Milan coach Stefano Pioli says he and his players always believed they could win the Serie A title this season. The Rossoneri were crowned champions on the last day of the season thanks to an emphatic 3-0 victory over Sassuolo, pipping city rivals Inter to the title.
Speaking after the game, an emotional Pioli gave an interview to DAZN where he explained the motivation and drive that kept the team going:
I am happy for my players, for myself, my staff, the club, the directors and our fantastic fans. For all the Milan world which deserves this Scudetto.
We have always believed in it, surely I am happy. We were more consistent. If you get till here, it means that you’ve had continuity.
I don’t like to mention this, but I think the last game we lost was against Spezia, which we were not supposed to. The players’ mentality and identity have been remarkable, they’ve never given up and they have been fantastic. Everyone never lacked rhythm or intensity, also those who didn’t play much.
We deserved it because we never gave up and we were more consistent. We won key games. I have a strong team with two exceptional directors. If you reach this level, all the parts involved have done their best.
My staff and I had fun working with these players, we prepared every single game, trying to find suitable solutions for us.
We all enjoy what we do, which is the most important thing. We’ve always had clear ideas and a precise target which was to make it better than last season. We knew that we could have achieved something more by earning morning points.
The directors have created a winning mix of young and experienced players and we’ve built a winning mentality. We were brave, especially defensively, which rewarded us because we didn’t concede in many games, we defended like animals when the opponents had the ball.
My idea is to improve the players I have, but it’s all more difficult without talent. The club’s ability to sign talented players brought results. Congratulations to everyone.
Theo? He has everything inside, he has taken a step forward in terms of mentality and ability to stay in the game. Perhaps, being different off the pitch has changed him as well. He is great in everything he does and he is a fantastic player.”
