Former head coach Arrigo Sacchi has warned the current AC Milan squad not to fall into the ‘trap of success’ and to keep pushing for more in the upcoming season.
Milan ended their 11-year wait for the Scudetto last season as they beat their city rivals Inter to the league title in a race that went right down to the final game. The Rossoneri ended the season stronger despite having a much harder fixture list, winning each of their last six games and keeping nine clean sheets in their last 11 league matches.
However, the pressure has now been ramped up ahead of 2022-23 as Stefano Pioli’s side have the double task of remaining competitive domestically and potentially winning a 20th title and a second star while also aiming to do better in the Champions League to go further and boost revenues.
Sacchi spoke during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport about the current feeling surrounding Milan heading into the new campaign, with Radio Rossonera relaying his comments.
Where can the team go?
“The Scudetto was a masterpiece, for the way it was built through ideas and play, and repeating it will not be easy. However, that must be the goal for a team like Milan. The collective will count more than the singles, as it was in the last championship. And it will be essential to avoid the trap of success: woe to feel satisfied and that you have arrived at the end.”
Who is the man who can make a difference?
“Given that style always makes the difference and that, if the team does not have a style of play, even someone like Pele would struggle, I say that I expect a lot from Leao. He has everything to explode for good: physique, speed, imagination. The important thing is that he finds continuity of performance within the same system and that it is not absent, as has happened in the past.”
Where can Milan still improve?
“Among the big teams, Milan is the team that plays the most European style, but the guys from Pioli have to learn to stay more compact, shorter. There must be no more than thirty meters between the last defender and the last attacker: only in this way can you benefit from the synergy between the departments and you can get to the internalisation of the game. And then pressing, a lot of pressing: this is the key to success in modern football.”
