During a press conference held on Wednesday, Stefano Pioli, the manager of AC Milan, asserted that the team does not deem it necessary to provide special defensive attention to Christian Pulisic. Instead, Pioli emphasized the importance of empowering Rafael Leao to believe in his ability to significantly impact each match.
The press conference took place on the eve of AC Milan’s first leg encounter with Slavia Praha in the Round of 16 of the Europa League.
Following their recent 1-0 victory over Lazio, during which an incident involving Pulisic resulted in Luca Pellegrini’s expulsion and subsequently prompted online death threats directed at the winger, Pioli addressed the matter.
“It wasn’t our best game technically, but we showed the right attitude. The team feels well. The decisive part of the season is coming, and we are ready to face it,” Pioli said about the Lazio game, as quoted by Milannews.
“Pulisic does not need to be defended. His story speaks for itself. Social media have become a place for insults and rudeness and Pulisic has all our support,” continued the coach.
Both Pulisic and Leao are anticipated to commence play in the forthcoming match. The Portuguese striker faces suspension for the subsequent Serie A encounter; nevertheless, Pioli harbors optimistic anticipations for the impending fixture.
“Rafa has the quality to make a difference in every match,” said the Rossoneri boss.
“Sometimes he didn’t score, but he let the others do it. He’s always been a threat [for opponents] and a reference point to us. He must continue believing in himself and think he can be decisive in every game.”
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Pioli asserted that it is imperative to maintain a focused perspective on the immediate task at hand, namely securing qualification for the quarter-finals, before contemplating the prospect of winning the competition. He emphasized the necessity of avoiding premature speculation about future outcomes.
In acknowledging the formidable challenges posed by each opponent in European competition, Pioli underscored the significance of capitalizing on the advantage of playing on home turf against a team encountered only once during the group stage. He advocated for a methodical approach, emphasizing the importance of incremental progress.
Furthermore, Pioli expressed confidence in the capabilities of his players, noting significant advancements since their performance four years prior. He highlighted the team’s overall improvement as evidence of their potential for success in the tournament.
“We must think we can win it, but we must qualify for the quarter-finals first. It’s not right to look too far ahead,” Pioli argued.
“Every opponent is tough in Europe. We’ll meet a team that only once in the group phase and we must make the most of playing at home. We must take one step at a time. We feel well and we must be convinced that we can go all the way.
“My players have proved to have made giant steps compared to four years ago. We have improved.”
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Borussia Dortmund succeeded in ousting AC Milan, popularly known as the Rossoneri, from the group phase of the Champions League. Consequently, PSG has secured their position in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
“Unfortunately, the Champions League is no longer part of our present and we must not think about details we missed in the past,” noted Pioli.
“Now, we must only think about the next game and go as far as possible in Europe.”
Pioli dissents from the notion that AC Milan has experienced an excessive number of peaks and valleys in recent months.
“The last game we lost heavily was Monza. Our performances have been high across the last two to three months,” he said.
Regarding the upcoming European fixture scheduled for tomorrow, he further remarked, “Historical precedents hold no sway in this context. Instead, we must place our trust in our inherent strengths, the conducive environment, and the quality of our team”.
“Slavia are a team that plays with intensity. They run a lot and they do it wisely. They play vertically, keeping three strikers close. They are fast and powerful. They have a good quality on average and their coach is very good. He rotates five or six players in every game, keeping a high bar. We must face them with respect.”