AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has revealed his delight after signing a contract extension that will see him remain at the club provisionally until 2025 at least.
In a statement on the club’s official website, the Rossoneri have communicated that Pioli has put pen to paper on a contract until 30 June 2025, with his previous deal having been set to expire in June 2023.
It is a fitting reward for Pioli who has led Milan on an upward journey since his arrival early in the 2019-20 season, with the first achievement being a return to European football which was followed by qualifying for the Champions League and then winning the Scudetto last season.
Pioli spoke on the club’s official Twitch channel to give his feelings after putting pen to paper on a deal that will see the continuation of what has so far been a mutually beneficial relationship, with MilanNews relaying his comments.
On his feelings: “Signing a renewal is always exciting and that’s the situation I wanted. I thank the owners and the management, also for the timing of this signature and this gives me even more energy in what I do and what I am doing.”
On the fans: “When we enter San Siro, but also away, they give us an energy and a support that we feel. We must give them satisfaction, because they help us so much especially in delicate moments when we suffer. It is there that even the players manage to get their last energies.”
On winning with Milan and his path: “I’ve always been very positive. I like to believe in what I do and when I joined Milanello, I felt the right energy, talent and sharing to build something important. And when you coach Milan, you have to aim to always do your best and win something.”
On the new ambitions: “Ours is a path that must be in full development. We have to be ambitious. We know how good it is to win and how much it costs to win in terms of work, dedication and sacrifice. We want to be competitive and we work every day to be competitive. We have to be almost obsessed with being ambitious and winning every single game. Only in this way can we remain at the highest levels.”
On the staff: “I have an important staff in terms of skills and passion, as well as in terms of numbers. They support me and put up with me because I am very demanding, with myself and with them. I thank them for the work they do, which is always done to the maximum and with great seriousness.”
On what Milan have become for Pioli: “It is something that got into me. It’s that feeling that I go to the pitch and that we go to San Siro. Great emotion and great responsibility, but always accompanied by great energy. I am happy to coach Milan and to be with our fans. This always makes me give my best to achieve the best possible results.”
On his best match in charge: “We have played a lot, but the most beautiful is that of Sassuolo, because nothing was taken for granted and easy. We knew we had to win every match to win the Scudetto and facing it with that strength and personality was important.”
On how and where his team can grow: “We can grow a lot because we are getting used to playing challenging games with a lot of continuity. To do this, you need a great mentality and professionalism. We must aim to have continuity, because this is the only way you can win the title. In the Champions League, on the other hand, it also depends on how you get to the matches and it also takes a bit of luck. To win in the league you have to be as consistent as possible.”
On Maldini’s first call: “I was in talks with two other Serie A clubs. When Paolo’s call came, I immediately came to Milan. He is an intelligent, serious person with Milan in his DNA. When he speaks he always says things that are very intelligent, useful and relevant to the work I do.
“It took him little to convince me, maybe it was more I who had to convince him. We talk a lot with Paolo and Ricky, we talk about everything and we have a respectful and useful relationship. Sometimes there are different opinions, but it is from this relationship that one can have constructive ideas.”
On having a predisposition to playing well: “This is what we are trying to do. We like how we want to interpret the games. I think we can grow in controlling the games, dominating them more by playing as much time as possible in the opposing half of the pitch and we will soon get these results.”
On whether he feels different since his arrival: “Yes, there have been three seasons made up of many different situations that have allowed me to deepen my knowledge of the players, of the working method, of new positions. I feel different, better, but with the same passion. three years ago.”
An anecdote from his three years with the Rossoneri: “There are two situations that had an impact on the victory of the Scudetto: the comeback in the derby derby and Tonali’s goal against Lazio. There, at the end of the game, we told ourselves that we had to win it because we were strong.”
On if he will get another tattoo if he wins another trophy with Milan: “Absolutely yes.”
On if he feels he has to say thanks to someone in particular: “I don’t want to be trivial, but I thank my father because he gave me great teachings. He was an honest and generous person and I know he would be very proud of what I am doing.”
