The Rossoneri coach on the eve of the match against Frosinone: “The meeting with Cardinale was very positive, I will always be grateful to Maldini.”
Stefano Pioli’s Milan is gearing up for the next league match with the aim of bouncing back from the European setback against Dortmund and maintaining momentum after last Saturday’s victory against Fiorentina.
However, the team is facing a defensive crisis, with the coach possibly having to start the 2005-born Simic alongside Tomori: “I can’t say whether he’ll play – stated the coach in a press conference. As for Maldini, I will always be grateful to him, but I don’t feel abandoned by the club.
THE PRESS CONFERENCE
On Frosinone:
“We’ll can’t underestimate them. Di Francesco (Frosinone’s coach) is doing a great job, and they will come with confidence and enthusiasm. We have to deliver the best possible performance, building on the victory against Fiorentina. There are still many points to be earned.“
On approaching the Frosinone match:
“We have to impose our play on the field. We haven’t worked much in these days; as we mainly needed to rest and recover energy. Matches can be prepared in many ways, but what we do on the field, that is the only thing that matters.”
On the lunch with Cardinale:
“It was a very positive and constructive meeting, an additional stimulus for everyone’s work.”
On Simic, possibly starting in the defence:
“He worked with us the whole summer, he even played against Real Madrid. He is an attentive and physical defender; I’ve seen him calm. We are managing him in the right way, but I won’t say whether he will play from the start or not.”
On possible defensive solutions:
“We have tried some things that you don’t know about; there are various solutions. We have the right ones to be balanced in all areas.”
On his responsibilities:
“The coach’s responsibilities are always the same, but we are at a point in the season where it’s too early to give up and surrender. We know that our chances in the Champions League are limited, but we will give our best in the match against Newcastle and we stil believe in the qualification. In the league, there are still 25 games left, and if anyone doesn’t believe in reaching Inter and Juve, they shouldn’t have shown up for training.”
On Maldini’s interview:
“No comment on what he said. I will always be grateful to him and Massara, but now I can only put all my energy into my work and trying to win the upcoming matches. I am not alone; I have always been supported by the club.“
On injuries:
“The emergency will end soon, especially in the attacking department. In defense, it will take a bit longer. Kjaer won’t be available against Frosinone, but he could return the following week. Things will improve in 2 weeks, although we are certainly in an emergency at the moment.”
On Leao’s recovery:
“He will likely return against Atalanta; we will do everything to have him back.”
On overcoming the current difficult period:
“By winning, there’s no point beating around the bush, only by winning we can overcome this period. We’ll need an intense and quality game. We won the last league game by playing carefully, and we have to repeat that. Victories bring enthusiasm.”
On Thiaw’s injury:
“It had a strong impact during the Dortmund game; everyone knew that we will be missing a very important player. However, my players know what it means to be a team, and not dwell on our current injury crisis.”
