficult this year to have less support from that perspective? On Wednesday, we experienced a very Milanese moment, and What does it take to see Leao smiling like that on the field?
"As for Paolo's statements, I don't think it's up to me to comment on his remarks. I believe that generally the merits and demerits of a season are always shared among the coach, the club, the players, among those who are the architects of both positive and negative results. As for Leao, to be smiling, I think he wants to do well, score, and help the team score goals. I think that's what the team wants."
Having watched yesterday's Europa League matches, frankly speaking, given that you were teased a bit for that phrase about Real and City, objectively, do you think Milan isn't far from those heights, which also included Roma, Bayer Leverkusen, and Atalanta?
"I was also teased because I said Atalanta was one of the favorites to win the Europa League. I was referring to the fact that just a year ago, we reached the Champions League semifinals, and then being eliminated by Inter diminished the significance of reaching such an important milestone. If you talk to me about this year, we've clearly shown to be far from those teams, but I believe Milan, in the future, based on the investments it can make, I believe this is a good team, but I don't want to dwell on future discussions because I think it's more important for me to focus on tomorrow's match, the end of the season, and then we'll see about the future. However, we're not far from Atalanta. The regret of this year was the two matches with Roma, absolutely, because we could have made it to the semifinals with Bayer Leverkusen as well. And then I said these two would make it to the final because the quality of the team and the coaches are high."
Atalanta President said they'll redeem Charles De Ketelaere. Is there an explanation for last year's poor performance and this year's very positive performance?
"I think there could be two, from what I know. Last year was Charles' first season in a different, difficult, and highly competitive league. He surely struggled with this novelty. So, this year, he found himself with more experience, in a role that probably suits his characteristics better."
Had you ever thought of changing his role? Pioli said:
"No, because we had other plans."
Do you think there's been a sort of mental block difficult to overcome at this point in the season, or can you still work on the players' mindset?
"Fortunately, we are human beings and we live by emotions, both positive and negative. It's clear that exiting the Europa League and losing yet another derby have certainly weighed heavily on our morale. But I don't think there hasn't been a reaction, honestly. We haven't played top-notch matches, yes, but not that there hasn't been a reaction because otherwise, we wouldn't have drawn with Juve, we wouldn't have recovered from a difficult result, with a difficult start against Genoa. So, in my opinion, there has been a reaction. It's clear that all of us hoped for something more."
In these last three matches, are you considering giving a chance to those who have played less?
"It's normal that those who have played more may be less brilliant, while those who have played a bit less might be a bit more brilliant. Physically and mentally, but not in terms of motivation, because mentally, having played less, you've experienced and suffered fewer situations. It could be anything. A coach always fields the team that can guarantee results. Tomorrow I'll do just that."
This year the team has had some problems defensively, often with significant reactions when going behind. Are the players making the team defensive, or is it the opportunity and the players and the coach having the material to make it an offensive team?
"The coach provides an idea and principles of play; then the characteristics of the players interpret these characteristics. We've never been defensive, and I don't want to be. However, that doesn't mean we should always concede those goals. We're a team that always wants to score one more goal than the others, yes."
What does it say to you that Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League final this way after Milan put them under?
"European competitions are hard to predict; being at the top in a single match or in a double confrontation makes the difference. Look at Dortmund's league standings. They've seized the opportunities they had. I could say that if Oli had scored the penalty against Dortmund, maybe we would have had a great result, but the reality is they beat us."
What kind of approach do you expect from Cagliari?
"With the ball, they're a direct team. They usually don't play much possession because they play a lot of direct balls. Defensively, they've changed a bit, like all teams. Sometimes more waiting, sometimes more aggressive. Ranieri is a very capable coach; he'll prepare the game very well, and we'll have to be able to read these situations and bring home as many advantages as possible."
About the condition of Kalulu and Bennacer? Pioli said:
"They seem fine to me. Isma is regaining rhythm; Pierre is okay but not at 100%. They're both ready to play."
About the defensive phase this year?
"Compared to the numbers we have, for the shots we've conceded, we've conceded too many goals. It means we've made some mistakes too many."