AC Milan's Italian head coach Stefano Pioli looks on during the Serie A football match beetween Venezia and AC Milan on January 9, 2022 at the Pier Luigi Penso stadium in Venice. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

CorSport: Pioli would be happy with a ‘dirty’ win to help ‘regain enthusiasm’

AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli stressed the importance of obtaining a positive result as his side take on Sassuolo today hoping to end a run of five games without a win.

Today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport (via PianetaMilan) recall the statements made yesterday in the pre-match press conference by Pioli on the eve of the match against Sassuolo, during which he hinted that he won’t want to pay attention so much to the game but to the result to be obtained.

“Above all, now we need positive results to regain enthusiasm, talking is of little use. Even a dirty but characterful victory would do us good, we must be an aware and concrete team. We’ve prepared well, we’ll do our best to get back to winning ways,” he said.

As mentioned, Milan are on a bad run to begin 2022 as they lost against Torino in the Coppa Italia, Inter in the Supercoppa and Lazio in the league, and were forced to settle for 2-2 draws against Roma (from 2-0 up) and Lecce.

“I’m primarily responsible because I probably didn’t pass on what I wanted. These days I have tried to be clearer and more direct. It is the collective that must lend a hand to individuals, not the other way around,” Pioli added.

Sassuolo is a game that brings back good memories, as last May Milan won the Scudetto at the MAPEI Stadium, but beyond that the Neroverdi have often caused pain to the Rossoneri at San Siro. Precisely for this reason, Milan will have to play this match today as if it were a final.

“Sassuolo are fast and technical, sometimes aggressive. We will have to pay particular attention to their counters, because they have dangerous players up front. It takes great unity to move up,” Pioli said.

“We have to be united like our fantastic fans at the Olimpico after the defeat, demonstrating with our quality that we deserve their support. It’s up to us to get out of it, believing in what we do and facing difficulties as a challenge. Now there are fewer smiles, we realise that the moment is delicate and we have a great sense of duty. We have to do the simple things well.”

Finally, there was also talk of the transfer market. The offer presented to Roma for the purchase of Zaniolo was not considered sufficient by the Giallorossi, but Pioli thinks the squad at the moment has enough to get through the tough times.

“We already have the necessary resources to overcome this moment, the club has been clear for some time and we’re fine. Tomori is out, but playing a lot we have to take it into account and we have alternatives that are up to it.”

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