Stefano Pioli outlines what Milan can expect from Antonio Conte’s Tottenham and trusts the Champions League can boost their enthusiasm. ‘It doesn’t matter what form you are in.’
The first leg of this Round of 16 tie kicks off at San Siro on Tuesday at 20.00 GMT.
The Rossoneri finally ended their run of poor results by scraping a 1-0 win over Torino on Friday evening with a header from Olivier Giroud.
“Playing in the Champions League boosts your energy, it brings fresh motivation and desire to play this game,” Pioli told Milan TV.
“It is a very important round, to be decided over two legs, but we know that starting well would be a great step forward.”
In 2023 the reigning Champions of Italy had a nightmare run including a Coppa Italia exit to 10-man Torino, 3-0 Supercoppa Italiana loss to rivals Inter and three consecutive Serie A defeats.
“It is inevitable that we suffered those negative results and the victory over Torino boosted our morale. Aside from that, when the Champions League comes along, it’s the Champions League. It doesn’t matter what form you are in.
“If we are playing at this level, it means that we are strong and so are Tottenham, so we must try to do better starting from tomorrow night.”
Tottenham have a strong history against Milan in Europe and Conte has only ever lost one game against both the Rossoneri and Pioli.
“I hope to change our results compared to previous experiences with English teams. Tottenham bring intensity, tempo, physicality and therefore many individual duels too.
“It is a Conte team, so probably more focused on defending than others, more detail oriented. It is a strong team trained by a great coach.”
Pioli’s future has been put in doubt after recent results, but he insists he has not lost control of the locker room.
“The lads, especially during these negative moments with a thousand rumours, continue to show great unity and the desire to stay together. I have always been proud of coaching these players and I am even more so now that we are going through these delicate and difficult times, where everyone is still working together in the same direction.
“We are all trying to help each other, to resolve the problems, and absolutely without seeking scapegoats.”