Milan boss Stefano Pioli reveals he has discussed the future only with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and that he joked with Rafael Leao after the Portuguese’s contract extension: ‘He’s been to my office 178 times…’
Leao has extended his contract with the Rossoneri until 2028. The Serie A giants announced their new deal with Leao on Friday, June 2.
“I think the credit goes to the directors. Rafa’s contract extension was very important for the group,” Pioli said at a press conference as quoted by Milannews.
“I’ve always been confident, I knew what the club and the player wanted. Today, joking with Rafa, I told him that he’s been to my office 178 times. We have an excellent relationship, but also with the rest of the group. Only a great team could bounce back after a tough month like January.”
The Rossoneri will host Hellas Verona at the Stadio Meazza on Sunday. The Gialloblu are desperate for three points in the race for survival, while Milan have already secured a top-four finish.
“We want to beat Hellas Verona because we’ll play in front of 70,000 fans. We want to give our best and become the team with the most points at home after Napoli,” insisted Pioli.
“We were great in the Champions League, but average in Serie A. We could have aimed for a runners-up finish. We must learn lessons from this complicated season and we’ll grow.”
A goodbye message for Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been spotted at San Siro on the eve of the game against Hellas, but the Swede won’t be available tomorrow.
“I am sorry Zlatan is not available tomorrow, he tried, but he couldn’t make it,” said Pioli.
“Ibra and I have spoken these days, but what was said remains within us. He and the club will decide the future. He will decide on his future with honesty.”
The Rossoneri coach will soon sit down with Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara to discuss the transfer strategies for 2023-24.
“I don’t think a coach should discuss transfers [with the media]. I will soon meet the directors,” revealed Pioli.
“We’ve had a busy time. We’ve already spoken because they [club directors] are here every day, but we’ll go into more details over the next few days. We’ll try to build a stronger Milan.”
The future of Brahim Diaz remains uncertain as the Spaniard’s loan from Real Madrid expires in June.
“Diaz has improved so much. I don’t know his situation. Except for Zlatan, I haven’t spoken about the future with any player,” said Pioli.
The Parma-born coach also said he wouldn’t watch the DFB-Pokal Final between RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt tonight despite the involvement of Milan’s future signing Daichi Kamada.
“I know City and United play at 4 pm, then Cagliari and Parma meet in the Serie B play-off semis tonight and I’ll watch the game because I am a Parma fan,” said Pioli.
“I know English and German clubs, but I won’t talk about Kamada because he’s not a Milan player. I know he’s a smart player. I know him well.”
So, which sorts of players does Pioli want for his Milan squad?
“Strong and, above all, intelligent footballers. I don’t care if they are right-footed or left-footed. Tall or short. It doesn’t matter if they are 18, 25 or 30.
“They must know how to play at certain levels. We are no longer happy to finish sixth, we want to be competitive in Italy and Europe.”
Charles De Ketelaere is another player with an uncertain future at San Siro.
“Charles came to my office this week to tell me he’d play in the U21 European championship with Belgium,” claimed Pioli.
“I think it’s the best solution for him. We’ll make our assessments in the coming days, including Charles’ situation.”
Pioli ended his press conference by revealing his rating of Milan’s season which is lower than Maldini’s.
“I think Paolo was generous saying we deserved 8 [out of 10]. I wasn’t a genius at school but I was very happy when the mark was 7. I think it’s an average between the 8 of the Champions League and the 6 of Serie A.”