Former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi believes Milan are right to stick with Stefano Pioli, despite their recent spate of defeats. The Rossoneri slumped to their third loss in four matches at the weekend, a shock defeat to Udinese who made it their first Serie A win of the season. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi explained why he doesn’t believe the recent poor form is down to the coach, insisting the club should stick it out with Pioli for now:
Sacchi, is the confirmation of the coach right?
“I would say yes. Is there anyone who thinks Pioli is to blame? I hope not. I think the most serious mistake is upstream, that’s where the problems come from’.
And what is the mistake?
‘Having bought too many foreigners. Those who come from abroad take time to understand our league, the game, the methodologies. These guys seem confused and the result is that Milan is not always a team.”
What are the biggest difficulties in such a situation?
“Everything becomes difficult, even talking to the players because you don’t speak the same language. But was there really a need to change so much? Milan, spending very little, had won the Scudetto and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League: making a revolution means having rejected the previous management.
The fans are disappointed and understandably furious.
‘The public’s booing on Saturday I found justified. Very bad performance. The fact is that now there is little time to get into the players’ heads and convince them that you have to become a collective’.
What should Pioli do?
“I don’t allow myself to give him advice, he will know what to do. I can say what I used to do.”
And that is?
“I was labelled as Mr Nobody coming to AC Milan. And in fact I was a Mr. Nobody. But Mr. Nobody wanted conceited, individualistic, lazy, greedy, unprofessional players. The coaches, today, should make their voices heard more during the buying campaign. Before I bought Rjikaard I sent a man I trusted to follow him for a fortnight: when he came back I even asked him what he ate, what his off-field habits were. You have to choose people before footballers, do you understand that?”.
However, the club is close to the coach.
“And this is positive because it allows Pioli to have the necessary authority when directing a group. In my first year at Milan I had some difficulties. Berlusconi came to Milanello and said, ‘Good morning. I have the utmost faith in Arrigo. Those who follow him will stay next year. Those who don’t follow him will leave. Goodbye’. Twenty-seven seconds of speech, and from that moment we began the great ride. The strength of society is fundamental to achieve great goals.”
