AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has bemoaned the referee’s decision not to give a foul against Lazio for the second goal as he picked apart the 3-0 defeat.
The Rossoneri suffered potentially their worst defeat of the season so far as they were humbled by top four rivals Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday night.
Joaquin Correa’s goal 77 seconds in was what set the tone in truth, and Lazio actually had a second goal ruled out just before the break for a marginal offside before they did double their lead just after the interval with Correa netting his second.
The third goal came from Ciro Immobile as he netted his seventh goal against the Rossoneri in the closing stages to cap off a disastrous night for Milan, who are now level on points with Juventus and Napoli.
Pioli spoke to Sky Italia after the game to analyse the defeat, with his comments transcribed by MilanNews and translated below.
“Our opponents were better in the key incidents. In the first half we played better, I expected more from the team, we have the technical and physical qualities to do better,” he said.
“At 2-0 the game became very complicated and I do not see how the one on Calhanoglu is not a foul. He also went to see him again, it is impossible that it is not evident how Leiva takes Calhanoglu and not the ball. We had to do more, now we have to show that we are strong and react immediately, this is a heavy defeat.
“We put Lazio in the area where they prefer, wait and start on the counter-attack. In the first half we had chances where it didn’t take much to score. Not being able to do so shook us a little, then the episode of the second goal it got even more complicated.
“On the first goal we were also in good shape, it’s a situation that is often happening to us in the last few matches. We could have closed the space much earlier, we had to do something more. Then we played the game, then there are mistakes, we have to do our best to finish the season in the best possible way.”
On Ibrahimovic: “We need everyone, Zlatan has been out for many matches and he didn’t want us. He should be available, we’ll see in the next few days.”
On the tactics: “We knew that we should never have stayed 2vs2 against Correa and Immobile, some preventive marking was missing. We knew we were taking these risks, we had to be more careful.”
On the team: “They are disappointed, it was an important game. It wasn’t a bad game but we need to do more and recover immediately.”
On the Champions League race: “It gets very complicated, the opponents run, but we are there and we must not feel sorry for ourselves.”
On the next games: “The team is intelligent and has character, I expect an important reaction.”
On the defeats against Sassuolo and Lazio: “Two defeats have interrupted our journey but we are there, we are fighting against great teams and we have the opportunity to prove that we are too.”
The main problem is YOU, PIOLI !!!!!!
I’m starting sick of this pioli man, just find a proper coach for milan
He sees everybody else’s mistakes but not his own. What was Milan’s plan ? Whenever Lazio got the ball, they moved forward; whenever Milan got the ball, they just sat on it.
He keeps saying that he will analyse after the match!! I don‘t believe you anymore!!
I didn’t see any improvement after every bad performances of this team. You stick with the same formation even when you miss some key players. No plan B at all
Same mistake and excuse all the time..pioli has no tactics, he was just so for the first half of the league with a lot of penalties given to us..now the cat is out of the bag
Milan problem is in 3 phases. The Medical team, The directors and Pioli..
The medical teams has been failing us for a long time and the Mgt isnt looking towards that..ibrahimivic was initially absent because of a ban, how come he got injured again..how often and easy our players get injured baffles me.
The directors made a bad signings in meite,mandzukic, dalot and co..they are still making a mistake of given Zlatan additional year contract..respect to Zlatan the teams depends on him too much..How many matches has Zlatan played this season..he missed most of the matches and milan suffer because of the ever reliance on his ability..he is ageing and he can stay fit every game..i remember coach ragnick say such..He cant guaranty 25 games per season so i asked why the new contract when we still have mediocre medical teams.
Lastly Pioli, his inexperience at big level catch up with him, we were facing injury the same Madrid were facing theirs but an experienced and thoughtful coach like Zidane have been flexible enough to changes tactics and rotate players without preference…the coach preference for the likes of meite, krunic, castilejo and dalot in full back position instead of kalulu that fits in well..i can start mentioning games that this individual players have cost us, benevento,man utd in europa second leg. Yet he keeps giving them minute at the expense of others who can fit in in their position..he drops hauge for meite and that cost milan the europa..very senseless decision..we have lost so many points to average and below average teams because of his questionable substitution, he will keep on bringing those regular faces that are not performing at the expense of hauge, diaz and co. we play 4-2-3-1 and the two strikers that spearhead the attack are combined age of 76 who cant stay fit because of their age. Top four seems like a mountain now and anything aside top four is a disaster for the season.
Indeed. Well said dude.
I don’t understand the changes made by the coach for a team that needs to score twice . If Koeman was a coach like Pioli, Barcelona wouldn’t win the Rey Cup .I hope Pioli can watch the game Barcelona vs Granada, Barcelona vs Seville in the Rey Cup. Pioli never took risk when Milan struggled in the game.
You right Pioli must go. He is waist. We need strong coach we lost di may points so many excuse. Stop get out idiot. I don’t know how maldini is handling this. This is bad. They made him hero shame shame
Pioli has done his best..but he is an average manager and will be gone by the end of the season.He left Hauge out of our Europa squad even when he was top scorer of Europa at that time….he makes substitutions late and brings on Meite and Krunic when Hauge, Diaz and Olzer are on bench.We have to sack him now.
You are right in some points
Pioli………….. has a record of coaching teams but not doing anything or winning anything
Why does Maldini and Co think he can deliver ACM to CL?
Scudetto gone, CL all but gone relegated to 5th on the ladder
What next Pioli???????????????
No one will want to come to play for ACM!!!!!!!!!!!
Maldini should signed German manager!!!!!!!!!!!rivera
2021 Milan is the result of poor choices made in 2020. Pioli shouldn’ t be renewed because he is an average old school italian coach. His tactical ideas are obsolete but honestly this is not the weakest point for pioli. The weakest ability is judging player value and insisting in stupidity. And milan is not the first club where he showed this ‘ability’. SACK him immediatly
I think Milan’s best players turned into Average players. This is clearly visible in Calhanuglo, Rebic, Theo, etc.
Other players are not supposed to be players in Milan, such as Castelijo, Krunic, Diaz, Romaniogli, etc.
I am not sure if the manager does not know how to lift the players or the presence of Ibra is negatively affecting the players.
Nonetheless, changes are required in the management staff, at least half of the team needs to leave and more chances to true Milanistas need to be given a chance such as Olzer, Daniel, Columbo. After all, these are the clubs sons.
For Pioli, the attack build up is extremely slow and they need to update. This has not been effective in the past 10 games and Pioli is not getting that.
pioli out!!!!