Adriano Galliani has reflected on the difficulty facing Milan at Atletico Madrid and on the prospect of no European football for the club next season.
Adriano Galliani has reflected on the difficulty facing Milan at Atletico Madrid and on the prospect of no European football for the club next season.
The Rossoneri head out to the Spanish capital today for tomorrow evening’s Champions League Last 16 second leg away to Atletico Madrid, where they will look to overturn a 1-0 deficit.
“For the qualification, we have hope,” began Galliani to reporters at Malpensa airport ahead of flying out to the Spanish capital with the team today.
The Vice-President revealed that he will meet with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, as well as a familiar face to the Rossoneri.
“I spoke to my friend Florentino this morning, we will go for dinner together, so he can tell me how to beat Atletico Madrid.
“This evening I will meet with the President and with Carlo Ancelotti, the Coach who has beaten Atletico, I will get some advice.
“Squad availability? We recover several players, we almost have everyone available and apart from the long-term absentees we have everyone available. The infirmary is almost empty and we face Atletico Madrid in the best condition.
“Balotelli has a bit of pain but that is normal and I believe that he can live with it.
“What will it take to beat Atletico? I have seen them often and especially at home they are a tough team, a hard team. We will have to battle and fight tomorrow night.
“It is not an easy task, but when [in the 2006-07 quarter-finals] we were level 2-2 with Bayern, in Munich we went on to win with goals from Seedorf and Inzaghi, in a game that was just as hard.”
Galliani was asked about Milan’s League showing this term, which has them eight points away from Europa League qualification positions, facing the prospect of a season next year without European football.
“We have not asked for anything in particular, we are trying to do the best so as to finish as high as possible, we are absolutely not snubbing the Europa League.
“Does it hurt that Juventus have twice as many points as us? Certainly it is the case this year.
“Juventus had two seventh place finishes before winning two League titles and have 80 per cent won a third.
“Inter have been out of the Cups for a while, Roma for several years have not played in the Champions League, Fiorentina haven’t been there for five years.
“It happens, unfortunately this year it is happening to us. We hope to have a nice end to the season, but it happens to everyone to go a year without European competition.”