AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has heaped praise upon two Frenchman for their recent efforts, especially in the victory over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina on Saturday night.
Pioli was interviewed by SportMediaset on the eve of the cup game against Lazio at San Siro about a number of topics from the effects of the derby win to how Milan operate with ‘meritocracy’, with his comments transcribed by MilanNews.
He spoke about the man of the moment Olivier Giroud, who scored twice in three minutes of the game against Inter to transform Milan’s fortunes entirely from looking like they would be seven points adrift to now just being one behind.
“There are always detractors and criticisms, it is normal that this is the case,” Pioli began.
“I think it is also right that this is the case, but what matters is the trust we have in our players, in our qualities, in our way of playing. Olivier is proving to be the player he was bought for, a valuable player on the pitch and a person of great depth. A strong player who is giving a great contribution to the team.”
Another man who has drawn a lot of praise for his performance against the Nerazzurri is Mike Maignan, who pulled off three or four top saves to keep it at a one-goal deficit going into the break.
“Mike is a strong goalkeeper, he is showing it. We were all convinced of him, studying him well. He is a very determined boy, very ambitious and this means that every day he works to keep improving. He is definitely a player who is giving a lot and he must continue.”
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