AC Milan have moved to provide an explanation regarding Jens Petter Hauge’s exclusion from their Europa League knockout stage squad.
As reported today by Tuttosport (via MilanLive), the club wanted to shed light on the Hauge case and acknowledged that they had to make a painful decision.
The Rossoneri saw their List A slots available reduced from 23 to 22, hence the choice of Stefano Pioli to leave Hauge out, to allow the inclusion of three new signings such as Tomori, Meité and Mandzukic.
The paper notes therefore that it was a choice dictated by both the regulation and the opportunity to deploy new and perhaps more tactically useful players.
Hauge has shown he has great talent and is the club’s top scorer in the competition but has only ever played as a left winger so far, where Pioli has players like Rebic, Leao, Diaz, Saelemaekers and Mandzukic who can occupy this position.
The Norwegian did not take the decision badly, realising that he still has to mature in order to be considered a primary player. It is no coincidence that Milan refused some offers for Hauge that arrived in January.