Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has pleaded for the return of his Scudetto medal after claiming it was stolen during the presentation ceremony. The Rossoneri dispatched Sassuolo 3-0 on the final day to pip last season’s champions Inter to their first Serie A title since 2010/11.
Rafael Leao played a starring role once again, delivering a hat-trick of assists as Olivier Giroud’s double and Franck Kessie’s parting goal fired Milan to a season-defining victory at the Mapei Stadium. Led by charismatic Pioli, the Rossoneri have brought a painful decade-long wait for domestic supremacy to a halt.
Pioli, the mastermind behind Milan’s sensational Serie A success, experienced a rather sour end to the day despite beating his former employers Inter to the title. During the presentation ceremony, the 56-year-old was robbed of the medal he rightfully deserves after guiding Milan to their 19th Scudetto.
“They snatched my medal in the celebrations: if you can make an appeal I thank you, it is the only one I have,” Pioli said, as relayed by The Independent.
Pioli’s jaw-dropping success with a relatively inexperienced, albeit highly motivated Milan squad, may have established him as the real ‘Special One’ in Serie A.
Of course, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ will have a chance to live up to his reputation on Wednesday. Jose Mourinho’s Roma will encounter Feyenoord in the maiden Europa Conference League final. A potential triumph in the Tirana showpiece would see the Portuguese tactician become the first-ever manager to win all three major European titles.
But Pioli is the star of the show for the moment.