In less than 15 minutes, AC Milan will take on Atletico Madrid in the return fixture of the Champions League group stage. The Rossoneri’s sporting director, Ricky Massara, has shared his thoughts on the game and Stefano Pioli.
Milan need to claim all three points in Madrid this evening in order to still have chance of advancing to the next round. They also need Liverpool to not lose against Porto, while there will be similar requirements in the final round.
In short, the situation is far from easy for Stefano Pioli’s men and tonight’s game will be a huge test for them. Speaking to Amazon Prime, as cited by MilanNews, Massara shared his thoughts on the UCL experience and Pioli’s contract renewal.
On the game…
“It’s a decisive match, the standings require us to win and there is only one result. We know it’s difficult, Atletico hardly ever loses at home, but we’re here to win. We’ll try.”
How do you rate the team’s experience in the Champions League?
“It’s important, which helps the team to grow. We began a path two years ago that is bringing Milan back to the stages that compete with the big teams. We got a difficult group, but we are gaining experience and are playing games that will make us grow even more.”
We are in a wonderful and modern stadium. Will Milan soon have a new one too?
“Here we are in a wonderful stadium that makes you want to have stadiums of this level in Italy too: the growth of Italian football also depends on this type of infrastructure. We hope that the next one is that of Milan.”
Is the renewal of Pioli imminent?
“Pioli has done a great job and he continues to do well, we are happy. There is a mutual desire to continue the relationship together, the situation will be defined soon. A matter of days? It’s possible,” he concluded.
Milan will be without the likes of Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori, Davide Calabria and Ante Rebic this evening, which says a lot. All four would have been potential starters for this game, so it’s a blow not to have them available.
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