The announced protest of the Meazza fans, who will go on strike tomorrow in the match against Genoa, the rumors that – as before and more than before – are intensifying about his succession as Milan bench with the toto-names going crazy and the faces of the various Conte, Lopetegui, Fonseca, Thiago Motta and company who populate the front pages of the newspapers, the low mood of the AC Milan leaders themselves. There would be reasons to drive Pioli into depression but the Devil’s coach raises his head and remains almost impassive. His aim is to confirm second place, with qualification for both the next Champions League and the Super Cup (the victory tomorrow with the Grifone is enough), and then, if necessary, say goodbye with dignity.
Pioli is locking down his future
With 22 days to go before the end of the season, in this situation it might seem difficult to stimulate the team: “My task doesn’t have to be complicated, outside there is talk of everything except these 4 games that we are missing but for us it is not like that, we have a serious group that cares about the fate of the club, the motivations are there, we cannot change our past, but we can do well in our future, then we’ll talk about the rest at the end of the championship.” The latest radio market rumors have him close to Napoli: “No thoughts about Napoli, I’m only thinking about the match, what if I like pizza? I prefer caps in broth but I eat everything. At the end of the season I will speak to the club and we will see. As long as I’m under contract with Milan I won’t talk to any other club.”
“Moncada was here yesterday, the relationship with the managers has always been good and it will also be when we meet to talk about the future at the end of the season. Do other major companies appreciate my work? You have waited a long time, wait a little longer to talk about my future, the work is not finished, I can’t control the rumors and what you spread. Whether or not I will take a sabbatical if I have to say goodbye to Milan? You won’t believe me but I’m not thinking about my future, I still have a year left on my contract with Milan and we will decide everything at the end of the season. Whether or not I am the right man for Milan? I hope to be by tomorrow. I said this to the team: we deserve to finish the season better. I am involved in the history of Milan and not only for having won the scudetto but for having coached this team for 5 seasons, in these five seasons there will be positive and negative numbers.”
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For Pioli everyone must demonstrate that they belong to Milan
Among those who play a lot in this season finale is Chuckwueze: “It will be an important month for everyone, he is well and will play tomorrow, he will have the opportunity to show his qualities. Everyone has to prove they belong to Milan but my players know it.” We move on to Genoa, the memory of the first leg victory is still alive: “We were first in the table and we came from the Champions League, it was a bit of a lucky victory, I have to congratulate Gilardino who had good players but who gave a lot to this team. We know what happened next, we found a stronger rival, a lot has changed since then, there was also the elimination from the Europa League which was very painful, we had to do better, it’s a big regret, but we have to look forward.”
Leaders like Leao, Theo and Maignan perhaps had less impact this year: “We have always thought as a team, we have never won or lost due to the merit or fault of an individual but everyone can grow and still give something”.
Pioli does not condemn the supporter strike
From Rossi he said that there was excessive fury towards Pioli after the knockout in the cups and that in reality the two matches against Milan were balanced: “When you coach a big club there is no middle ground, I have been praised a lot and I have been criticized, but that is normal. I wish De Rossi to maintain this clarity and correctness in his assessments and judgements, I am following him carefully and I have always appreciated him very much. Advice to him as well as to Gilardino I don’t feel like giving it away, I can say that I have always tried to be myself with the players and with everyone you interact with at work.”
Tomorrow San Siro will go on strike by the fans, the Rossoneri coach accepts the choice of the Rossoneri people: “Our fans have been an added value in these 5 years and I don’t forget it, they have taken this position and we must respect them, trying to give our best . On a personal level, I have returned home from San Siro many times with a heart full of joy when I was “on fire”, then the air changed a little, I’m less happy but we need to look forward. I enjoyed the satisfaction that the fans gave me and I suffered a lot.”
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Source: Ansa
