PIOLI: "HEAD DOWN AND KEEP PEDALLING"

The group stage in the Europa League is now behind us and AC Milan turn their attention back to the Serie A. On Sunday at 20:45 CET, Parma - off the back of a win against Genoa and a draw with Benevento - come to San Siro. Stefano Pioli, who both played for and coached the Gialloblù, shared his thoughts on the week and the match with the press at Milanello. Here's what he had to say during the press conference broadcast live on AC Milan Official App and Milan TV:

REMEMBERING PAOLO ROSSI
"He was a great teammate of mine. He was a champion of normality - being normal is a great quality to have. Our generation grew up with the 1982 World Cup. An available, calm, happy and simple person. We'll all miss him but he'll always be with us."

AC MILAN V PARMA
"They're a good team and have some decent players in attack. They could cause us problems so we'll need to be really flexible and alert. We'll need to play well, especially on the ball, without forcing things but waiting from the right moment."

THE TEAM
"We need to take it one stage at a time. We're thinking about Parma and then we'll think about our next opponents. The mountain we're climbing is a steep one so we'll need to keep our heads down and work. We're a strong side and we've shown that in Italy and in Europe. We don't need to change our approach; we're trying to win each game as it comes and go into the Christmas break in as best form as possible."   

ANOTHER TEST PASSED IN PRAGUE
"The changes we made felt natural, thanks to the spirit the players showed on the pitch. I was convinced we'd put in that type of performance because when you train in a certain way, you play games in that same way. We have good players - this makes all the difference. We always try to find room for improvement in any of our performances, even the best ones. We're a responsible group, with desire and courage. We made that jump up when we started beating the big teams, this has given us even more confidence." 

ITALIAN SIDES IN EUROPE
"It's important for Italian football that almost all of our teams made it through to the knockout rounds. We need to try to regain our place at the peak of European football. We all we need to do so and I hope at least one of the teams can do that, maybe even us. Inter, without European football, will have more time to prepare for games but maybe even a few more difficulties in terms of managing the squad. Will play the Derby in between both legs of the Round of 32 - that'll be really tough." 

INDIVIDUALS
"Hauge is showing that he has a lot of ability and is giving the team a real helping hand. He has room to grow and learn - both our style of play and the Italian language. Ibrahimović and Kjær are recovering well, they're aiming at a return on Wednesday in Genoa but my staff and I don't want to risk them. We want them back as soon as possible but without making any mistakes. Rebić has more attributes to play as a lone striker than Leão; he knows how to attack the spaces in behind. He's going through a bit of a goal drought but he's still useful for the team. Leão is an intelligent player but, at times, he doesn't utilise all of the energy that he has; he's young and I want him to play and have fun like he's in the park. Tonali had a tough summer, he wasn't in the best condition to start with but he's worked really hard. He has a great motor, is physically and technically gifted too. Bennacer is well, he's recovered from that knock and is available. Kalulu has shown in training that he can play in the centre of defence; he told me he was fine to play in that role. I liked what I saw from him in Prague and he can be a vital extra option for us. I'm also really satisfied with Gabbia's performances. He's playing at a really high level and is also useful with his distribution."   

AC MILAN, A FAMILY
"This Club has always had two core principles: playing good football and turning players into men. We have a lot of young lads, but they're already really mature. From my first day at Milanello, I felt like I was part of a family and I thought that a lot of good work could be done. The Club ensures we can always work at our best. There's a unique atmosphere here and constant motivation to do well."

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