AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has roared that his club is looking to win the Europa League this season, and has stated that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is “very content” ahead of Thursday night.
The Rossoneri make the trip to Glasgow this week having wrapped up four consecutive wins to top the Serie A table. Celtic, meanwhile, come into the game having lost their title advantage by losing 2-0 at home to rivals Rangers.
Yet whilst progression to the last-32 or last-16 would please most Celtic fans – Milan appear to have higher expectations. MilanNews24 reported last night that the competition wasn’t their main priority, but Pioli’s comments ahead of the Parkhead opener suggests they hold European success in high regard. He’s been covering their European goals as well as Ibrahimovic’s frame of mind ahead of the fixture.
As quoted by the Daily Record, the AC boss said: “We are AC Milan and it is only right that we face every match and competition with seriousness and ambition to win it. We are not in a position to choose one or the other. We need to use the squad in both competitions, but I will always try and pick my best team for a single match.
“Europe is AC Milan’s garden. Yes, we are in the European competition that is the least important, but we are aiming to win the trophy. I think we are in a very balanced group. People said we got a lucky draw, I don’t buy into that. So I will stress to my players the importance of getting off to a good start in Glasgow against Celtic.
“The most important thing is to see Zlatan happy. And he is very content and satisfied with life at the club right now. He’s happy with his performances, his teammates and the whole club. Every great club has to have a champion in the team and Zlatan is ours.”
The message from Italy is loud and clear
So there you have it – exactly what we would’ve expected from Milan’s mindset. This is a competition they’ll want to win after years in the European wilderness.
Spurred on by the likes of Ibrahimovic and Hakan Calhanoglu, the Serie A giants have the quality throughout their squad to go far in the competition. And they’ll be especially motivated given they are, like Celtic, a Champions League name.
It’s now been 13 years since Milan last won a European competition. That was back in 2007 when they defeated Liverpool in the Champions League final. Fast forward that 13 years and they’ve never come close to achieving it since. That isn’t something that will sit well with the Rossoneri, who pride themselves on continental success just as much as they do domestic dominance.
So the game at Celtic Park has been targeted by Pioli as one in which they want to lay down a marker and get off to a good start. That means that Neil Lennon will have to expect the absolute maximum from our European foes in this one. Milan won’t be leaving any stone unturned.
That doesn’t mean they won’t make changes. Having a big squad means they should be able to keep some of their star men fresh for the game against Roma next Monday night. But Pioli will be looking to ensure it doesn’t harm the quality they offer on the night at Parkhead.
Regardless, we now know their mindset heading into this. We can’t expect any half-hearted performances from the Rossoneri. They’re wanting to rebuild their reputation, and a win at Celtic Park would be a fine building block for them in that respect.
In other news, a defender Celtic reportedly bid for in the summer has admitted that he’s pleased with the speculation.
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