The Rossoneri defeated Sassuolo 3-0 courtesy of a brace from Olivier Giroud and Franck Kessie's strike to clinch their first Scudetto in 11 years.
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AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli’s Serie A winners medal was stolen during celebrations at the Mapei Stadium on Sunday. The Rossoneri defeated Sassuolo 3-0 on the final day of the campaign to clinch their first ever Scudetto in 11 years. Oliver Giroud scored a brace while Frank Kessie netted once before the break to help Milan take all three points and move to 86 points, two points clear of second-placed Inter Milan, who had defeated Sampdoria 3-0 in the other match of the day. Meanwhile it was Pioli’s first silverware as a coach and Milan’s 19th Scudetto in history. “I was stolen the winner’s medal, somebody stripped it from my neck. If I could make an appeal, I’d be grateful, it’s the only one I have,” he said, according to La Repubblica.
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The 56-year-old had dedicated the title win to his father, who died in September 2019, a few weeks before his appointment as Milan coach. “He’ll be proud of me, wherever he is now,” the Rossoneri coach told DAZN after the match. The italian tactician took charge of Milan in 2019 and has done a fabulous job to help them clinch their first title since the Italian Super Cup triumph in 2016-17. The Rossoneri displayed a solid defensive game-plan in 2022 to race ahead of defending champions Inter Milan and clinch their first League title since 2011. Milan kept 11 clean sheets from their 16 match unbeaten streak.
Pioli was named Coach of the Season after today’s game at Sassuolo and was given the award by Paolo Maldini during a post-match interview with DAZN. It was a dominant performance from Milan to thrash Sassuolo. Giroud opened the scoring inside the opening 17 minutes after Rafael Leao made a darting run down the left flank and provided the assist for the Frenchman to sweep home from 10 yards. Two minutes after the half-hour mark, the 35-year-old completed his brace once again from a Leao assist. And then, Leao provided his third assist of the night for Kessie to fire home and seal Milan’s victory.
#Pioli receives the May COTM award of the #SerieA??#WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/L4gkL4gLDv
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) May 22, 2022
Meanwhile Milan’s Mike Maignan, who won the Serie A best goalkeeper of the season award, made his first real save when he got down to claw away Davide Frattesi’s glancing header from a free-kick at the far bottom corner. Veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic also made a cameo appearance off the bench and had the ball in the net from what would have been a fourth assist but this time the 22-year-old winger was offside. Hamed Traore almost got a consolation goal but his effort struck the base of the woodwork, while Davide Calabria forced a superb Consigli save from point-blank range on another Leao assist.
