AC Milan: Rebuilding The Rossoneri

[orion523]

Founded as Milan Cricket And Foot-Ball Club on 16 December 1899 by a pair of English expatriates, AC Milan is one of the most successful football clubs in the world, having won a total of twenty nine major trophies including a record fourteen European trophies and four world titles. Domestically, Milan have amassed eighteen Serie A titles, five Coppa Italia titles, six Supercoppa Italiana titles, and two Serie B championships.
Despite all of this success however, darkness has fallen over Milan. Since capturing their 18th Scudetto during the 2010-11 campaign, the Rossoneri have slowly deteriorated, and in 2013-14, the bottom fell out. A nightmare season by all accounts, Milan finished the campaign in 8th place, a whopping 45 points behind three time defending champions Juventus, adding insult to injury, Milan were excluded from European play for the first time since 1998-99, something had to be done, that something, begins now.

[orion523]

AC Milan
Club Almanac

Domestic


Italian Serie A Titles - 18

1901, 1906, 1907, 1950-51, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1967-68, 1978-79, 1987-88, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04, 2010-11


Coppa Italia Titles - 5
1966-67, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1976-77, 2002-03,

Supercoppa Italiana Titles - 6
1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2004, 2011

Serie B Titles - 2
1980-81, 1982-83

European

UEFA Champions League -7
1962-63, 1968-69, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1993-94, 2002-03, 2006-07

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup - 2
1967-68, 1972-73

UEFA Super Cup - 5
1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007

Worldwide

Intercontinental Cup - 3
1969, 1989, 1990

FIFA Club World Cup - 1
2007

Season By Season Recap

2014-15

[orion523]

Derby della Madonnina

AC Milan Wins - 74
Internazionale Wins - 76
Draws - 62

Match Recaps

[orion523]

AC Milan season preview 2014/15 – Pippo magic? The Rossoneri need a miracle









Look into last season’s Serie A standings and you will see AC Milan listed at eighth in the table. Not only did the club lose out on the coveted Champions League spots, but they humiliatingly missed out on Europa League qualification as well.


This failure possibly played its part in deciding Clarence Seedorf’s position at the club. The Dutchman was fired at the end of last season after a six-month stint with the club. He was the second Milan manager to be given his marching orders in one season.


Milan were a hopeless forty-five points off league winners Juventus, twenty-one points off third-placed Napoli and level on points with Torino… who still finished ahead of them on goal-difference. Milan’s top scorer was Mario Balotelli, the 13th highest scorer in the league.


The club’s highest assist-provider was also Balotelli, with a paltry six credited to his name. The team was dumped out of the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in quick succession following Seedorf’s appointment, culminated by their failure to qualify for Europe for the first time in sixteen years.


The squad continues to look in disarray a week before the start of the new campaign. Many players have left the club, replaced by only a few.

Transfers

Downsizing the squad is high on the agenda for Adriano Galliani. Players on high wages have been shown the door. Those who were particularly unproductive were also sent on their way. Milan have taken to trimming the squad before adding players who are likely to play a crucial role in the first-team.


Out went Kaka, Urby Emanuelson, Robinho, Adel Taarabt, Matias Silvestre, Marco Amelia, Valter Birsa, Kevin Constant and Mario Balotelli. These were replaced by Michael Agazzi, Alex, Jeremy Menez, Michealangelo Albertazzi, Diego Lopez and Pablo Armero. Adil Rami’s loan deal was made permanent.
Clearly, some work still remains to be done. The clock is ticking, as Galliani goes looking for a striker, a midfielder and a right-winger.








The Coach – Filippo Inzaghi


Filippo Inzaghi is a man of little footballing talent, but possesses great awareness and in-depth knowledge about the game. As a player, Inzaghi rattled records on the merit of his determination and intelligence.


The management might not have appointed Inzaghi to transfer his intrinsic characteristics onto a fractured team however, as the appointment appears to be largely political in nature. However, Inzaghi has shown he means business. Several (formerly) important players have exited the club since his arrival.


The Italian is surely gifted as a manager. His experience with the youth team might be limited, as he took over the reins of the Primavera team in 2012. Yet, in the last two years, he has won the Scopigno Cup by beating Zenit St Petersburg in the finals, and a year later, the esteemed Viareggio Tournament, which AC Milan had not won since 2001.


Inzaghi was one for the future. He would have earned his stripes at a youth level, instilled an identity in the roots of the system and eventually succeeded as Milan coach, turning down lucrative offers from other clubs. Logically, this seemed like a part of Milan’s much propagated youth project.
The club has altered the course of the future, fast tracking the former player and unsettling what appeared to be a fine blueprint. Only time will tell if Inzaghi can, or will succeed with this current team. Pre-season friendlies have not helped Inzaghi’s cause or confidence with AC Milan losing heavily to Manchester City, Olympiacos and Liverpool. Early signs suggest that he does have a mammoth task on his hands.


Season Expectations

Milan will not sparkle, dazzle or play a brand of football that will enthrall the masses. Inzaghi must be provided with time to work with the squad and the management. It would be momentously daft to fire him if results aren’t impressive initially. Gritty football might be the mantra of the side, but the talent loss needs to be accounted for.


Teams around and above AC Milan have strengthened, either by the addition of talent, or by the consolidation of an existing group. Adriano Galliani is looking to equip the squad by signing two to three first-team players within the next week. That could make or break AC Milan’s season.


Prediction

AC Milan might qualify for Europe. Champions League qualification remains a distant dream, but Europa League qualification is plausible. Expect the management to fancifully demand a top three finish however.

[orion523]

2014-15 AC Milan
Squad List

2014-15 AC Milan Squad List Depth Chart - 2014-15
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
GK	Diego Lopez(83)	C. Abbiati(76)	M. Agazzi(76)	S. Gori(59)
RB	M. De Sciglio(75)	I. Abate(76)
CB	Alex(82)	C. Zapata(77)	D. Bonera(75)
CB	A. Rami(78)	P. Mexes(77)	C. Zaccardo(73)
LB	P. Armero(73)	M. Albertazzi(66)
CDM	N. de Jong(81)	M. Essian(75)	S. Muntari(75)
RCM	R. Montolivo(81)	A. Poli(78)	M. van Ginkel(76)
LCM	G. Bonaventura(79)	R. Saponara(72)	A. Mastalli(57)
RW	K. Honda(79)	M. Niang(73)
ST	F. Torres(80)	J. Menez(76)	G. Pazzini(76)
LW	S. El Shaarawy(80)

Players Loaned In

LB Pablo Armero(Udinese)
RCM Marco van Ginkel(Chelsea)
ST Fernando Torres(Chelsea)

Players Loaned Out

GK Gabriel(Carpi)
CB Jherson Vergara(Avellino)
LB Didac Vila(SD Eibar)
CDM Pelé(Belenenses)
CM Antonio Nocerino(Torino)
CM Marco Ezio Fossati(Perugia)
CAM Zan Benedicic(Leeds United)
LM Valter Birsa(Chievo Verona)
LW Nnamdi Oduamadi(Crotone)
ST Alessandro Matri(Genoa)
ST Gianmario Comi(Avellino)

[Matt10]

What a tease!

Good luck with the Rossoneri! Backup the backup!

[orion523]

Quote: Originally Posted by Matt10

What a tease! Good luck with the Rossoneri! Backup the backup!

No more errors Matty, no more. You have no idea how much what I did still irks me, all that work, wasted. Moving on is the only thing I can do though.

[LionsFanNJ]

Milan fan...so subscribed.