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Pioli discusses selection vs. Spezia, injury situation, latest on renewals and the ‘song’ of his Milan
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Pioli discusses selection vs. Spezia, injury situation, latest on renewals and the ‘song’ of his Milan
By Oliver Fisher - 12 February 2021, 12:24
AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has confirmed Hakan Calhanoglu will start against Spezia tomorrow, while there is a battle for one spot.

Milan head to La Spezia knowing that a win would see them keep top spot ahead of the following weekend’s derby against Inter, and he will have an almost fully-fit squad for the trip for what feels like the first time in an eternity.


That is because Ismael Bennacer and Hakan Calhanoglu are ready to start again, while Simon Kjaer and Sandro Tonali have virtually recovered, with only Brahim Diaz and Matteo Gabbia likely to miss the game.

Pioli spoke to the reporters who gathered in the conference room at Milanello to discuss tomorrow’s game, with his words transcribed by MilanNews and translated below.

Are you only thinking about the games?

“The preparation was made to arrive ready and determined, against an opponent who had created difficulties for us in the first leg, who beat Napoli and Roma,” he said.

Earlier in the week, CEO Ivan Gazidis gave an interview in which he revealed he is ‘in love’ with Pioli, as his exceptional work forced the club to change their plans regarding appointing Ralf Rangnick.

What do you think of Gazidis’ words?

“They made me very happy. We are in harmony, our relationship has grown over time. We are in complete harmony and the same thing is true with the rest of the club. We are all going in the same direction, we want to bring Milan back to the top.”

How did this unity in the club come about?

“I have never felt divisions, on the contrary, even in the delicate moment the company was here. All the components were important to find this unity. We must continue like this and always give our best.”

What kind of a week was it?

“It was a good week. Apart from Diaz and Maldini they are all fine. I have good margins of choice. I only think about tomorrow’s game, then from Monday I will think about the next matches.

“Now I can make many choices. I always say that in addition to the owners those who come on are also very important. Those who come from some injury find it hard to play every day, the others will struggle less. But now I only think about tomorrow’s game.”

Can the unsolved renewals create problems?

“The club has already had its say. We are confident to continue together. The boys are focused on work, they are calm and have a great desire to do. The club is building something important, we want to get the most out of this season.”

Can tomorrow be the turning point?

“Before every match, talk about the turning point. We only have to think about ourselves and win our games.”

How’s the team doing?

“They are all available apart from Diaz, Maldini and Calabria who will take advantage of the disqualification to recover.”

What is Leao’s role?

“He has done well in every position. His growth is evident and he must continue like this. For me, his role is wide on the left, but he can also play in the other roles of the attack.”

Stefano Pioli coach of AC Milan greets Rafael Leao at the end of the Serie A football match between Bologna FC and AC Milan at Renato Dall Ara stadium in Bologna Italy, January 30th, 2021. Photo Andrea Staccioli / Insidefoto andreaxstaccioli

Have you already organised Ibra’s work during the Festival?

“No, it’s still early. We are focused only on tomorrow’s match.”

Is it good to be out of the Coppa Italia?

“We were sorry to be knocked out. Then it is true that in these two weeks we have worked well, they have been useful. Now we look forward, we play a lot in the coming weeks. We must sow and harvest as much as possible.”

What do you think of the altercations (like Ibra-Lukaku and Conte-Agnelli) that have been happening lately?

“These are things that would be better not to happen, but unfortunately they do. I believe that there will be great fairness between now and the end of the season.”

How is the team physically?

“Being a young team we have greater speed of recovery. But this is still a special season, no one has been able to make a complete preparation. We have to keep our professionalism high, it will be fundamental.”

Who will play as the playmaker tomorrow?

“Calhanoglu will play from the start. Rebic and Leao are in a battle for the left wing.”

What are your targets?

“I repeat it every day to my players: what we have done so far does not matter, we must continue like this and get the most out of this season. So far what we have done is not enough, the season does not end tomorrow. We will see what happens, but we want to get to the end of the season with no regrets.”

What is the song of this Milan?

“‘Volare’ is a good song, but we don’t have to fly but work. We have to remain humble and continue to confirm our qualities. We don’t have to dream, but do our best. You won’t hear the word Scudetto from me until May.”

READ MORE: Milan and Juventus believe they have a chance of snatching Chelsea winger

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SERIE A STANDINGS
TABLE
RESULTS
FIXTURES
Serie A
Pos Team P W D L Pts
1 Milan 21 15 4 2 49
2 Inter 21 14 5 2 47
3 Juventus 20 12 6 2 42
4 Roma 21 12 4 5 40
5 Lazio 21 12 4 5 40
6 Napoli 20 12 1 7 37
7 Atalanta 21 10 7 4 37
8 Sassuolo 21 8 7 6 31
9 Verona 21 8 6 7 30
10 Sampdoria 21 8 3 10 27
11 Udinese 21 6 6 9 24
12 Genoa 21 6 6 9 24
13 Bologna 21 6 5 10 23
14 Benevento 21 6 5 10 23
15 Fiorentina 21 5 7 9 22
16 Spezia 21 5 6 10 21
17 Torino 21 2 10 9 16
18 Cagliari 21 3 6 12 15
19 Parma 21 2 7 12 13
20 Crotone 21 3 3 15 12

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“My greatest Champions League night? The Manchester United match in Milan [in the 2007 semi-finals].

After losing [the first leg 3-2] to that amazing Manchester United team, to win 3-0 at home and keep a clean sheet, and restrict them to just a few chances.

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PLAYER’S PREFERENCE – Thauvin has already expressed his preference: he would be happy to join Milan. The player is also willing to lower his salary with a longer contract. But Milan must hurry because there is a lot of competition. Maldini would have a 3-million euros per year contract ready for him.
 
Stefano Pioli claims this was Milan’s ‘first deserved defeat’ of the Serie A season, as they were out-played by Spezia in every way. ‘Nothing worked this evening.’

The Rossoneri suffered their first away defeat in Serie A since December 2019, 5-0 with Atalanta, and didn’t have a single shot on target at the Stadio Alberto Picco.

This was going to be the weekend they took advantage of Juventus losing to Napoli and Inter with a tricky test against Lazio tomorrow, but instead they could lose the leadership.

“We certainly have to react and we will do. Spezia won deservedly tonight, this is our first deserved defeat of the season, as we had not enough quality or intensity, so our opponents quite rightly took advantage.

“It will be a valuable lesson for all of us, we realise that if we don’t perform at a certain level, we will be embarrassed like this,” the coach told DAZN.

“We are not a team capable of really winning ugly. We always try to focus on passing, intensity and tempo, so if we lack those elements, we are not as effective.

“We struggled throughout the game, nothing worked, including my choices and the performances of the players. Obviously, this isn’t what Milan are like, so we need to prove that from next week.

“We’re well aware of how negative this performance was, just as we’re well aware of the difficulty of the games coming up and well aware of what Milan are capable of. Anyone who saw us in training this week would not have expected this performance, and yet it happened. It was an off night, we need to get back on track.

“Perhaps we weren’t sharp enough to react to the difficulties that Spezia provided. We did expect them to be aggressive and had prepared counter-measures, but they didn’t work and we made mistakes, so nothing went right.

“If we don’t move the ball around quickly enough, we allow our opponents to get back into shape and become predictable. Nothing worked this evening, on the ball or off it.

"This was a bad performance, it's only right we leave the field with our heads down, but from tomorrow we get back on our feet."

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According to @Corriere a face to face at Milanello today between Pioli and the team after the loss to Spezia.
The coach will not reprimand the team, will focus more on the concept of the real Milan, not the one seen on Saturday and to return immediately humble and enthusiastic.
 
AC Milan lost against Vincenzo Italiano’s team Spezia. It was a defeat that probably no one expected. Now, the Rossoneri are looking towards the Europa League game against Red Star Belgrade.

According to what the Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, Davide Calabria, who was replaced in the recent league game by Diogo Dalot, is struggling with some physical discomfort: but it is nothing too serious.

However, his presence among the squad of Pioli for Thursday’s Europa League match against Red Star is actually in doubt.

The newspaper concludes by claiming that the Rossoneri full-back should be regularly available for his team and coach in view of the derby match against Antonio Conte’s Inter on Sudnay, February 21.
 
Milan failed to take advantage of Juve’s loss to Napoli last night, comfortably beaten by Spezia away from home. Therefore, they will have to rely on Lazio to keep first place, with the Biancocelesti taking on Inter.

Either way, it’s a missed opportunity for the Rossoneri and they have a lot to worm on ahead of the mid-week clash against Red Star Belgrade. A reaction in that game is needed to gain some confidence ahead of the derby at the weekend.

Given just how tight it is in the standings, it’s Derby Della Madonnina that will be more important than ever. In addition to what a win would do points-wise, the momentum gained from a derby win is indeed invaluable.

Taking a look at Milan and Inter’s next six games, the schedules are pretty evenly matched. You could argue that the Nerazzurri have a slightly easier schedule but either way, the derby will be crucial.

Round 23: Milan-Inter

Round 24: Roma-Milan, Inter-Genoa

Round 25: Milan-Udinese, Parma-Inter

Round 26: Verona-Milan, Inter-Atalanta

Round 27: Milan-Napoli, Torino-Inter

Round 28: Fiorentina-Milan, Inter-Sassuolo
 
Like every Monday, Arrigo Sacchi analyzed the latest AC Milan match on the Gazzetta dello Sport columns today. Below is the thought of the great former Rossoneri coach:

“Blackout for Milan. The Rossoneri lost and were overwhelmed by Hurricane Spezia, masterfully led by Vincenzo Italiano. It can happen, many of them were returning from long absences and had just returned to the field. It was unthinkable that they were already in top form, as well as it is justifiable that those who always played could be tired. Perhaps the guys of Pioli underestimated the level of difficulty they would encounter.”

“La Spezia are made up of a group of unknown players, rookies in Serie A who are playing good football full of knowledge, innovation and courage. Spezia put Milan in difficulty using the same weapons that allowed the Rossoneri to go beyond everyone’s hopes and expectations. The men of Italiano surprised the Milan fans with a furious pressing developed for all 90 minutes, thanks to a team that moved like a compact steamroller. Only in this way have they been able to accomplish this feat by increasing the pressure level. It was a team of 11 men met against a group of Rossoneri, the result: there was no match.”

“Spezia played at a hellish pace for our championship. It is difficult to metabolise the defeats. The Rossoneri have been the great surprise of the championship so far. They played excellent football thanks to the will and enthusiasm of everyone and thanks to the splendid collective created and organised by Stefano Pioli. Players who until last year had less convinced have transformed in a short time, reaching unexpected heights. The collective helped them and made it possible to hide inexperiences and qualities. Everyone took advantage of the synergy created. You can have the best players in the world, but if they don’t have strong motivation, high team spirit and a game to guide them, that team will be worth little.”

“It can happen when you win a lot to fall into the precariousness of victories, which means believing yourself invincible: well at that moment the idea of collective would be broken. Being a team is one of the most unlikely things in our country in all areas, too bad, it would be the most important. Romain Rolland, philosopher and Nobel laureate, said: “Heroes are all those who do what they can do”. This must be the goal: to have 11 men who give everything following the instructions of their coach“.
 
Arrigo Sacchi for La Gazzetta dello Sport:

Anyone can have a worse match. Perhaps the players underestimated the difficulty of the last game.

The Rossoneri are the big surprise of this season. This team plays good football thanks to the willingness and enthusiasm of all players. It is thanks to Stefan Pioli, who created a wonderful and well-organized team. The players who were less confident last year underwent a metamorphosis in a fairly short time and achieved a high level. Better cooperation and communication on the pitch allowed them to hide their inexperience.

You can have the best players in the world, but if they are not motivated, they do not have the spirit and style of play then such a team will not be worth much. When you win a lot, you may think that you are invincible and uncertainty may emerge after a while. Something like this could hurt the team collective. The philosopher and Nobel laureate, Romain Rolland once said:

"Heroes are all those, who do what they can do."

That must be Milan's goal: to have 11 players who will do their best and follow the instructions of the coach.
 
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