AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli says the players are excited ahead of their opening game of the new season on Thursday against Shamrock Rovers.
Milan meet the Irish outfit in their Europa League qualifier.
“The thrill of starting a new season, of trying to continue the path we built last year," Pioli said at a press conference.
“The qualifiers are just the beginning.
“We want to get to the group stage, but we have to think about tomorrow's match. Three weeks of preparation aren't many, we did everything we had to do to be ready."
The coach continued: “In sport, if you take something for granted, you start with the wrong approach. We know the difficulties of the first match, the opponents play good football, very proactive.
“It's a team that are in better shape physically, we must not only think about the difficulties we will encounter but of the opportunity that we will have.
“We have some key players out but those who will travel today are ready for this difficult match."
