PIOLI: "UPPING OUR PERFORMANCE LEVEL"

A tricky away match at Lecce awaits the Rossoneri: this Saturday, at 18:00, we will be on show at the Via del Mare against the side coached by Baroni, unbeaten in five consecutive league games. On the eve of the game, Coach Pioli held a press conference at Milanello, live on Milan TV, YouTube and Twitch from 14:00 CET.

THE TEAM'S MOOD
"I saw will and determination in the players, in the last few games we did not achieve the results we deserved. I saw a desire to do something more and to learn from our mistakes. I asked the team to sleep at Milanello after the defeat against Torino because when there's something wrong I find it hard to wait for the next day, I preferred to immediately explain the things we have to do better". 

THE VIA DEL MARE CHALLENGE
"It will be a very difficult match because they are very confident, they are doing well on the pitch, mentally and physically. Colombo is doing very well, he's young but he's improving a lot and AC Milan are watching him with great attention".

LECCE AND RIYADH ALREADY DECISIVE IN THE SEASON
"I think it's quite normal that there is a more critical eye towards us, we won the Scudetto and showed our quality. We want to improve: for the last few performances the criticism is fair. The season is still long and the league does not end after this match. The Super Cup is a very important goal and is a separate matter from the league. Let's not forget how we won the Scudetto last year, winning so many points from February'. 

RECOVERIES
"The group is strong when it is complete, Origi and Kjær have recovered. Rebić is travelling with us because the trip starts today and will last a week between Lecce and Riyadh, and he could recover by the Super Cup. It will be very important with time to have other players back."

ROMA AND TORINO
"We are disappointed and regret that we didn't get the results we wanted in both matches, in both games we were in control: it's not a question of second balls or who took over. Attention, determination and quality are the factors that must lead us to win these games. We lacked clarity, we were frantic, shooting a lot and hitting the target little. We have to raise the level of our performance from the point of view of technical quality and decision making". 

NOTES ON INDIVIDUALS: VRANCKX, ADLI, CDK AND DEST
"Aster has very good qualities and is growing well, he will have the space I will give him within the context of great competition in all roles. Yacine is training well with a lot of availability, he was the one most affected by my choices because there are many players in his role but he has no problems adapting. Charles had a good game, especially as a centre forward. When Torino sat back, and with shorter and tighter spaces, he had more difficulties. Sergi had a good game, he must have this attitude, this concentration and this application every day. He has important intensity and needs to be decisive in the defensive phase too".  

THE PICTURE OF THE SEASON
"Great goals are achieved through small steps: after the draw against Roma we hung the league table up in the dressing room from last season's first half, which ended with 42 points."

ISMA'S CONTRACT RENEWAL
"Very happy for him, he deserved the contract the club gave him. He is very ambitious and accompanies this ambition with the humility of someone who knows that he has to and still wants to improve'.

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