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AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has provided a fitness update ahead of the trip to Pisa, playing down the Scudetto pursuit once again.
While a glance at the present table shows Inter eight points ahead and Roma just four points back in fifth place, Milan simply have to seize the opportunity this weekend provides. An away game against a struggling Pisa side begins a round that also includes Inter-Juventus and Roma-Napoli.
So, if the Rossoneri take care of business in Tuscany, they could put some big pressure on their rivals around them. It is easier said than done, though, as the 2-2 draw against Pisa in the reverse game at San Siro earlier in the campaign demonstrates.
Allegri’s pre-Pisa press conference
Allegri spoke to the reporters who gathered at Milanello on the eve of the trip to face Pisa for his pre-match press conference. The questions from the journalists and the answers from the coach were relayed by MilanNews, and we have translated them below.
Milan are back on the pitch after almost 10 days without a game. What’s the threat this match poses?
“Let’s just say that Pisa is currently fighting for survival. They’re a physical team that creates a lot at home. They’ve lost while keeping games alive, so we’ll need to be very focused and ready right away.
“Winning isn’t easy, especially in the second half of the season where points count for a lot. Friday is one of four games that will lead us to the derby: against Pisa, Cremonese, and Parma in the first half of the season, we only got two points.”
Is it a potentially favourable round of games?
“It’s a very important round. When the other teams have direct matches, winning would be important. It won’t be easy; we’ll have to take another step forward to get closer to the heights that will allow us to qualify for the Champions League.”
What can you tell us about the injured players
“Pulisic trained with the group for the first time yesterday; he’s available but will only get 15-20 minutes. Leao is much better. Gimenez is even much better, he could be available within a month. Saelemaekers will still be out, but he’s much better. We’ll see if he’ll be available for the Como match.”
What’s it like to return to Pisa?
“We’re talking about ’89-90, it was my first year in Serie A, I made my debut against Milan. It was a wonderful experience with a wonderful president. I have friends from Pisa and Livorno. I’m happy to be back. It’s important to go happy and come back happier.”
How much of Allegri’s hand is there in Nkunku’s rebirth?
“It’s a matter of settling in; he’s a sensitive guy. I joked: if you laugh more, things go better. Fortunately, things are going well, but he has extraordinary technique. Getting everyone back is crucial for the end of the season.
“I’m very happy with Loftus’ goal, Fofana returned with a good performance. The reliability of all the players is important right now, both those who start and those who come on as substitutes.”
Can Leao start then?
“I have to watch the last training session today and then decide on the lineup. We have three games, Friday, Wednesday, and Sunday. I have to guess who will play tomorrow, Wednesday, and Sunday. The most important game is tomorrow.
“Games now last 100 minutes, and substitutions become crucial in the last half hour. So far, substitutions have helped us a lot: matches are decided by the substitutions that come on from the sixtieth minute onward.”
The players say they believe in the Scudetto. What’s your assessment?
“I rate it positively. We all need to have the ambition to achieve the best. If there are teams that finish ahead of us, it means they deserve it. Fifty points aren’t even enough to get into the Conference League: the sooner we get closer to the Champions League quota, the better we’ll be in the table.”
What are your thoughts on refereeing today?
“Fifty years ago, there were discussions about referees. Now we have VAR, which helps a lot. They’re working on it, trying to improve situations and assessments. I always say that the most important thing about VAR is objectivity: we can improve there. Everything else is subjective.
“If they give you something in your favour, you stay quiet. If it’s against, you get angry. Being subjective, one person can decide one thing and another another. There will always be controversy. They’re improving, but the improvement comes from objectivity, not subjectivity.
“I burst out smiling because we were able to commentate on an incident that happened in England in Italy, we’re wonderful. We went to commentate on the Liverpool-City incident… It would be nice to talk about technique and many other things that need improvement.”
How do you rate Milan’s season so far?
“Milan are having a good season right now. Winning isn’t normal; it’s difficult. One team wins. We started out trying to get back into the Champions League, and we’re currently in the top four. We could have done better in the Coppa Italia, and that’s the only regret we have.
“But we have to stay focused on our objective: Inter and Napoli are very strong teams, and to get into the top four you have to have a great season. We shouldn’t waste energy; we have to focus solely on getting things done.”
How important is it that the players are in the right mental frame of mind?
“There are times when, even to provide motivation, there’s a lot of competition, and that’s important. If someone doesn’t play, they should be angry with the coach who doesn’t let them play, not with their team-mates.
“The important thing is that when they go on the pitch, they have to help their teammates and understand that they can bring Milan back to its natural habitat: the Champions League.”
How’s the team’s morale? We heard about the big group dinner yesterday…
“We had dinner because someone had to pay some fines. Tomorrow we’ll be back playing after 10 days. The positive side is that we’ve recovered almost everything. Tomorrow is the sixth away game in the last nine. A result tomorrow would give us a great boost.”
Could the forced rest period for some players be useful?
“It’s not a question of bad luck; injuries happen throughout the season. The positive side is that Pulisic and Leao have played less so far and will be important for the end of the season.
“We need to be clever and lucky in making the right decisions. The important thing right now is that we need to know that the details make the difference: right now we don’t have time to recover, we’re no longer in the first half of the season.”
What are the qualities of this group?
“A group hungry for revenge, a group with great moral values, who come to the pitch every day to improve and with the clear goal of getting a result on Sunday.”
What needs to happen to make us happy tomorrow?
“To return home satisfied, you need to get a result, and to get a result, you need to put in a focused performance, both technically and tactically. Against Inter in Milan, they were 2-0 up after 20 minutes.
“In the first leg, we were the ones who seemed to have lost the game and they scored twice against us. That shouldn’t happen again.”
Do you prepare for games based on your opponent or do you want to have a specific identity?
“We always try to have a good approach, and then there’s the opponent. In Como we made a lot of mistakes at the start, just like in Rome. That didn’t happen in Bologna – the boys were much better.”
Have you been following the Winter Olympics?
“I have to congratulate Brignone. It’s not easy to come back, but willpower allows you to keep up the good performance. The medal count… We Italians say we’re the worst of all, but in the end we get results.
“The athletes are winning medals and they’re very good. But it’s not that they were bad before. We have to be proud of what we do; our history speaks for us in sports. Then there are the cycles…
“We have many very good tennis players now, we have two in the top five. We have to be proud, not always beat ourselves up.”
Would you sign for a Scudetto play-off with Inter today?
“Inter have 24 games under their belt right now, with 18 wins and just one draw. They’re a strong team. They’ve been fighting for the Scudetto for five or six years. In the meantime, we’re trying to win in Pisa, which is the most important thing. Then we’ll see what to do.”
Baresi and Bergomi were at the Olympics opening ceremony…
“It was a thrilling experience. We’re waiting for Baresi at Milanello right now, he hasn’t been here in a long time. These are exciting moments, and these Olympics are good for Italy.”
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