After more than two weeks since they last played, AC Milan are gearing up to take on Genoa at San Siro tomorrow afternoon. However, the game will be played behind closed doors, meaning no fans will be there.
Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Stefano Pioli didn’t have a press conference at Milanello this afternoon. Instead, he sat down to speak with the club’s official channel, namely MilanTV (via MilanNews.it).
“Genoa? They are a team that have changed with a new manager. They are fighting for an important goal, just like us. They are an opponent that have worked well under the circumstances.
“We will have to show intensity and concentration because it will be a particular game. The mentality and attention to details will make the difference for the outcome,” he began.
The Rossoneri had their final training session ahead of the game this morning, opting to do it at San Siro rather than Milanello. The manager was asked about the reasoning behind this decision, and the answer is very simple.
“We did it to help us understand what tomorrow will be like. It’s a situation that we aren’t used to, but it can’t become an alibi. We are facing an emergency and we must show great concentration.
“We don’t have the fans in the stands but we will have them in front of the TV. We must try to give them some moments of happiness in this difficult moment,” he continued.
In the interview, Pioli also insisted that he feels the support of the club, amid all the rumours in recent days. There has been a lot of talk about Ralf Rangnick taking his spot next season, but the former Fiorentina boss doesn’t seem bothered.
“I have always felt the support of the club. At Milanello, we are working well with concentration and determination, we have all the best tools available to prepare the game.
“We must remain focused on what we have to determine, we can’t have alibis relating to external factors that don’t depend on us. We are focused and motivated and we want to do well.
“Ibrahimovic? Training Zlatan is stimulating for me and for his teammates. He has a hunger to win and to fight again, despite the great goals already achieved, with that perfection to try and excel.
“This is the mentality that Milan must have. We must do something significant and to do this, we need to fight every day with the mentality that Ibrahimovic and the team are putting on the field,” he concluded.
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