Press conference - Pioli: "We won a difficult Scudetto against tough teams. We'll surely have more ambitions

AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli is enjoying a great night with his players, staff and management. He took the time to talk with the media after the Scudetto triumph. Here are his words during the press conference:

"I have to thank everyone. We have had an incredible season. All the components have given a great result, for the support they have given us. At the club, my managers who are fantastic, I compare myself with them, comparisons always help us to search to grow. I am balanced and calm but at work I am meticulous and scrupulous which for them is not easy and then immense thanks to my players who have given me everything. And then to our fans because I am amused when they tell us that we were only strong because we were playing without fans (during lockdown). I'm happy to be able to respond", declared Pioli.

There were doubts on winning this Scudetto...

"Three images this year: the victory in the derby, the victory in Rome with Lazio and the speeches of Zlatan and Simon to the team, which were different and at different times. On a personal level I am happy and content but it is normal, when you arrive in a big club and you have not won anything you have to prove. It will be like this from tomorrow too, not really from tomorrow because now I go on vacation and celebrate, but from the resumption on July 4th it is like this. My players, my club and my fans have made me a better manager, I hope to be a great coach for my players again next year."

Pioli, you have now entered the history books of Milan:

"Honestly, I have to metabolize well, it makes me feel like being in the history of Milan, alongside great coaches. I tell my mom that we have finally won something. The dedication goes to my father, who did everything for me and will be happy and proud."

Will you now raise the bar for your team?

"It means working better, putting more game ideas and a methodology that we know but we can improve. Then we are Milan, we are back to being Italian champions, we will be in the first tier in the Champions League. We found a very difficult group, if we had faced it three or four months later we would have had a different result, but we understood how difficult the Champions League is", he said, "Let's enjoy this victory because it is right for everyone to enjoy it, then afterwards we will surely have many ambitions and to compare ourselves with the best in Italy and in Europe. We have won a difficult championship against strong opponents and I believe that the value of the victory must be strengthened by having overtaken strong teams like Inter and Napoli, like Juve and over time we too have become strong too."

Pioli, when did you start believing that you can win?

"The derby won in that way gave us more conviction and strength and I think that the one together with the match against Lazio made us understand that we could play for it until the end. We wanted to score more points. You weren't told, but we always talked about the Scudetto between us and this is the strength of this team. There are Ibra, Kjaer, Maignan, a phenomenon who won two Scudetti as a non-favorite with Lille and Milan, then everyone, us and the managers and this was a great reward for the work done."

Which of your past experiences have enriched you to bring you here to the Scudetto?

"I have had many experiences (...) that improved me as a man and as a coach. You know what I mean. I have never felt so good, I have never felt so appreciated as in the Milan environment and this has allowed me to give everything to my players and they have been good at giving me everything", this is how Stefano Pioli concluded his press conference.