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MILAN (Reuters) – AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli rejected a request from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to replace the tired 39-year-old forward during the second half of his 2-1 Serie A derby win over Inter Milan on Saturday.
Ibrahimovic scored both of Milan’s goals in the first half and Pioli said he needed the Swede’s experience as he defended his late-game lead.
“He was very tired and asked me for a change but I didn’t listen to him and he stayed on the field until the end,” Pioli said.
“He is a champion in everything he does, an exemplary professional who always wants to win and his contribution to the team is very important.”
Although Milan lead Serie A with 12 points after winning their first four games, Pioli played down the title talks.
“There are three or four teams that have invested more than us and are ahead of us on the road to the title,” he said.
“We have invested long-term and we are ambitious. To aspire to the title, we have to raise the level of the players and we are doing it. But our journey will take more than a year. The club has been good at laying the foundation.”
His counterpart Antonio Conte was left frustrated by the defeat and returned to one of his favorite subjects, saying that Inter had not taken advantage of their opportunities.
“We regret having lost a game in which we played well. Milan were good and I think, too, luck. We lacked concentration on their two goals,” he said.
“In every game, we create so many opportunities to score goals, but we have to be more clinical in taking them … It’s disappointing because the guys certainly tried hard and believed they could win.”
(Written by Brian Homewood; edited by Ken Ferris)
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