Stefano Pioli has stressed how much he feels the support of the technical area at AC Milan and in particular Paolo Maldini.
Pioli gave a long interview to Sky during which he spoke about last season’s Scudetto win and gave some advice to Rafael Leao regarding his future, but he also touched on the initial difficulties experienced at Milan.
In particular, he was asked about the rumours that were insistent during the 2019-20 season that Ralf Rangnick would be appointed as the club’s new head coach and also be given power over the transfer market.
“I had all the support from the technical area. But also from Gazidis, who has always behaved correctly: at Milanello he told us that we were all under scrutiny. During the lockdown we gave the players ten days off and then went back to training on Zoom. At Milanello something had changed, I don’t know what. We restarted and then we did well,” he said (via SempreMilan.it).
“If we have followed this path it is because all the components have given their contribution. From the first day I entered Milanello I felt good and the meeting with Maldini and Massara gave me more strength in my work.
“It’s something that gives the coach more strength, more confidence. Maldini isn’t there just for training, he’s there to relate to everyone, he’s a central figure. We are talking about a person of an incredible level of knowledge, of incredible DNA.”
Pioli and Maldini have rightly received plaudits for the work they have each put into the resurgence of Milan, from the identification and development of young talents to the total synergy that exists between the coaching staff and the management up to the board.
