(Reuters) – Manager Stefano Pioli said AC Milan must win silverware this season to write their names in the club’s history books, urging his side to go for glory in the four competitions where they are still in the running for the top prize.
Serie A champions AC Milan are second in the league standings, eight points behind Napoli.
They have also qualified for the Champions League last 16, where they will face Tottenham Hotspur, and can still win the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa this season.
“We are still in the running in four competitions,” Pioli told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s league clash at Salernitana.
“If we want to consider ourselves a winning team, we have to try to win something again this year. Last season we made AC Milan history by winning (the Serie A). We are still hungry and now we want to cement our place in history.”
Pioli added that France internationals Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez, both of whom played in the World Cup final defeat to Argentina, had returned to training.
“We found them happy to be back, they have gotten over the disappointment of how the World Cup ended and are now charged up and motivated for the restart in the league,” Pioli said.
“I’ve congratulated them on their time with the national team, they are both available for the game.
Pioli added that Ciprian Tatarusanu would play in goal against Salernitana, in place of the injured Mike Maignan, who suffered a calf injury in October.
“We can’t force Maignan’s recovery, it certainly won’t happen soon. He’s on his way, but the assessments tell us that it’s not possible to push it yet,” Pioli said.
Three points against Salernitana could help Milan make up some ground in the Serie A title race, given their rivals — Napoli in first and Inter Milan in fifth — face each other on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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