PIOLI: "WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE, WE BELIEVE"

Time for words. At Milanello, the work on the pitch and general preparation for the EuroDerby left time for the press conference of the Coach and Giroud. On the eve of the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, scheduled for Wednesday 10 May at 21:00 CEST at San Siro, Pioli and Olivier shared their thoughts ahead of the (two) most awaited and important match(es) of the season.

STEFANO PIOLI

DETERMINATION, BUT MOST OF ALL JOY
"The team has never lacked spirit but spirit alone isn't enough if we don't have the right quality and care. The game will be tough but entertaining. I've tried to instil determination in my team but also the joy at playing in a match like this."

BELIEF, NO FEAR
"We've knocked out Tottenham and Napoli; we can knock anybody out. Inter are the favourites for some, but we want to give it a good go. We need to take into account that this tie is played over 180 minutes. We've been in great form in the Champions League. Now, we'll try to take one more step to reach the final; it would be amazing."

THE HOME FACTOR
"We're expecting the atmosphere at San Siro to be electric. The fans will drive us to give our all from start to finish."

LEÃO
"He trained on an individual programme today. He'll push tomorrow and we'll see. If he in the squad, he might play, or even start. I'm calm; the player and the doctors will be the ones who'll tell me if he's available. He has unique characteristics and in his absence, we'll have other characteristics on the pitch. Saelemaekers an alternative? I tried various players on the left in training; he can play in that role so let's see what we choose tomorrow."

OLIVIER GIROUD

ON FIRE
"It's a derby. It's a special game. I like to play in these. I'm proud of this AC Milan team and I'm highly motivated. I always try to be positive with my teammates. We hope to put in a good performance; everyone will need to give 100%. The details could make the difference."

BELONGING AND ENERGY
"I'm 36 years old but have the motivation of a youngster. I'm hungrier than ever but I'm not looking for a comeback. AC Milan is a special place. I needed a new challenge and my first year couldn't have gone better. The final would be an incredible achievement; we'd deserve it for what we're doing. And we can still improve. We're all ambitious and full of belief - step by step. We'll watch Real Madrid v Manchester City but we're just focusing on Inter at the moment."

MANAGEMENT AT THE SIDE OF THE TEAM
"Maldini is here every day. He always supports us and watches us train at Milanello. That really surprised me when I first arrived, I didn't expect it. Maldini and Massara are always there for us."

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