Stefano Pioli is more than happy to be called ‘The Normal One’ and assures the first trophies of his career are imminent. ‘I feel that at Milan I’m in the right place at the right time.’
While Jose Mourinho across the city famously called himself The Special One, Pioli has been nicknamed The Normal One for keeping his feet on the ground at all times.
Stefano Pioli is more than happy to be called ‘The Normal One’ and assures the first trophies of his career are imminent. ‘I feel that at Milan I’m in the right place at the right time.’
While Jose Mourinho across the city famously called himself The Special One, Pioli has been nicknamed The Normal One for keeping his feet on the ground at all times.
“It’s pleasing, if by ‘normal’ you mean someone who wants to improve and grow all the time. I am fortunate in that I work in football, first as a player and then a coach, which is what I always dreamed of,” Pioli told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
You can read the rest of his comments here.
“However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have character or determination. In football, too often people confuse politeness and respect with a lack of charisma. I get angry plenty of times too, although less so at Milan at the moment. I’m a different man behind the wheel, for example…
“I like to be direct and honest, but sometimes as a coach you have to turn the other cheek for the good of the team. There’s a delicate balance in a squad and you have to weigh the risks and benefits of taking a certain approach. The thing that really infuriates me is when someone doesn’t work hard enough to reach their full potential.”
The coach is also called ‘normal’ because he hasn’t yet won any silverware in his career and doesn’t tend to stay long at clubs.
“I know that my trophy cabinet is bare, but I remain convinced of my capabilities and I tell my mother there will be silverware soon enough. A coach needs the right squad and until today, I didn’t have that. I came close at Lazio, reaching the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Finals, but unfortunately was up against Juventus.
“Of my previous experiences at Lazio, Inter and Fiorentina, the only one that I regret is Lazio, because we played fantastic football that first year. With the experience I have now, I would’ve dealt with certain situations differently. I didn’t intervene in the right way to resolve it.
“In general, I say some younger coaches are already complete, but I needed a little more time. Now, I consider myself suited to any team, but at Milan I feel that I’m in the right place at the right time.”