PIOLI: "WE WILL START OFF STRONG AND CONFIDENT"

We've now arrived at the start of the 2022/23 Serie A season. The first 90 minutes of the season will see the Italian Champions in action at San Siro against Udinese, in the match that will kick off the Serie A with the Rossoneri in defence of the Scudetto. In the press conference, head coach Stefano Pioli has spoken about the challenge ahead, live on Milan TV, YouTube and Twitch.

START OF THE SEASON
"There will be no need to negotiate between the enthusiasm of last season and the passion for a new campaign. It will be special to see San Siro full on 13 August and we will have to take great energy from this. We start off from zero points but are aware of what we are and what we’ve done. If we’re competitive, it’s due to our work ethic. We’ll build on our energy, our attitude and our desire to get off on the right foot".

ON THE EVE OF THE GAME
"This is a strong AC Milan side. What we do on the pitch will determine whether we’ll be better than last year. I have seen the same attitude and spirit in the eyes of my players. I think we still have areas to develop and improve upon every day. We have never worried about what is being said outside of Milanello, we are only concerned with the desire to develop and be more competitive, to try and win. We will have to demonstrate that tomorrow".

THE OPPOSITION
"Udinese are a good team; they have changed coach but it has not stopped their on-field performance. They are physical – much more so than us – and organised. Along with Juventus, they are the only team that we did not beat last year and, thus, we have prepared well. We’ve worked on set pieces over the summer; tomorrow, we face a much taller team so we’ll have to be more intelligent and crafty to take advantage of every situation. It will also be important to run hard out of possession, as a compact unit".

THE NEW ARRIVALS
"The new boys have made really positive impressions: Divock, Charles and Yacine are players with amazing traits and of great quality. Origi, in particular, was showing me the qualities of a complete centre-forward, and I believe he will bring us lots of satisfaction, as will Adli and De Ketelaere. I’m very pleased with what they have been showing us".

INDIVIDUALS
"Ante and Oli are going well. Everyone is available for tomorrow except Tonali, whose recovery is going positively. In preseason, I was impressed with Messias, Rebić and Bennacer, who have put together consistent and level-headed performances. But I have seen the desire to work hard and compete with everyone, to show they want to be selected. Kalulu has been one of the players that has grown the most, working with modesty and sincerity. I have no particular worries about his performances, he is a boy with his head screwed on".

THE NUMBER 10 POSITION
"If Brahim plays it will be because I consider him the most suitable option for this match because he knows what we ask of him and he has more momentum coming into our opening game. But throughout the course of the season, there will be competition for this position. I believe that all three can play in other positions in our attacking unit too which is very important to me".

THE FLOW OF THE NEW SEASON
"It will be an unusual season with the World Cup coming right in the middle; this may cause problems. It’s a tournament that I approach with curiosity: I think that for those who aren’t on the plane to Qatar, having a break after such an intense start to the season could also be something positive. Whereas, for those who are heading to the World Cup – and who might progress to the latter stages – it will be a more complicated season to manage. We will have to figure out how to work well on recovery".

THE NEW SERIE A CAMPAIGN
"The top seven are strong and the mid-table teams have improved significantly making this an even and competitive season which should motivate our players for tomorrow. We have worked very hard over the last month or so and we understand the challenge we face tomorrow: above all, we are aiming to beat an opponent that we didn’t manage to beat last season".

OBJECTIVES FOR THE ROSSONERI
"The boys will have to play with energy and intensity both technically and mentally to have a chance of winning: we must maintain high levels of pressure and focus for the whole 90 minutes. I am very eager to prepare well for these games and our individual and team performances will cause us to make changes; throughout pre-season, we tried out various tactics and I believe that having different characteristics up front will benefit us. Don’t talk to me anymore about being title holders: everyone will play, they are all AC Milan players. With so many games in the first three months, we need everyone to get off to a good start".

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