PIOLI: "WE WANT TO END THE SEASON ON A HIGH"

There's plenty of fanfare surrounding the Rossoneri's upcoming fixture in Serie A, which will serve as a watershed moment for the rest of the season. AC Milan take on Fiorentina in Florence for their third consecutive away game in the league - this fixture is the final one before next week's international break. Ahead of tomorrow's game (18:00 CET kick-off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi), as usual, Stefano Pioli held a pre-match press conference. 

EUROPA LEAGUE ELIMINATION
"Getting knocked out was hugely disappointing, but now we’re even more aware of our potential and how we want to play. Furthermore, we’re wiser to the fact that the smallest details can make the difference at certain levels. The quality we displayed in both boxes was just below what it needed to be."

RETURNING TO FLORENCE
"I experienced a great deal in Florence, first as a player and then as a coach. It’ll never be a normal match because Florence and Fiorentina mean much more than that to me. Last season, I received a welcome that filled me with joy and made me emotional."

IBRA, ÇALHA, BENNACER AND DALOT
"Zlatan made the most of his time on the pitch on Thursday to get into better shape and will start tomorrow. His presence is important to us. Unfortunately, Covid and injuries have prevented Hakan from performing at his best, but he remains an important player for us. He’s trying to get back into the best shape on both a mental and physical level, but he’ll soon get to this point. Ismaël is certainly feeling better, he’s been working at a very high tempo. I don’t think he’ll take to the pitch as a starter, but he’s ready to play a part. It depends on how the match develops. Dalot is a player who is more inclined to attack, he’s made strides forward defensively and can still do even better. He’s intelligent and inquisitive and will continue to grow."

FINAL STAGES OF THE SEASON
"We need to aim for the best. Eleven league fixtures remain: we’re in the fight and need to try to win all of them, displaying our qualities and characteristics as best we can. Tomorrow’s match will be complicated, both because of the qualities that Fiorentina possess and the complicated period we’re going through. After the international break, I’m sure that we’ll be strong. The lads have been through a delicate moment but have managed to come out on the other side: we’ve shown we’re a strong side with our performances over the past two weeks. I expect us to end the season in excellent fashion. This is what we’re aiming for because it’ll decide the fate of our season. As previously mentioned, our Europa League elimination was hugely disappointing, but I saw focused players who are ready to react as a great team."

INJURIES
"There have been too many injuries. There are some justifications, but we’ve missed things in some cases and we’re not happy with these numbers. We’ll have to work smarter, and I hope that the break means we get a few players back. The more options that we have, the better."

INTERNATIONAL CALL-UPS AND MANAGING THE BREAK
"We’re always proud when our players get called up to their respective national sides, I hope that they all play well. The injured players have had two days off as of today, then they’ll get back to work to sort out their individual problems. As for those who will be playing for their national teams, some of them will benefit from time on the pitch, while it’d be better if others weren’t involved in all three games. There won’t be many outfield players staying at Milanello, they’ll be allowed to recover mentally and physically."

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