Pioli insists Messias’ success is ‘not a fairy tale’ amid displays in training | OneFootball

Junior Messias came off the bench in AC Milan’s mid-week clash against Atletico Madrid and scored the crucial winner. The Rossoneri, as a result of that, remain alive in the Champions League.

It was the best way for Messias to score his first goal for Milan, on his first appearance in the Champions League as well. At 30-years-old, he has worked hard to get where he is and many have labelled it as a ‘fairytale’ since the goal.

Stefano Pioli, however, has disputed that term and made it clear that the Brazilian has worked extremely hard to be where he is. In addition, the Crotone loanee has done very well in training for Milan as of late.

“Messias has shown you his qualities in one sequence, but he’s showing it to me in all the training sessions, that he has quality. It’s a good story but not a fairy tale, he’s here because he has the qualities to stay here, he will give us satisfaction. Today I have had the team review the goal because it’s important to manage the balls well and then fill the area, he did it very well,” he stated during his presser.

Messias will most likely come off the bench tomorrow as well, with Milan taking on Sassuolo at San Siro. It won’t be long, however, until he’s the favourite ahead of Alexis Saelemaekers if he can continue like this.

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