The result was far from ideal and the performance nowhere near satisfactory, but the reaction to the defeat against Chelsea has been encouraging.
MilanNews writes how head coach Stefano Pioli led the reflections after the 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge which has seen his side drop from first in the group to third after Red Bull Salzburg beat Dinamo Zagreb.
“The absentees do not count, we had to do better,” he said. It was a clear message that even though some some key players were missing, there are no excuses or alibis that can defend getting outfought and outthought in each department.
This unforgiving and winning mentality extends to the leading players too, as Rafael wrote an emblematic word on his Instagram account: “Lessons.” Although Milan lost in a resounding was, it was another important step towards realising how much work is still to be done after that seven-year period without UCL football.
The words of Sandro Tonali also showed that the levels are high and that is why the team will continue to demand more of themselves: “We didn’t play like Milan.” The construction of a team and a winning mentality, as mentioned above, must come from the players. A chance to put things right against Juventus and in the return game against Chelsea beckons.
Story story
Pioli suffocates creative players.