Franco Baresi has urged AC Milan not to underestimate any opponent after they drew Stade Rennais in the Europa League play-off round, but also insisted the team must ‘think big’.
Milan had to settle for third place in their Champions League group behind Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, which since the 1999-00 season has meant being ‘relegated’ into the Europa League, and the draw took place in Switzerland today.
The possible opponents were were SC Freiburg of Germany, Sparta Praha of the Czechia, Sporting CP of Portugal, French clubs Olympique Marseille, Toulouse and Stade Rennais, Roma of Italy and Qarabağ FK of Azerbaijan.
In the end it was Stade Rennais who came out after Milan’s ball, the team who are currently in the bottom half of Ligue 1 with just three wins from 16 games. They finished second in their Europa League group behind Villarreal.
Baresi was sent to Nyon for the draw and he spoke to Sky after it took place, reflecting on the opponent Milan will face and the win over Monza yesterday. MilanNews relayed his comments.
Your thoughts on the draw?
“In football you should never underestimate anyone, but Milan must think big, they must be ambitious. We must think about winning, with great respect for the opponent, but we must think big. It will be played in February, there is still time, we hope to have the full team.”
What did you think of the win against Monza?
“We created a lot, it was a good match. It wasn’t easy against Monza who if they didn’t play a great game it was also thanks to Milan.”
Is balancing the league and Europa League hard?
“You don’t have to choose, Milan must always play at their best to go as far forward as possible. In the league we must consolidate our position and try to improve it. We have to recover the injured players, with the full squad we can compete in every competition. You can’t choose.”
What did you think of Simic’s debut and goal?
“Nice to see a young man who grew up with us making his debut and scoring goals. He is good for the whole club. Milan is attentive when there are some young players to launch. I’m happy for him and also for Camarda. I imagine the happiness of his family.”
And Milan’s season so far?
“We had little consistency, but we knew that the Champions League group was difficult. The championship is still long, but at full strength we can annoy everyone. We can do well.”
