Stefano Pioli is pleased Milan’s game with Genoa was rescheduled rather than played behind closed doors, but “I do wish the decision had been made earlier.”
The Rossoneri’s game with Genoa was meant to be on Sunday at 11.30 GMT, but was postponed to May 13 along with Udinese-Fiorentina, Juventus-Inter, Sassuolo-Brescia and Parma-SPAL due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Stefano Pioli is pleased Milan’s game with Genoa was rescheduled rather than played behind closed doors, but “I do wish the decision had been made earlier.”
The Rossoneri’s game with Genoa was meant to be on Sunday at 11.30 GMT, but was postponed to May 13 along with Udinese-Fiorentina, Juventus-Inter, Sassuolo-Brescia and Parma-SPAL due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
“It’s a difficult situation. They are now trying to bring us back to normality and we hope it’ll be resolved as soon as possible,” Pioli told Milan TV.
“Seeing the streets of Milan so empty is strange and painful, but health comes first. We can only praise those who are working so hard to face this serious situation, hoping unity can help us overcome this latest battle.”
Many are complaining about the decision to postpone rather than play behind closed doors.
“Football is passion and that’s missing when you play in an empty stadium. I spent all week worrying about how I was going to get these lads to understand what it’s like to play without a crowd. I’m happy the game won’t go ahead, but I do wish the decision had been made earlier.
“There have been positive and negative moments in the season. What we’ve done so far is not important, it’s what we leave behind and there is much still to be done.
“We lacked a killer instinct against Fiorentina and made the mistake of thinking we could just control the situation, whereas we must always play with the same intensity.”
Pioli insisted he won’t take credit for revitalising Ante Rebic’s Milan career.
“It’s not true that the coach makes all the decisions, at least not entirely. When the players work hard, are determined and show what they can do in training, they have a better chance of being picked.”