‘Milan will be Champions League dark horses’ -Maldini

AC Milan needed a point to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League but the

were hard set to take their revenge against RB Salzburg who won against them in the reverse fixture.

Krunic and Messias both scored a goal but the star performer was

who scored two and assisted another with the final score being 4-0.

“We must be ambitious, we are happy. From tonight, we can start talking seriously about Europe,”

Maldini said.

“We started this project four years ago, this is the year we need to push hard. We want to be protagonists in Italy to then return to having the European dimension that Milan have always enjoyed historically.

“It is not easy, because we are a long way off the others in economic terms, but I still think Milan will be a dark horse in the draw for the Round of 16.”

Milan now qualify as the second team behind Chelsea and will face one of FC Porto, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

“We are happy, this team is young, but is becoming mature. Perhaps two years ago we would’ve celebrated this result more, but I think that’s a very good sign of how our ambitions have changed.”

Maldini continued

Maldini also commented on Stefano Pioli’s new contract:

“The coach was never in doubt, the defeat to Torino was not an influence and neither would’ve been a bad result this evening. We still would’ve extended his contract to 2025.

“I am hungry for success and I love seeing the same attitude in the team and throughout the club. Winning the Scudetto was proof that everyone gave that extra 0.5% to overcome Inter. It can happen again in the Champions League. When we miss that extra something, that is when it will become difficult.”

“This is only the beginning. We must never forget what this club represented in the history of football. We cannot be sated by what we achieved.”

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