Pioli looking forward to facing Milan: “Winning that Scudetto didn’t change me”

Stefano Pioli has admitted that he is looking forward to returning to San Siro to face AC Milan, and insisted he hasn’t changed as a coach since the Scudetto win.

It was confirmed a couple of months ago that Pioli will be returning for another spell in Serie A after his experience in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr ended. He rejoined Fiorentina, a club that is close to his heart given he was there during the tragic passing of Davide Astori.

The last job that Pioli had in Italy was obviously Milan, a club with which he won the league title in the 2021-22 season. Now that he has returned to Serie A, it means he gets the chance to face off against the Rossoneri.

‘It changed the perception’

Pioli gave an interview to DAZN over the international break and he spoke about meeting his former club as well as his evolution as a coach following his Milan exit. His comments are via MilanPress.

You’ll soon return to San Siro to face Milan…

“Yes, Milan-Fiorentina will be on October 19th. I didn’t mark it because I keep telling the team to take it one game at a time, and so I can’t go any further.

“It will obviously be a special day because it’s the first time I’ve returned to an environment and a stadium that has given me such great emotions and satisfaction. We’ll think about it as we get closer to that date.”

Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

You won the Scudetto with Milan…

“Winning that Scudetto didn’t change me, but in my opinion it changed the perception from the outside. When you win, everyone thinks what you’ve done was truly important and positive. Winning it clearly gives you incredible visibility, especially with Milan having not won a Scudetto in many years.

“In my opinion, it’s a mistake to make people believe that a winning coach is only one who manages to win the Scudetto. Coaches are hired to achieve objectives and with expectations, any coach who manages to meet the club’s expectations is a winning coach.

“He who saves teams that need to be saved and who takes the team to Europe if that was the objective. I haven’t changed, and I’m no longer calm or serene because I’ve shown I can achieve this result.

“Winning probably brings with it even more responsibility and expectations. I’m even more focused on ensuring my work is at that level, at a high level. I have to be under pressure and prove I’m a top-notch coach.”