Honorary Milan vice president of Milan Franco Baresi says Milan mustn’t underestimate Europa League opponents Slavia Prague: “They are a solid, physical team.” Baresi was speaking with Sky Sport Italia following the draw for the last 16 of the competition, and emphasized the need to not downplay the tie against the Czech side:
“We absolutely must not underestimate Slavia Prague. They are a solid, physical team and had an impressive group stage performance against Roma. We need to prepare well because in international matches, no team can be underestimated.”
Baresi also addressed the loss in the second leg of the playoff against Rennes: “Losing is always disappointing; we always need to concede less. Perhaps after the first-leg victory, there was a lack of attention. However, Milan knows it must keep the bar high in the next round. When you concede many goals, everyone needs to do a little extra, which means you’re thinking a moment too late. The team needs to come together more; we create a lot but concede too much. More attention is needed; in the defensive phase, sacrifice and team spirit are essential.”
Regarding Milan’s ambitions, the honorary vice president said, “Where do I see Milan? We must always be ambitious and do our best to go as far as possible. We believe in ourselves, and we work because the team has all the qualities to aim for important achievements.”
