About the team’s status
——Yesterday was the first time the team practiced together, and the players were in good condition. Matches after the international break are always a bit uncertain as there is an immediate need to refocus on the league. What follows will be a new cycle of five games: we have to be very careful against a team that performs well and has great quality regardless of their ranking, and tomorrow is an opportunity to take a small step forward.
About the team's injury situation
- Leo is doing well this week, the training intensity is very high, he needs to return to good condition, I believe he is ready to become a key player of the team again. He has great ability and I'm glad he's back to good form. Rabiot and Pulisic are currently unable to play. It is difficult for them to return before the next international break. Estupinian will not play tomorrow.
Nkunku's situation needs to be assessed: he has discomfort when wearing shoes, so we will make a decision today or tomorrow. Yasari is absent and Salma Kors is available. We have enough players for tomorrow's game, injuries are part of the season and we need to deal with that wisely and use it as extra motivation.
Is Leo a champion player?
- He has great skills, but I think he should be allowed to play freely. What matters is the performance on the pitch and there is so much buzz surrounding Leo. He is a very good lad who is eager to make a difference but unfortunately injuries have held him back. He's getting back to an acceptable level and I think he'll do well from now on. As for whether he can be a championship player by the end of his career, time will tell.
How to avoid injuries during national team games? This is a question that bothers everyone...
- I agree. The two offseasons will be combined next year: a longer offseason to give injured players more time to recover. Of course, we also have to have a somewhat fatalistic attitude... This is common. This period is the most dangerous, usually in the offseason in November, when players have played many games. Statistically, November and March are the most dangerous months. We have to find solutions, there is a solution to every problem. Football has evolved and globalized and we must not go back.
Recommendations on rules
- Something I read before was to move the game time forward from 20:45 to 20:00 so players can go to bed earlier. Three more hours of rest might help the players and that could be a solution.
What kind of game do you expect this to be?
- All games are difficult and require all-out effort to win. Fiorentina have top-notch players and their forward line is very capable of shooting. And they are well trained and organized. Their points tally does not truly reflect their quality and they deserve more.
Therefore, we need to focus as we have in recent games and improve our performance on both offense and defense. Although we have made progress, there is still a long way to go before May. We must take it one step at a time, and tomorrow is an important step in that.
Who will be the penalty kick taker in the absence of Pulisic?
- He's not here, we'll see again. Of course, we need to improve our shooting percentage.
Should the national team coach give more help?
- I am a coach at a club and I think differently. The national team coach has different considerations, which is often the case, and we need to find a good solution. Now the players can take a break and hopefully be in better shape come November.
How does a coach keep calm?
- When you encounter a problem, you must find a solution.
About S-Jimenez
- He is in very good condition and performed well in the Turin game.
Pioli said Milan lost more possessions than the data showed
- We were indeed at a numerical disadvantage when facing Naples at home. In other games, sometimes we left opportunities for our opponents, such as against Juventus in Turin, Gabbia's cross to Kostic in the 92nd minute was so good that we almost lost the game.
But that's the way the game is, because there will be mistakes or important plays from a certain player. We have to keep working, knowing that every ball is decisive to achieve our goals, but we cannot think that one mistake will cost Milan the game. One less point during the season could make or break us the Scudetto, or make or break the Champions League.
Should clubs formally protest to FIFA about excessive player fatigue during international matches?
——So what should I say (laughing)? I've answered this before. We need to stay calm and not look back. Rabiot won't be able to play tomorrow and he needs to recover as much as possible because of a thigh muscle problem and, like Leo, it's a tricky situation: the muscle doesn't seem to give you signals and as soon as it starts giving you signals you have to stop again. The same goes for other players.
What do you think of the match between Milan and Como in Australia?
- There is no official news yet, but once it does we have to find the best way to get to Perth for this game, which is an important three points for our ultimate goal. We cannot distract ourselves from thinking about the future, we have a game tomorrow and we have to focus on this game.
After the game with Fiorentina we will calculate who will be ready for the game against Pisa, and then after Pisa we will calculate who will be ready for the game against Atalanta. Games after international breaks are always like games at the beginning of the season: we have to be cautious and keep the right attitude.
Will there be any changes on the bench for tomorrow's game?
- I can't make any decisions until tomorrow morning. We have players like Arte Came who can play on the right and left, and Pavlovic who can play at left back. The important thing is that the team plays as a unit, staying humble, compact and respectful of Fiorentina. This way we can have a good game.
What happened in the locker room against Juventus?
- Nothing special, just the usual stuff going on. You play a game in Turin where you had the chance to take away three points and you can't be satisfied after the final whistle: if you want to raise the bar, you have to be very angry. But this applies to the entire team to achieve certain goals. This is not a game that makes you feel satisfied, but a game that you can win and must win. When there's a chance to win, we have to win. If there's no chance of winning, at least don't lose.
Does Leo need to be motivated by criticism?
——Leo has very good qualities. The only thing that matters in football is the performance on the field. He has important abilities and we all have high hopes for him, and he needs to use his abilities to help the team. He's in good shape now and I'm happy to have him in the squad.
Only Pulisic performed well as a substitute. How to improve the level of other players?
- Substitute players are also very important. Nkunku only came to the team at the end of August and was in poor physical condition. There are some coincidences that prevent us from improving the players' condition, but they are definitely high-level players. While we wait for them to recover, we have to continue to get good results. This is why small steps are more important than giant leaps.
After facing Juventus, is this team ready to compete for the Serie A title?
- We will naturally see the results in May, the league title will eventually be won by the strongest and most deserving team, everything depends on the performance on the pitch.
How is the relationship with Pioli?
- I have a good relationship with Pioli, he was the last coach to win the Scudetto, and winning titles is never easy. I'm sure he will do a great job at Fiorentina as well.
Do you want to give a reaction after the game against Juventus and start again?
——Rather than starting over, we want to continue the work we started in July. The players are working very hard to improve themselves to achieve the goal of returning to the top four, which is not easy. After the penalty kick in the previous game, the team performed well as they corrected their mistakes immediately and handled the unexpected situation well.
Will the replacements of Rabiot and Pulisic change the way the game is played?
- They change the way the game is played because their characteristics are completely different. If it's Rabiot and Pulisic, we play one style, if it's other players, we need another style. The important thing is that all players are able to perform according to their respective characteristics: we have players who can play a good game tomorrow.
Mini-game recommendations:Desert Land Escape