Pioli on the eve of the Newcastle match: “The first crucial moment of the season. We anticipate a heated atmosphere, but we are ready.”
Everything is set at AC Milan for the do-or-die match against Newcastle in the Champions League. Stefano Pioli is rallying the team, stating, “For us, tomorrow it’s a final – the first real turning point of the season as staying in Europe is one of our main goals.” “We have the chance to win without relying on others,” he added.
Pioli then shared thoughts on the tomorrow’s opponent:
“Newcastle is one of those opponents that varies greatly in attitude, intensity, energy, and performance quality between home and away games,” Pioli explained. “At home, they’ve only lost once to Borussia in the Champions League and once in the Premier League to Liverpool. We expect a heated atmosphere, an intense, energetic, and physical opponent,” he continued. “We have only one goal: and that is to win the game; it’s the most crucial moment of the season.”
“After the draw, Tomori, Pulisic, and Loftus-Cheek consistently mentioned that St James’ Park is one of the hottest stadiums in the English league,” Milan’s coach continued. “But we’ve prepared for the game, analyzed certain situations, and know how they will approach the match.” “We have a great opportunity, and we must do everything to bring home the win,” Pioli concluded.
On Tonali’s suspension for the betting case:
“I’m close to him; unfortunately, he got involved with things he shouldn’t have. I hope this experience helps him do better in the future. Did I know he was betting? No, absolutely not. I have an open relationship with the players; we talk about many things, but we don’t know everything they do.”
Pioli also discussed Ibrahimovic return to the club and Leao’s condition:
“He’s a top player, and he will be a top executive. Zlatan approaches every life challenge with intelligence. He’ll be an added value to the club. About Leao’s condition: “He’s good and he can start from the beginning, we believe in him.”
