Pioli disappointed by underwhelming Milan form: ‘I’m sorry for my players’ | OneFootball

Former Milan coach Stefano Pioli says that he is ‘sorry’ for ‘my players’ in the midst of an underwhelming run of form for the Rossoneri, which has left them in ninth place in the Serie A table and at risk of missing out on European football next season.

Milan are currently on 41 points after 27 matches of the 2024-25 season, which has put them in ninth place in the Serie A standings, 11 points shy of the Champions League positions and 17 off their rivals Inter at the top of the league table.

With three consecutive 2-1 defeats in Serie A (against Torino, Bologna and Lazio most recently), the Rossoneri now have the odds stacked against them if they are still aiming for a spot in next season’s Champions League.

Pioli ‘sorry’ for Milan players

@AntoVitiello

Pioli, who left Milan at the end of the 2023-24 season, has said that he is ‘sorry’ for the situation that the players currently find themselves in.

“I’m far away at the moment, but I feel sorry for my players, for the fans, because we created something magical and exciting. I hope to find that energy again,” Pioli said in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.

Pioli was in charge for Milan’s Scudetto victory in 2021-22, the club’s first in over a decade, and also brought the team to the semi-final of the Champions League in 2022-23, but was unable to defeat Inter, who went on to lose to Manchester City in the resulting final.

The 59-year-old is currently in charge of Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, a squad that features five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Sadio Mane, Jhon Duran, Marcelo Brozovic and Aymeric Laporte. Al-Nassr currently sit in fourth place in the SPL table.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrates victory with his coach Stefano Pioli after winning the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Riyadh and Al-Nassr at Prince Faisal Bin Fahad on November 8, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)