Jean-Pierre Papin criticizes Rafael Leao and defends Stefano Pioli. The former Milan striker and winner of the Ballon d'Or in 1991 spoke on 'Radio Anch'io Sport' on Rai Radio 1 ahead of the Champions League match between AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain:
"PSG is a very strong team, they have a great coach and incredible players. In Paris, Milan lost 3-0 because they decided to play in a certain way, tomorrow they need to change something, if they play the same way as in the first leg, it will be very difficult to get a result. But PSG also has some weaknesses. You need to be careful with Mbappé and Dembelé, they are very fast", as relayed via Calciomercato.com.
On Rafael Leao, Papin said:
"Without the real Leao, it becomes difficult, he is not the same player as last year. However, Milan has players capable of beating PSG. Tomorrow will be a battle, they have returned to being the PSG of last year, well-organized. But in the Champions League, they conceded 4 goals to Newcastle: if Milan plays with aggression, they can achieve a result."
On Stefano Pioli:
"When a team is not performing well, the problem is always blamed on the coach. I don't agree, you can't be the Italian champion two years ago and then be considered the worst coach two years later. It's the players who step onto the field, not the coach. It's difficult for me to speak ill of Pioli, I like him as a coach, he has achieved great things. It's not always and only the coach's fault, it's the players who play."
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