Pioli’s shocking response when asked to apologize

Zvonimir Boban and Stefano Pioli are left speechless after AC Milan’s shocking 5-0 defeat against Atalanta.

A bitter defeat to mark the end of a horrendous 2019 for the Rossoneri. Atalanta thrash AC Milan 5-0 to Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, thanks to goals from Gomez, Pasalic, Ilicic (two) and Muriel. After a streak of four games unbeaten, Milan suffer their worst defeat in 21 years.

“It’s difficult to give an explanation given what we’re going through. We have to react, sometimes you suffer in football, but you need to pick yourself back up. We don’t want to throw away two months of good work, a time in which our results have improved too”, said Rossoneri Chief Football Officer Zvonimir Boban following the shocking defeat against Atalanta.

Coach Stefano Pioli too was not impressed by the performance of his players. “We completely missed the approach, the responsibilities are mine and the players. Atalanta did what they wanted on the pitch, there was no reaction from us. Te whole performance was wrong. We were tactically and mentally wrong, we faced the worst opponent at the worst moment. They have a higher intensity“

But when asked if it’s time to “apologize” to the fans for the team’s performance Pioli doesn’t agree: “I don’t think it’s time to apologize, we have to review everything regarding the performance because this is not who we are. I am disappointed by my players, the performance was negative”.

Pioli ended the interview with a question on Zlatan Ibrahimovic: “That’s a question for the management. It is a discussion that is going on for around a month and a half. Ibrahimovic is a champion who would raise the competition, desire and determination to increase the level of training and performances. I am the primarily responsible, but also the players. We had to do better. We played below our means“.

READ MORE: AC Milan’s first January sale confirmed