PIOLI: "HERE TO WIN"

It is the eve of a special derby. Not a league one, so no points up for grabs, but there is a trophy at stake. The Rossoneri are in Riyadh where the Supercoppa Italiana Final will be staged on Wednesday 18 January at 20:00 CET at the King Fahd Stadium. On the eve of the match, Coach Pioli and Calabria have spoken at a press conference to present this great fixture. Their comments were broadcast live on Milan TV, YouTube and Twitch.

THE EVE OF THE GAME
"It's an important game with a trophy at stake. Games against Inter in recent seasons have always been difficult and intense. On the day before a Final, it’s neither easy nor difficult. They are a strong opponent who have always been difficult for us, even in the games we have won. We will have to put in the best performance possible."

THE MATCH PLAN
"The fact that there is a trophy to play for increases the importance of the game, and as a result we need to raise our game. We must not play like we did in the first half against Lecce, we have shown that we have quality and I expect the team to play with it. What happened in the league or the Coppa Italia means nothing: this is another game, and we can't wait to play it."

"HUNGRY" FOR VICTORY
"We all have the same mindset going into the game. How could such a young team, that has only won one trophy, not be hungry for more? We must keep in mind our quality: we will win if we play well, if the quality is there. If the quality is not there, we are more likely to lose, it becomes much more difficult to win games."

THE DEFENCE
"Tough moments happen, and we have faced them as a group. It is a Final, it is an occasion for us to be proud and enthusiastic. We must try to defend better, we are conceding too many goals, we have to be compact defensively. We have made mistakes that have led to conceding goals, and we have to do better." 

THE RESTART
"To not play for 50 days and then restart with so many games straight away is tough for the players, this is important. However, I think that over the course of a season every team will go through difficult periods: so far only Napoli haven't had one. We will think about the league when we return to Milan. We deserve to be here, because we won the Scudetto. This trophy is one of our objectives."

DAVIDE CALABRIA

THE STRENGTH OF THE GROUP
"I didn't see my teammates dejected or sad, we remain positive as always. We have to continue to work as we are, and play as we know: the results will come by themselves. If we want to become a great team, everyone must feel part of this project. What we have said to each other should remain in the dressing room. We are playing a final, and we have to give everything to win the match".

THE ROSSONERI'S TIME
"I think it's absurd to be satisfied after one Scudetto. It's because we have seen and experienced what it means to do it, we want to win again. It's normal to have a period of physical decline, but we're here to win. That's our focus, that's our goal. We made some mistakes in defence that you pay for at this level: we have studied these situations, and we must not make any more mistakes on the pitch."

A CAPTAIN'S FINAL
"Of course I imagine it (lifting a trophy), it's a goal of mine to win this cup. We have to give everything we can, I dream of winning as much as possible with this team. To play a final as captain is a great thing, but to win it is another thing. We are here because we deserved to win a Scudetto, now we have this cup which would be just as important. I don't like to make comparisons with other captains of the past, I want to write my own history and this cup would mean a lot to everyone."

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