Milan director Paolo Maldini admitted the difficulties but urged to avoid panicking in his remarks to DAZN following the large defeat to Lazio, scoffing at a question about whether the club still trusted Stefano Pioli.
“It’s a tough moment, as we have lost two objectives, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa, conceding 11 goals in 3 matches. We won thanks to our spirt last year. Now, we have to calmly recapture it. We are still second in Serie A, qualified for the Champions League after seven seasons and just won the Scudetto. We’re within our parameters.”
“Working hard has never been a problem. We can attest to that since we watch the practices. It happens to lose certainties and confidence, and distances on the pitch. It’s important to get them back. We aren’t the 90’s Milan that signed proven champions. We’ll forge ahead on our path to repair the finances. Often the mental element leads to lack of serenity when making choices. You can easily give up goals when it happens against a team with great players like Lazio.”
Maldini was quizzed about previous and possible future transfer market decisions.
“Franck Kessié departed because we couldn’t meet his requests. We still have a top-level midfield. Alessio Romagnoli left, but Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu were the starters. We hope Mike Maignan returns in February, but we don’t know when. Divock Origi and Charles De Ketelaere have long-term contracts, so we can’t judge them after just a few months. It’s easer to get integrated in a team that’s well-oiled than in a struggling one. It’s just a matter of time. As for Nicolò Zaniolo, we’ll evaluate the opportunities. However, we won’t veer from our vision and reality.”
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