AC Milan v Roma kicks off at 20:45 CEST LIVE
AC Milan are back to focusing on the league after the disappointment in the Coppa Italia. He will seek redemption, after another elimination, by winning against a shrewd opponent who knows how to manage - perhaps like no other - the emotional balances of a challenge. The Rossoneri face Mourinho's Roma, who have praised Pioli's team by calling them Scudetto-worthy.
"Mourinho is a top player. Intelligent, cunning and shrewd, he always excites his opponents before certain matches. Did I run into him? They are never clashes between coaches - explains the Rossoneri coach - but between teams that try to put their qualities on the field. We will have to put in a high-level performance and show that we are stronger to win."
What has been done so far is not enough. Milan have said goodbye to the Champions League and the Coppa Italia and are out of the Scudetto race. "If the others continue to run so fast, then we will probably finish third, but there are still a lot of things to do. Against Atalanta we suffered another disappointment after the Champions League, we have to turn this disappointment into great energy to redeem ourselves immediately," he continued. Right now we have to have the goal of redeeming ourselves immediately because we have a duty to do so towards ourselves and our fans, who will be many tomorrow as well."
Mourinho scolds Roma, 'Someone has to give more'José
Mourinho put his face on it. He did so on the eve of the match against AC Milan, in the most difficult moment since he has been in Rome, the first in which even the fans begin to dispute the team and the coach himself. He dismissed those who accused him of a lack of professionalism for the training session he missed on Thursday and used transparency to speak above all to the heart of his team and the fans. With the players, however, he had already had a meeting yesterday and as is the style of the Special One, he went straight to the point.
"I didn't spare myself - explains the coach - There are people who have to give more, but here we are all serious people who suffer when they lose". There is no shortage of self-criticism from the coach. "I'm the first to do it and I also told the boys about a game where I was the one who made a mistake - he adds - But I don't accept that anyone doubts my professionalism".
And here the reference is aimed at those who criticized him for skipping post-derby training. "I am the perfect example of professionalism - he continues - In over twenty years of career I have not missed a game and in two and a half years here never a training session, except for this one I had talked about with the director Pinto and the ownership for a reason that I am not here to explain".
But the goal now is to get going again, even if he will have to do so without Paulo Dybala, who was not called up for the match against Milan due to an overload in his left thigh. The absences, then, will not be limited only to the Argentine, which is why Mourinho when talking about the Champions League goal says that "the potential of the top 4 teams is not comparable with us".
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