Among the main teams of the Serie A weekend, one cannot fail to mention Pioli’s Milan who, at San Siro, deservedly won with Lazio. Commenting on the game from the sidelines was Marco Cattaneo, journalist and anchorman of Dazn whom the Milannews.it editorial team had the pleasure of interviewing. These are the questions and answers:
A deserved and convincing victory for Milan over Lazio. What does this success say for Pioli’s team and its ambitions?
“He says they are a strong team and Pioli was right when he said they were even stronger than in previous years. It looks like a grown team and the thing that impressed me the most is the quality of the game shown. Milan have been there for a year and a half. who plays very well, however, it has been a long period without an audience: now with 40,000 people in the stands it was incredible. This ungenerous narrative has often been told about the fact that the absence of an audience had helped Milan but, watching yesterday’s game , I realized that the absence of the fans was a limitation and not an advantage for Pioli’s team. The grown players, after abandoning their fears, showed an incredible quality of play that made them an even stronger team . Pioli’s work made some players rise “
In what aspects was the work of the Rossoneri coach fundamental for the growth of this AC Milan?
“He has ideas that are often underestimated with modern game principles. He is a very well prepared coach as well as an extraordinary manager of the group as all the players trained by him tell me. He protected players who were going through difficult times and were criticized and increased the performance of many members of the team. Rebic has grown a lot as have Leao and Tonali who has proven himself to be a monstrous player. There was a moment last season when Milan danced between second and fifth place and I began to hear ungenerous considerations towards his work such as those relating to the missing step or the second season on the bench. Let the judgment on a coach who has done an extraordinary job, beyond the final placement, be conditioned by a game that could have been won 1-0 or lost 1-0. The judgment on Pioli had to disregard the final position and considering the results he is achieving, great merit in the growth of this Milan must be recognized. “
Tonali and Leao in yesterday’s match were among the protagonists of the match. In what aspects do you see them matured?
“Leao has often said that he lacked continuity both within the single game and within the season. Yesterday in the first half it was devastating beyond scoring, then we need players with that leg and with that ease of jumping the man as he did with Marusic. Pioli says he can be more concrete in front of goal but in the meantime he is already two goals in three games and therefore has started well. He is a footballer who has the goal in his legs. When Milan bought him, Billy Costacurta told me that in some strides he reminded him of the panther Weah. He is a player who has been a bit sacrificed as a central striker but he can be one of Milan’s craques of the season. Tonali’s story is the most surprising of the season. It arrived with great expectations but last season it disappointed everyone a bit. They gave him important comparisons but relieved himself of the pressures with the remarkable choice of reducing his salary. He put himself out there to prove he can wear this shirt and this season’s first minute approach has been remarkable and excellent and a serious guy who wants to do great things. Now it’s hard to think I can take him off the pitch with all the respect and consideration I feel for Bennacer. There will be many matches and many rotations but at the moment the Tonali-Kessiè duo is a very strong duo “
Ibrahimovic has been saying for many years. In your opinion, can you play the role of icing on the cake of this AC Milan?
“Speaking with Parolo in yesterday’s match he told me to observe how Pioli had in mind Milan without Ibrahimovic in the first half and how he wanted to exploit him in the second half. Pioli’s statement made me laugh when he said that we need to assess whether Ibrahimovic will be happy with this role as a substitute. Attacking the game in a certain way and then being able to count on someone like Ibrahimovic is an incredible asset. The management of Ibrahimovic will be one of the great themes of the season also considering the weight of a striker like Giroud. The icing can be Ibrahimovic but the Swede is still a great piece of the Rossoneri’s cake “
What is the most engaging player to watch in Milan? The footballer who animates the audience the most at the stadium ..
“Based on how I experienced it, Ibrahimovic’s entry into the applause made the earth tremble. It is as if everything had been suspended for a year and a half and so it actually is. A lot has happened in this year and a half and Ibrahimovic’s entry was overwhelming for all the people at the stadium. There are other players who thrill and excite the public. One is Tomori who, when he made an advance on Immobile, created a roar from all over the stadium. Another is Tonali who for the history of AC Milan and his, young and AC Milan player, has created a great feeling with the public “
