Home of AC Milan, Official Thread

Home of AC Milan, Official Thread

AC Milan are attracting a lot of plaudits from the media after they recorded a crushing 4-0 win against Napoli away from home last night.

This morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via PianetaMilan) has their ratings from the game, starting with Stefano Pioli who got an 8 out of 10 for his management of the game. The man of the match was Rafael Leao, who showed all his ‘technique and speed’ to earn the same score.

Olivier Giroud got a 7 as his movement caused real problems for Napoli all night and he could have had a goal himself, while Mike Maignan kept out everything that came his was and got a 6.5.

Davide Calabria had to deal with Kvaratskhelia and he did, earning a 7, while Fikayo Tomori, Simon Kjaer and Theo Hernandez got the same as the defence ended up holding firm.

Alexis Saelemaekers came off the bench and gave himself a goal to remember, earning a 7, while Ismael Bennacer provided the cross for the second goal but also neutralised Lobotka to earn a 7.5.

Rade Krunic got a 7 for some tidy work alongside Tonali in the double pivot, with Brahim Diaz receiving a 7.5 for a dazzling display playing wide on the right. Finally, Tonali got the same as the Spaniard for doing a great job pressing, winning the ball off Zielinski for the 3-0 goal.

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The Italian press are understandably full of praise for AC Milan after they dismantled Napoli last night, winning 4-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Rafael Leao ended his goal drought with a brace in which both goals were lovely finishes, while Brahim Diaz got the second on the night and Alexis Saelemaekers got his first league goal of the campaign in the second half.

Below are the reactions of the papers…

La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Milan like champions. Incredible 4-0 at Napoli: Now for Europe. Super Leao, magic Diaz, unique Tonali. The Rossoneri send a warning to the league leaders ahead of the quarter-finals. Row between Maldini and Spalletti.”

Corriere dello Sport: “Slap in the face for Napoli. Sudden collapse: Milan dominate at the Maradona (0-4) and are now third. Brace from Leao, with Diaz and Saelemaekers on target too. Pioli: ‘This is just the first step’.”

Tuttosport: “Leao meravigliao! Devils at the Maradona. Milan like champions: 4-0 at Napoli. Double Rafa, Diaz and Saelemaekers goals: lesson taught to the leaders and warning for their Euro clash. Spalletti-Maldini row.”
 
Some news has arrived on a couple of AC Milan players who missed the Napoli game due to injury, namely Pierre Kalulu and Junior Messias.

The Brazilian winger has been sidelined since the second leg against Spurs when he came off during the second half clutching his thigh, while Kalulu sustained a calf problem on international duty for France U21s.

As reported by MilanNews, Milan hope to recover the defender for the Champions League games against Napoli but it is more likely that he is back for the return leg than the first game on April 12.

Messias meanwhile aims to return between the Friday game against Empoli and the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Napoli.

Of course the fact that both suffered muscle problems means that there will be no rushing either of them back given the risk of relapse, so the utmost caution will be used.

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🗣️ Rodney #Strasser to #SportItalia: How much is #Maignan worth today? "I have no doubt that at the moment, in my opinion, he is the strongest keeper in the world. A keeper worth 100M€."
 
🗣️ Stefano #Pioli to #SkySport: "Pioli is the person who made me the player I am today. He was patient, he took my hand like a son. I must thank him, as well as the directors #Massara and #Maldini, who made me the player I am today. Here at #ACMilan I am at home and I am very happy to be here."
 
🚨AC Milan are interested in signing Mason Greenwood amid increasing uncertainty over his Manchester United future. #ACMILAN

(Source: Daily Mail)
 
AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali has explained just how much it means for the club to be back on the biggest stage, the Champions League knockout rounds.

Tonali grew up as a Milan fan and therefore he knows just how much this competition means, having watched the great sides that reached three Champions League finals and lifted the trophy on two occasions in 2003 and 2007.

The Rossoneri got back into the competition last season after a seven-year absence but went out bottom of the groups. This time, they finished second in a group containing Chelsea, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb before beating Spurs 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16.

That means that Milan are in the final eight for the first time since 2012 and they set up a clash with Serie A rivals Napoli. Tonali is relishing the occasion – especially after a 1-0 first leg win – and he spoke to UEFA ahead of the game.

“It’s nice to be back. All those years away haven’t been good for AC Milan and its fans – they weren’t good for anyone. It’s really great to play these matches again and win again in the Champions League knockout phase,” he said.

“It’s nice [for] the fans, who give us crazy energy. We’re all together and playing Champions League games always feels incredible, especially in San Siro.

“It was an inexplicable feeling, I’m lucky I remember it. I haven’t just lived those moments without remembering them, especially 2007 [when Milan beat Liverpool in the final in Athens]. I remember a lot from that Champions League: the feelings, the celebrations…

“The very first memories I have about football there are connected to the neighbourhood, my passion for football was born there.

“I have many memories, but the first one that comes to my mind is really the first kicks of a ball in the neighbourhood with my friends and my brother. It was normal to play football from the morning until the evening.”

Tonali also spoke about the relationship he has with his grandmother, nonna Biagina.

“It is a unique relationship. She doesn’t like, or rather, she didn’t like football that much, but ever since I started playing she hasn’t missed a single match. This makes me really happy. She often calls me after matches and during the week she asks me when I am playing and where she can watch it,” he said.

“I am very close with my family because they have given a lot to me. They come to matches quite often, so I know they’re at the home stadium for almost every game and that gives me an extra boost. It’s always nice to know your family is in the stands – I’m proud of that.”
 
AC Milan are among the teams that are interested in launching a side to compete in Serie C next season to help their young talents develop, a report claims.

As Tuttosport (via MilanNews) reports this morning, at the moment Juventus are the only club who have set up a an U23 team – which they call Juventus Next Gen – to plays in the Lega Pro when the reform was launched in 2018.

Today, however, the Serie A clubs are asking for an automatic go-ahead to register their second teams in Lega Pro (the third tier) without waiting for the registrations of the teams that complete the league. Essentially, they want immediate entry rather than being put on hold.

The president of Serie A, Lorenzo Casini, has declared that he wants to make changes to the regulation but it will be necessary to enter into dialogue with the Lega Pro, even though it would not be a great upheaval.

There are five teams interested in launching a second team in Serie C. Along with Milan, those clubs are Roma, Monza, Sassuolo and Torino.

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AC Milan are one of the clubs that are monitoring the situation of Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, according to a report.

According to this morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via Calcioblog), Sassuolo’s sporting director Carnevali has set an asking price of €40m for Frattesi in view of the summer window, but this has not put off the top teams in Italy.

The player’s agent Beppe Riso was reportedly spotted yesterday at the headquarters of Inter, while Juventus are now well known to be admirers of the 23-year-old, who has scored six goals in 30 league games this season.

Milan, on the other hand, are currently watching the evolution of the situation and they may try to firmly establish themselves in the race, especially given that there will probably be the need to sign a midfielder in the summer.

Aster Vranckx and Tiemoue Bakayoko are on loan until the end of the season and currently look set to return, while Franck Kessie was never really replaced in terms of quality depth.
 
Napoli and AC Milan will contest the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tonight hoping for a spot in the semi-final against Inter or Benfica.

Milan come into the game against Napoli having won the two meetings that have taken place between the two sides in the past three weeks, with the first being a 4-0 win at the Maradona and the other being the 1-0 first leg win.

Here is how the Italian papers are previewing the game…

Gazzetta dello Sport: “My cup. Champions League quarter-final second leg: Napoli-Milan. The (semi)final appointment. Spalletti asks Osi for the comeback. Pioli with an extra goal and Leao. Let us prepare for the longest night.”

Corriere dello Sport: “All in one night. Napoli-Milan the most hotly-awaited clash of the year and goes well beyond the Champions League. Semi-final up for grabs. Osi and Kvara try to overturn the 0-1 deficit. It’s up to Ndombele, Giroud recovers.”

Tuttosport: “Napoli-Milan boiling hot. Fans, duels and sparks fly. Osimhen leads the dream comeback for a semi-final. Pioli: ‘We won’t barricade to defend the 1-0’.”
 
Without the away goals rule, the chance is even greater that Napoli versus aC Milan could go to extra-time, and if there were still no winner than the dreaded penalty shootout would await.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (as seen below) writes, a 1-0, a 2-1, a 3-2 or a 4-3 for Napoli would mean we go to extra-time and fromt there a penalty shootout to decide who goes through to the semi-finals becomes a realistic possibility.

Looking at the previous, Napoli were beaten by Spartak Moscow in the round of 16 of the European Cup in 1990. At the same time, they won 2014 Supercoppa and the Coppa Italia in 2020, both times against Juve.

Milan of course beat Juventus on spot kicks in the 2003 Champions League final, while that evening against Rio Ave springs to mind when it took 12 penalties each for the Rossoneri to eventually go through.

The list of likely shooters for Napoli is as follows: Kvaratskhelia, Zielinski, Politano, Osimhen and Di Lorenzo. Of course, then we have to see if they will be on the field and in what condition, so other candidates are Lozano, Elmas and Juan Jesus.

The goalkeeper Meret has had all the information on the Rossoneri’s potential takers but, as always, he will count the situation, just like happened on 17 June 2020 when he saved the penalty from Dybala that ended up winning the Coppa.

Milan meanwhile have Mike Maignan who has conceded only 33 goals conceded out of 51 penalties (with 12 saves). His last penalty save came with France on Memphis Depay in March, and he stopped Mo Salah on a Champions League evening at Anfield a year and a half ago.

In terms of who would take them for Pioli’s men, it seems certain that Giroud and Theo Hernandez would be on the list, while Brahim Diaz and Ismael Bennacer should too. There are bench options like Rebic and Origi, or leaders such as Kjaer and Tonali.
 
Milan have reached the UCL semi-finals for the 13th time:

❌ 1955/56
✅ 1957/58 🥈
✅ 1962/63 🏆
✅ 1968/69 🏆
✅ 1988/89🏆
✅ 1989/90 🏆
✅ 1992/93 🥈
✅ 1993/94 🏆
✅ 1994/95 🥈
✅ 2002/03 🏆
✅ 2004/05 🥈
❌ 2005/06
✅ 2006/07 🏆
⏳ 2022/23

They've only lost two ties. 😤
 
#Inter booked a #UCL semi-final date with AC Milan by seeing off #Benfica, but there was some unfortunate behaviour from the away fans that brought back memories of the infamous 2005 meeting between the Milanese giants.

✍ @ConJClancy from the Meazza.
 
Milan vs. Inter will be the first same-nation Champions League semi-final since Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid in 2016/17. The first Derby della Madonnina in the UCL since 2005. It's going to be special. ❤️‍🔥
 
AC Milan closed the first half of the 2022-23 season with a profit of €9.8m at statutory level, and some details of the transfer expenditure has emerged.

Calcio e Finanza have revealed some interesting details pertaining to the summer 2022 transfer window, which of course including signings, sales plus incoming and outgoing loans.

Starting from the signings, there are several players who have arrived on a permanent deal and on loan for investments amounting to over €56m.

➤ Alessandro Florenzi – €2,650,000
➤ Junior Walter Messias – €5,450,000
➤ Divock Origi – €660,000
➤ Charles De Ketelaere – €35,500,000
➤ Malick Thiaw – €8,548,339

There are also increases in the historical cost (likely linked to bonuses accrued during the first six months of the year) for the following players:

➤ Pierre Kalulu – €100,000
➤ Rade Krunic – €140,000
➤ Fikayo Tomori – €796,912m

With regards to loan deals, their cost amounted to €1.658m in the first six months of 2022-23 and refer to the following players (the figures will presumably double considering the entire season):

➤ Brahim Diaz – €824,000
➤ Tiemoue Bakayoko – €399,000
➤ Aster Vranckx – €400,000

Milan sold defender Leo Duarte, winger Samu Castillejo and centre-forward Franck Tsadjout, sold for €400,000 and whose sale resulted in a capital gain of €233,000 (Milan’s only capital gain). There were bonus payments of €118,000 from AZ Alkmaar for Milos Kerkez, too.

Resale bonuses amount to €4.968m and are divided as follows:

➤ Lucas Paqueta – €3.068m
➤ Matteo Pessina – €1.6m
➤ Giovanni Crociata – €300,000
 
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