There is one more 90 minute match before Milan are qualified for the Group Stage of the Europa League, and that match is in Portugal tomorrow. Our playoff round will be with Rio Ave, who play in the Portuguese first division. There is no second leg, no second chance, so Milan can make no mistakes. We step in the water, and we are committed to going across the river.
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| One more river to cross |
Milan have kicked off their season in much the same way they ended the last season: winning. So refreshing to have the results, but also the personnel and performances that Milan fans have been dreaming of for so long. However, outside of Milan, it is business as usual. Jesús and I discussed Milan's great start to the season as well as the corruption in football outside of Milan.
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| Winning. |
Milan continued their string of great performances with another win, another clean sheet, and another three points. This in spite of missing Ibrahimovic at the front and Romagnoli at the back. Also in spite of two very young players getting their first Serie A starts with Milan in Tonali and Brahim Diaz. And, even in spite of wearing the most horrible Milan kit in recent years. Crotone did their best to attack, but with only one shot on target, i Squali seemed more toothless and much less the aquatic predators they are named for. Meanwhile, Milan remained steady.
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| Steady. |
Milan are playing twice a week now due to the Europa League qualifying matches. Having played a tough match on Thursday, the team travel to Calabria to face the newly promoted sharks, Crotone. They are coming off of a tough opening loss, but have home advantage and rested legs. If Milan are not careful in this match, we could be swimming with the sharks.
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| Shark infested waters |
Fallen Viking warriors in Norse mythology are said to go to Valhalla, in Asgard, the highest honor for a warrior. Bodø/Glimt may have fallen in battle tonight, but they are anything but dead. Their warriors fought bravely against a Milan side with historic European DNA, and they never gave up. Milan may be moving on to the playoff round next week, but Bodø/Glimt deserve the football version of Valhalla.
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| Viking slayers |
Ragnarok is a series of events leading to a great battle in Norse Mythology. Perhaps that battle will be tomorrow, when Milan take on Norway's league leaders, Bodø/Glimt. In our path to Europa League qualification lies the reigning Eliteserien champions, who currently lead this year's table by 16 points, with 12 rounds to go. They face a tough AC Milan side, though, that features a couple of vikings of our own. Maybe it's just the fate of Europa League qualification at stake, but I would like to see an epic battle on the pitch at the San Siro, the fate of the Gods.
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| Hmmm... they don't look like fierce Vikings... |
Milan won their first match of the season for the first time since 2017, which shouldn't be an accomplishment, but it is. With a brace from Ibrahimovic, Milan defeated a scrappy Bologna in front of 1,000 fans. Having fans in the stadium was even more of an accomplishment. It almost felt like we were human again.
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| I almost forgot those seats could hold people |
Sinisa Mihajlovic holds a special place in many Milan fans' hearts. He was the one who fought to bring Romagnoli to Milan when Berlusconi wasn't wanting to pay the price. He was also the one who gave Gigio Donnarumma his start at the age of 16 years old. Mihajlovic was then unceremoniously sacked with only six games left because of personal differences with Berlusconi. The man has a massive heart beneath a notoriously tough exterior. So when he battled Leukemia, had bone marrow transplants, and tested positive for COVID-19, all in the past year, Milan fans were rooting for him. As a player, and as a manager, he always speaks his mind, but lives his life from the heart.
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| Still in our hearts |
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| Ready to go |
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| This will always be your downfall |
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| How Shamrock Rovers reacted when they heard Ibrahimovic would be coming to Dublin |
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| Don't harm people or animals, and don't wear these kits |
This was supposed to be a welcome back post, or perhaps a player profile post that I had been waiting to write until Begović came back to Milan. It almost seemed a foregone conclusion that he would return, given how well he fit in at Milan and all that he brought to the club in addition to being an excellent, experienced goalkeeper. However, Milan made a different choice, seemingly because of finances, and now this is a farewell post instead. Grazie, Asmir Begović.
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| Grazie |
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| Two overpaid keepers don't mean we need to underpay a third |
Friendlies don’t ever give any solid indication of how a team is going to play competitively, let alone how a season will go. They are often played while many of the more senior players are on International duty, or still on vacation after an International tournament. They are also typically played during the mercato, before a team is set. Most importantly, though, friendlies can give a coach a chance to give some minutes to younger players, even Primavera players. This makes for the most compelling reason for fans to watch preseason friendlies. That is why this time of the year is youth season.
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| Milan's future is very bright with talented youth like this |
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| Still winning |
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| Gazidis' decisions threatened to leave football in the shadows |