AC Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis has addressed supporters of the club in what is a very tense but also an incredibly exciting season finale.
Milan are heading into the last two games of the season knowing they need a maximum of four points to secure a first league title since 2010-11, but with recent bogey sides Atalanta and Sassuolo still to come nobody is taking anything for granted at the moment.
The next game is on Sunday afternoon and it sees Gian Piero Gasperini’s side come to San Siro, with Milan having not won a home game against Atalanta since 2014. If the Rossoneri do win though and Inter drop points against relegation battlers Cagliari, the Scudetto will be sealed.
Gazidis spoke live on AC Milan’s official Twitch channel about a number of different topics, from the support of the fans to the atmosphere with the club at the moment, with MilanNews relaying his comments.
“Hello everyone, it’s a pleasure to be here. It feels like my home (laughs),” he began
“We are all thinking about this great match [Milan-Atalanta], but I would like to say, heartily, thanks to our fans. because on Sunday at San Siro we will reach one million admissions since the beginning of the season. It’s incredible, it’s support that has given us great strength during this special season. This unity, this pride gives us confidence, we can’t wait for Sunday and also for the next match too.
“We have more than 500 million fans from all over the world, Sunday maybe there will be 10 thousand from abroad all at San Siro for Milan-Atalanta. In our stadium there were in total fans from 192 different countries, this feeling of being part of a big family is very nice. A family that gives us personal feelings is not great in that sense, it is very personal.
“Even on the road, it’s incredible, in the cold, at night, in the rain, everywhere. We felt this support, this strength. This is why I believe this season would not have been possible without this sense of unity. They have always been there with us, we have felt this feeling. The team, the coach, the staff, everyone felt this strength, this support.”
On the atmosphere in the club: “We all feel the same emotion, it’s something special. This feeling doesn’t happen often, for me this unity is the strength of a great club like Milan. With this unity, everything is possible for this club, I believe in this club, I believe in these players, I believe in our ability to overcome challenges. Now we certainly have difficult challenges ahead of us but at the same time we have confidence and strength, this strength also belongs to our fans.”
On Milan-Atalanta: “I look forward to seeing you like them. This passion is special, this pride does not exist in every club. For me it is a great pleasure to see this club with this unity.”
On being at Milanello: “I find the players concentrated but also calm, with the same approach we have experienced in the past. They have confidence not only in these emotions but also in their qualities, which are there. Now it is necessary to take this great opportunity with positivity. I don’t feel afraid, I feel a great desire to take these two great steps.”
On Pioli: “Stefano is always calm, a great man. Not just a coach but for all of us. We would like to play this challenge also for the coach, he is a special person.”
A final greeting to all the fans: “Thanks to all the fans, from my heart. From the heart.”
Thank you Sir, Mr Gazidis