Milan coach Stefano Pioli spoke to the press on the eve of the Supercoppa versus Inter in Riyadh.
“We have to play well, as it’s a crucial bout. We’ll face our rivals, whom we defeated last season and in the last two derbies. We overcame some difficulties to achieve that, and we’ll have to do it again tomorrow.”
“Winning is extremely important. We started doing it last season, now we have to follow it up. It would raise our level and fuel our mentality. We didn’t have the best week, but it will be a stand-alone game, and the trophy on the line increases the value of this match. What happened in the league doesn’t matter, we’ll play with energy and enthusiasm.”
Pioli was asked whether the Supercoppa was a watershed moment for Milan.
“I don’t know, but it’s an objective for us. We already lost one, the Coppa Italia. The season doesn’t end tomorrow. I think that everything that surrounds us is exaggerated, both positively and negatively. There are a lot of clichés. We can’t possibly have become complacent after winning just one thing. Our only focus has to be the quality of play. If it dips, it’s harder to prevail.”
“Resuming with so many matches is challenging regardless of the Word Cup. It’s impossible for any team to be at 100 percent for the entirety of the season. Only Napoli have managed so far. Our attitude must not change because of the difficulties. It will be a final, and that’s a reason of pride and conviction. It’s evident that we have to defend better, make fewer errors, and be more compact.”
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