Pioli bats off Napoli links as Milan fight for second: ‘We’ll see’ | OneFootball

Stefano Pioli tried to bat off the rumours linking him to Napoli ahead of Milan’s Sunday afternoon Serie A clash with Alberto Gilardino’s Genoa.

The Rossoneri coach is widely expected to be dismissed at the end of this season, bringing an end to a five-year spell in the Lombardy capital, and reports have suggested that he’ll head south to join Napoli in the summer.

In the meantime, Milan have cast a wide net in their search of replacements for Pioli, considering a long list of options including Sergio Conceicao, Paulo Fonseca, Mark van Bommel and Ruben Amorim. A final decision will be made ahead of the pre-season preparations.

Pioli press conference

Speaking in a press conference via TMW, Pioli first discussed the fight for second place.

“There absolutely must be the will to play in the best way possible to win and take second place, which is not yet entirely ours.”

He was asked how it felt to work amidst the rumours surrounding his future.

“My task shouldn’t be complicated, there are four games left. It’s true that outside you talk about everything except the games, but we don’t. We have a great sense of responsibility. Then we’ll see the future at the end of the season.”

Pioli batted off the Napoli links.

“No thoughts, other than the next four games. At the end of the season, I’ll meet the club and we’ll see what to do.”

He commented on his preparations for Genoa.

“We have the opportunity to demonstrate that we are responsible people, we cannot change our past, but we can change the present.”

Pioli spoke about his relationship with the Milan directors.

“Zlatan and Moncada were here yesterday. My relationship with the directors has always been good and will also be so at the end of the season, even when we talk about our future.”

He was again probed about his post-Milan future.

“You’ve waited a long time, wait a little longer to talk about my future, the work isn’t finished. You can write, I can’t control the rumours and I don’t even want to control what you put out there.

“The real thing is that I have another year of my contract with Milan and that I won’t talk to any other club whilst I’m under contract with Milan.”

Pioli discussed the idea of a year away from football.

“I know you find it hard to believe me and I understand it from your looks, but I’m not thinking about my future. Then we’ll decide. I’ll meet with the club at the end of the season and then we will decide what to do.”

He reflected on the differences between the first meeting with Genoa this season and the upcoming clash.

“We won with a bit of luck, we were first in the table. I want to congratulate Gilardino for the work he did, he has very good players, but he was good at putting them together.

“We met our rivals who had an incredible season, we weren’t able to stay close to them. Then the elimination against Roma was very, very painful for us, we played two normal games, and we were eliminated.”

Pioli spoke about a possible hostile climate at Milan.

“When you coach a club like Milan there is no middle ground. I have been praised a lot and I have been criticized a lot.”

He was asked – in Neapolitan dialect – if he likes pizza.

“I like cappelletti in broth, because I’m from Parma! I congratulate Pecchia on the promotion, he can take it easy.”

Pioli discussed the protest from the Milan ultras at the Genoa match.

“Our fans have always been an added value, especially in difficult moments. And I don’t forget that. They have taken this position, and we respect it, then we have to do everything to ensure we win the match.”

He looked back at the support he was receiving six months ago.

“In these five years, I’ve often returned home with a happy heart when I was on fire, then recently things have changed, and I was a little sadder… When there is so much love there are always excesses, I enjoyed so much satisfaction that the fans gave me, but I also suffered a lot.”

Pioli spoke about his plans for the starting lineup.

“I’ll tell you beforehand, there’s some who’ll write it as soon as they leave here, tomorrow Pulisic, Leao, Chukwueze and Giroud are playing. If I didn’t choose them other times, it’s because I thought that other types of characteristics were needed more to win the games.

“Loftus-Cheek has had an excellent season, he is strong. He cannot have the consistency that perhaps he’ll have next season, both in terms of knowledge and fitness.”

He commented on if Gilardino was the right man to take over at Milan.

“For tomorrow I hope to be the right man for Milan, then we will decide the future. I told the boys that we deserve to finish well.”

Pioli discussed the influence of the leaders in the dressing room.

“We have always thought about the team, never about an individual. There are positive and negative things in our season. Then everyone can grow, many can still give something.”

He reflected on his time with the Rossoneri.

“It’s clear that I’m part of Milan’s history, not only because of the Scudetto, but also because I coached this team for five seasons, where there were positives and negatives.”

Pioli referenced Daniele De Rossi’s comments that the recent Milan-Roma clashes were more balanced than the scoreline suggested.

“I hope Daniele maintains this clarity and correctness in his evaluations and judgements, I’m following him, I have always appreciated him a lot as a footballer for his mental and character qualities, I like him a lot.

“I don’t feel like giving advice, just being yourself to be credible with players and who you deal with.”

Finally, Pioli touched on the quality of Genoa’s play with the ball.

“They know how to cover spaces well, they work the ball well with both defenders and the goalkeeper.”