Former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi believes the Rossoneri’s match against Atalanta will be a ‘very English game.’ The two sides meet this evening at the San Siro in a race for the top four, and in La an an interview with Ls Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi analysed both sides, explaining why he thinks the match will be akin to a Premier League clash:
Do you like Pioli and Gasperini?
“They are good, they have shown it on the field. Milan and Atalanta, when they are in good shape, play good football: proactive, aggressive, in line with the European mentality.”
Let’s analyze Pioli’s season.
“In my opinion, he’s doing well. So far, I would give him a 6.5 rating, but he has the chance to reach 7 or even 8. The problem is that they brought him many new players, and it takes time to blend them all. He tries to rotate them, and sometimes when those who play less come in, the team stretches, widens, and goes into crisis. It’s normal, but the judgment on the coach doesn’t change.”
What do you appreciate about the Rossoneri coach?
“He’s moving away from tactics and becoming more and more a strategist. The tactician relies on the individual, the strategist focuses on collective play. The tactician costs the club a lot of money, the strategist relies on what he creates himself: maneuvering in both offensive and defensive phases. This is a fundamental difference that in Italy we should begin to understand also to balance the club’s budgets.”
However, Pioli has suffered two consecutive defeats, and there are always shadows over his future.
“This is a problem, the executives should always support him. I know something about it: Berlusconi helped me a lot when I arrived at Milan. Here it should be understood that at Milan there are good players, but not champions. They can become champions only if they are helped by the group: teamwork always hides the mistakes of individuals.”
And what do you say about Gasperini?
“He’s a master. In past seasons, he has accomplished a real masterpiece. Credit to the club that supported him and identified him as the right man to achieve certain goals. Playing against Atalanta is like going to the dentist: Pioli said it yesterday, and Guardiola said it even before. It’s an extremely difficult team to face.”
What do you appreciate about Atalanta?
“It had a drop in performance when it didn’t renew, but now it’s returning to high levels. Intensity, speed, off-the-ball movements, aggression in spaces, pressing: Gasperini’s boys know the vocabulary of modern football.”
A courageous team.
“Gasperini adopts the pure system, man-to-man all over the field. His players attack and defend in a compact way. They have extraordinary athletic preparation, you can see that they put the week’s work into practice on the field. And I’m appreciating De Ketelaere, who had difficulties at Milan, but evidently had the right qualities to break through as Maldini claimed. It just took a little patience, a quality that in Italy, unfortunately, is rare.”
Prediction for the match at San Siro?
“If Milan plays as a team, as a collective, and pays attention in defense, and if Atalanta brings the intensity that I’ve seen lately, the result will be balanced until the end. I expect a very English-style match, with a high pace, without a moment’s breath. I don’t know how it will end, but I believe there are conditions to have fun.”
