PRAGUE – The Eden Arena, renamed Fortuna after the name of the sponsor, makes it all too easy to joke about the particular moment in which this Europa League match falls at Slavia’s home: the cup garden serves Milan as a shelter from the storm of the criminal investigation into transfer of control of the club, in August 2022, from the Elliott fund to the RedBird fund. In fact, qualifying for the quarter-finals of the only tournament that the team has never won would have an even more important value, given the context. Which however cannot be ignored, even if Pioli tries hard to guarantee that the players are not at all affected by the events outside football: “I didn’t say anything to the boys, because there was no need. I saw so much serenity and tranquility around us.” And he explained to Sky why: “I went to dinner with Ibrahimovic and Furlani, it was an appointment planned for some time. We saw the Champions League matches. We talked about many things, not about the company situation.” Perhaps – he hinted with a laugh – also about his future: “We talked about many things”.
The Milan coat of arms
The long-term objective is effective and revealing it also means trying to overcome contingency: it is the Club World Cup, precluded to Milan by its current status as a somewhat decayed noble in Europe, while Inter and Juventus are ready to face the new competition: “I didn’t focus too much on the qualification mechanisms. In previous years Milan had sometimes not made the cups or had not participated in the Champions League, so they dropped in the ranking. Of course, the objective becomes that of playing in the World Cup: due to its coat of arms and history, Milan deserves it.”
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The Rennes Pass analogy
The technical trap of this Prague match, after the 4-2 in the first leg with over an hour in numerical superiority at San Siro due to Diouf’s expulsion, seems relative: “We analyzed the minutes of numerical parity, in which our opponents played an excellent game, even if we are convinced that it won’t be the same here: it is a very important moment of the season and we don’t want to make mistakes. The advantage we took in the first leg allows us to approach the match with great attention. There is no risk of underestimating the opponent. They are used to attacking with many players, but this will also mean finding more space.” The analogy with the play-offs for the round of 16 with Rennes remains clear, in which there were some thrills upon returning to France with a defeat (2-3), despite the 3-0 in the first leg: “Slavia and Rennes are similar teams , but we will be focused. We have a plan A and a plan B of equal level.”
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Tomori’s return
The comfort of the return of Tomori, a defensive pillar absent for two and a half months due to injury, is fundamental: due to fragility and number of goals conceded, it was not Milan’s best edition. The person concerned analyzes the issue: “Personally I feel good, I’m happy to be back on the pitch. I want to give everything I can. It’s been a long ten weeks. In football it’s difficult to focus on a specific thing to improve on: in many games we conceded too many goals, but in a season it happens.” Therefore the recipe is simple: “Focus on the defensive topside and try to hurt him in the offensive one. The fact that many have played as central defenders this season, also due to injuries, was not a problem, but an advantage: it means that we are full of resources.” The proclamation is consequential: “We can win, we want to win: we are preparing to win”.
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– 2024-03-15 17:06:03
