Stefano Pioli praises Mike Maignan for dealing with racist Udinese fans and explains why Rafael Leao’s ‘development journey has not concluded yet’ at Milan.
Juventus logo. Juventus Football Club is uploading official content.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek started the scoring at the Bluenergy Stadium, but Lazar Samardzic and Florian Thauvin equalized.
Luka Jovic knocked in a rebound from Olivier Giroud’s shot against the underside of the bar, and Noah Okafor scored from a corner in stoppage time to secure the 3-2 victory.
However, the match was overshadowed by referee Fabio Maresca’s five-minute stoppage of play with Milan leading 1-0 due to repeated racial abuse directed at goalie Maignan by Udinese fans just behind his goal.
“Obviously, he was disappointed. I’m proud to coach someone like Mike, who is respectful, fair, and proud. “We’ve had enough of hearing certain things in the stadium; ignorant people should stay home,” Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.
“We should have scored more than one goal in the first half, but we conceded twice unexpectedly, making things difficult. This proves that if you keep playing and believing in yourself and your teammates, you can turn things around. We expected a tough and physical contest, but we took the appropriate approach and demonstrated courage to win late on.”
The victory solidifies third place, nearly securing a Champions League position.
“We must take it one game at a time and win as many as possible in order to become protagonists. Inter and Juventus are moving so quickly that it’s tough to predict the future; we simply have to keep going and see what happens.”
Rafael Leao assisted in defence and appeared less hungry to score goals, but Pioli stated that the Portuguese talent is still maturing.
“Rafa’s technical, tactical, and mental development is not complete yet. According to the statistics, he is already a more associative player, making vital passes and assisting significantly more than before. We also adjusted our style; we control the ball more and don’t go on the counter, so Rafa has fewer openings to go into; he is also learning how to escape out of tight situations.
“These are all players with the ability to play at this level, but being at Milan also requires the appropriate attitude. Everyone must chase down opponents, battle hard, and assist; this is how we may score as many points as possible.”
This was Pioli’s 100th Serie A victory with Milan, and he was asked if he expects the next 100 to be with the Rossoneri.
“I hope so. “You don’t?” He smiled.
“You can ask questions and so can I!”
