AC Milan will meet Chelsea tonight in the Champions League group stages hoping to continue their unbeaten start in the competition, and Stefano Pioli believes they have what it takes to do so.
Milan will look to take a big step towards qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but they make the trip with an injury crisis overshadowing the build-up.
Milan will face off against Chelsea for the first time in 23 years tomorrow night aiming to maintain or potentially pad their three-point gap to the Premier League side, with Stefano Pioli’s men having taken four points from the opening two group games against Red Bull Salzburg (away) and Dinamo Zagreb (home).
Pioli was interviewed by Prime Video ahead of the game against Chelsea tonight, with his comments relayed by MilanNews and translated below.
On having experience in the Champions League: “The experience we had in the Champions League last season, against great opponents, was such an exciting and stimulating debut but just as difficult against a great team. It has seen us grow. I see my players certainly more. aware and certainly more complete from a mental point of view.”
On Potter: “He is a modern coach who tries to implement an aggressive, dynamic, proactive football. The unexpected change of coach has created some difficulties for us too because we will only have two games to study. But on the one hand, better, we have less work to do. Chelsea players all have great qualities and a great technical level, so a complicated game is certainly waiting for us.”
On the differences between Serie A and Champions League: “Only two things are different: the fields where we play that allow you to play high-level football, both technically and in terms of rhythm. And the referees are different: there is less protesting and therefore the intensity and pace of the match are high.”
On Tonali: “He is a boy who is reaching very high levels. He is a boy who is always available, serene, smiling.”
On Giroud: “He is not only a great player and a great champion but he is a person of an incredible depth. When there was the first video call, before he arrived here, both Maldini and Massara both had the sensation of having in front of a high-level player, which would have raised the level of the whole team.”
On Ibrahimovic: “For me he is number one. A champion of mentality, technique, competitiveness and then I discovered a very intelligent and very nice person. He had to immerse himself in a reality where the team had never won, where the young players had to be improved and stimulated, pampered at times. And he did it with incredible sensitivity and intelligence. I hope to be able to find him on the field in January.”
On Leao: “His attitudes, his dangling and his grin on his face does not correspond to the Rafael inside. A very intelligent boy, very sensitive. I like him so much because he listens. I tell him every day never to be satisfied because whoever has the potential he has, must make the most of it and then truly reach the top of the world.”
