AC Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has praised head coach Stefano Pioli for coming through a ‘difficult period’ with all the speculation surrounding Ralf Rangnick’s possible arrival.
It seemed as though the Rossoneri were destined for yet another overhaul in the summer as virtually every media outlet agreed Rangnick would join as the club’s new head coach and head of recruitment.
However, Pioli led Milan on an incredible run of form after the resumption of Serie A post-lockdown, with the Diavolo having won seven of 10, not losing a single game in the process.
That led to the confirmation from the club that the Italian will be remaining as head coach and he even penned a new two-year deal. Calhanoglu was interviewed by Sky Sport 24 and spoke in depth about Pioli and the current moment.
“Pioli is a very important coach for me and my team-mates. He also wants to listen to how we think, even on the pitch,” the Turkey international said (via MilanNews).
“When we do the video analysis he wants to know how we think. He did a great job in a difficult period, he trained us well, we all worked well together with his staff, now we are a team.
“If I am happy? Very, it was a difficult period for him. Everyone wrote things about Rangnick, but he [Pioli] has always worked as a professional. He is working very well to help us, to make the team go further, as high as possible. I am very happy for him.
“This is the real Milan, the one of these months. We always want to win, we have a great mentality, a great passion, thanks to Zlatan who helps us. He is an important player for us, he helps a lot. It’s not over yet, we look forward to the next season but we’re ready.”
