Stefano Pioli reacted to Paolo Maldini’s tell-all interview about his Milan exit and tried to shake off the pressure ahead of the clash with Frosinone.
The former Rossoneri technical director did not hold back when reflecting on his time at the club in an interview today, opening up about his relationship with Gerry Cardinale and his shock dismissal in the summer.
Read more – Maldini breaks silence after Milan dismissal: ‘Decision made months before’
At one point, Maldini defended Pioli and noted that a head coach is ‘is one of the loneliest people in the world of football’. The Milan coach has come under much criticism in recent weeks, amplifying after the 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Speaking in a press conference via TMW, Pioli first looked ahead to Milan’s coming opponents Frosinone.
“We have to counteract a high level of play. Di Francesco is doing a great job, and they will arrive with confidence and enthusiasm. We want to give continuity to the victory against Fiorentina, because there are many points to score.”
He spoke about his recent lunch with Milan owner Cardinale.
“It was a very positive and very constructive meeting. It is certainly an additional motivation for my work and for the work of the team.”
The Rossoneri coach was asked if youngster Jan-Carlo Simic would be part of the squad to face Frosinone.
“He also worked with us in the summer. He is an attentive, applied, physical defender, I saw him calm, we are accompanying him in the right way like Camarda. Then I won’t tell you whether he can play from the start or not.”
Pioli was also asked to react to Maldini’s tell-all interview.
“No comment on much of the interview. I will always be grateful to Paolo and Massara, but now I can only throw everything I have into the present, to motivate my players and try to win tomorrow’s match.
“Thanks Maldini, thanks Massara, but I am not alone and I have always been supported by the club.”
He touched on what Milan need to do against Frosinone.
“We have our own way of playing and we have to bring it onto the pitch, we have a very clear strategy on what to do when we don’t have the ball.
“They like to dribble, and we will have to be very careful there. Then the games change, we have to be a little better at reading the moments of the match.”
The Milan coach provided an update on the injury crisis and if it was improving.
“Definitely yes, so I’m sure that soon we will have improvements and the emergency will end, especially in attack. We will get Kjaer back for Atalanta. In a couple of weeks, the situation will be better.”
He was asked how the team could escape this difficult period.
“With winning, there’s no point in beating around the bush. We’ll need to play a serious, real match, with intensity and quality. With Fiorentina we were careful, tomorrow we have to do the same.
“Victories give you that enthusiasm. Here we always try to be positive, but now it’s time to demonstrate on the pitch that we are competitive.”
Pioli spoke about his responsibilities for Milan’s issues.
“They are always there, then it depends on the successes and failures. The budgets are limited now. I only said one thing to the team, there are 25 games left for the Scudetto.
“If any of us in here don’t believe we can reach Inter and Juve, we shouldn’t have shown up for training on Thursday.
“They all showed up, also because they are paid to do so. I am convinced that we have a compact group, especially in the negative moments there was unity, and this was a resource.”
He touched on his plans to set up the defence.
“We have tried, in addition to Simic, others you don’t know, there are other solutions. We have the right solutions to be a balanced team tomorrow.”
Finally, Pioli was asked if anyone was missing at Milanello to help out the team, likely referencing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“Until today, let’s hope that from tomorrow it will be different. I don’t feel alone, here is the ideal place to work well and we must then respond on the pitch.”