Milan's Financials: Winning On and Off the Pitch

At a board meeting on Tuesday, it was announced that Milan actually made a profit in the first half of this year, with significant growth in revenue, in spite of industry challenges due to COVID-19. This followed the news last week that Milan broke back into the top 20 of the Deloitte Football Money League for the first time since the 2017-18 season. We have seen the results of Maldini's project on the pitch since the return from lockdown in 2020, but we are finally seeing the results of the business side growing as well. Milan are winning on and off the pitch.

Both sectors finally working in tandem for the greater good

Coming Back Even Stronger

Saturday was Kjaer's 33rd birthday, and he gave an interview saying that he was going to come back from his injury even stronger. In an ironic twist of fate, his friend and teammate whose life he saved, Eriksen, returned to the pitch for Denmark after his heart problems actually on Kjaer's birthday and scored with his first touch of the game. With that same spirit and desire, Milan will need to return after the international break even stronger to make a final push for the Scudetto.

The fighting spirit of this team

Italian Football: Stuck in the Past

For the second World Cup in a row, four time World Cup winners Italy will not even participate in the tournament. Qatar, whom FIFA admitted bought their way into hosting the tournament, will be there. World-beaters Canada, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, and more will be there, too (no disrespect, but there is not a single World Cup amongst them.) Obviously, the tournament and its selection process are not only corrupt, but flawed. It has been years since the world's best teams or even players were actually represented, the whole thing has become a mockery of what it used to be. Don't get me started on the idea of making it every two years. But at least that is a new idea. Italy hasn't had one of those since at least 1990, when they last built new stadiums and hosted the World Cup. Their inconsistency, now marked by such systemic failures, is because they are stuck in the past.

So much more than just these players or just this game

The New FFP: Why UEFA Even Took the Word Fair Out of the Title

UEFA's original Financial Fair Play (FFP) had long been criticized as anything but fair. Originally conceived as a way to help clubs be more fiscally responsible, the rules did not ever seem to be applied equally, punishments only seemed to apply to smaller clubs, and the guidelines seemed to make the rich clubs richer and the poor clubs even poorer. Milan certainly know firsthand how unfair FFP was. Then COVID-19 hit, bringing clubs to their knees economically. UEFA promised to go back to the drawing board and come back with a new plan that was an improvement on FFP. Only what they have reportedly come up with is so much less fair, they actually took the word fair out of the title.

This is payback for The Super League, isn't it, Ceferin?

Racism and Serie A: When Life Mocks Art

In an act of irony that even Serie A will find hard to ignore, Maignan and Tomori were subjected to racial abuse on Saturday during Serie A's token "Keep Racism Out" weekend. Literally, there was a horrifically cringeworthy video released ahead of the weekend, signage everywhere, and the players were actually wearing the messages on their sleeves and the captains' armbands. Despite the artistically rendered logo which cost the league who knows how much, players were still abused. It was an obtuse case of when life mocks art.

Are those fans both racist and illiterate?

Cagliari 0, Milan 1: Breathtaking

The match itself was heartstopping. Milan took 21 shots to score the one single goal. Only five of those shots were on target, but Milan showed resolve for all 90 minutes. Cagliari's desperation for the entire match provided the increased blood rate. Despite only 42% possession, they somehow managed 13 shots, even if only one of those was on target. In the end, the chest pains were worth it, not just for the three points, but for Bennacer's goal. It was absolutely breathtaking.

The game winner

Cagliari-Milan Preview: Eyes on the Prize

With just nine games remaining, Milan are finally clear at the top of the table. We are masters of our own destiny, now it is up to us to stay focused and take as many points as possible from here on out. Meanwhile Cagliari are in 17th place, only three points ahead of the drop zone, and will be quite desperate to take as many points as possible from their final nine fixtures as well. Milan will be traveling for this one and cannot afford to take any vacations. We have to keep our eyes on the prize.

Stay focused, stay together

Watching Serie A

It was only about five or six years ago that Serie A viewers in the United States were told that if they wanted to watch Serie A, they needed to call their cable providers and request that they carry BeIN, who had purchased the rights that season. For those of us who lived on the West coast, we knew we were doomed. It took months of grainy illegal streams before we could pay to have access to our games. Finally, ESPN came along like heavenly sports angels and for only $4.99 per month allowed us to stream every single Serie A match. But then Paramount Plus, an entertainment network, bought the rights, and their CBS Sports network began their embarrassing coverage of my beloved calcio. They have taken nearly all of the joy out of watching Serie A.

The most legit part of the coverage is this logo

Milan 1, Empoli 0: Persistence

Milan dominated the first half and then hung on for the second half with persistent effort to win this one. Kalulu's early goal was enough to decide the match, although Maignan did have a couple of decisive saves. In the end, though, Milan refused to give up, refused to concede, and held on for all three points. Sure, Inter still have the pesky game in hand, but Milan assured themselves top of the table once again, going five points clear ahead of Inter's match with Torino tomorrow. It's all about persistence.

The Right Back-turned Center Back-turned Hero

Milan-Empoli Preview: Validation

Milan go into this match having taken the top of the table once again after a convincing win against a determined Napoli side last Sunday. Prior to that, however, they had sputtered with a tough draw in the Derby, and what should have been convincing wins against Udinese and Salernitana, but ended in draws as well. For Milan to truly be Scudetto contenders, they need to produce a convincing win against Empoli on Saturday, a sort of validation.

Winning something for this guy would also be validation

Podcast: Football Is for Everyone

Recorded on International Women's Day, I invited Jenn from Her Game Too USA on the podcast to talk about sexism in football and how it impacts the beautiful game. Jenn has been following Liverpool since 2006 and is also a fan of the Chicago Fire, and on the board of DeKalb County United in addition to being the admin for the new Her Game Too account. We talked about what sexism is, how we can all make changes, and how we can make football for everyone.

All means all

Podcast: Serbian Dreams

Recorded after the Napoli win, I had invited our Serbian correspondent, Igor, to talk about our recent matches and all things Milan. We celebrated Milan being top of the table again, as well as his dreams for Milan this season. He also did a little scouting report on our new Serbian striker, Marko Lazetić, who also comes from Belgrade. 

Serbian dreams

Napoli 0, Milan 1: Glory and Honor

Milan took the glory of three points and the honor of top of the table. But you know, we are not really Scudetto contenders, according to pundits and opposition fans. Spalletti picked up his second coach of the month award before he lost this match, whereas Pioli has done so much more with so much less for so much longer, and has only ever been recognized once while at Milan. Whatever. Tonight, Milan got the glory and the honor, and it feels amazing.

Glory and honor

Napoli-Milan Preview: Magma

There is a lot of history between Napoli and Milan, specifically around the time that Napoli won their only two Scudetti. Milan were the main protagonists when Napoli failed to win more, even with their all-time hero and their stadium's new namesake, Diego Armando Maradona. Fast forward to the present, as Napoli are the closest to a league title as they have been in years, it is once again Milan threatening to get in their way. As if that was not enough, there was the referee/VAR controversy in the first round back in December that gave Napoli all three points when the teams should have split two. All of this is like the molten rock below the earth's crust at nearby Mt. Vesuvius*, letting off steam until it is ready to just explode. One way or the other, that eruption may take place on the pitch on Sunday night.

When the blood boils, it acts a lot like magma

The Power of Grinta

Since Pioli took over, it never ceases to amaze me how many opposition and even Milan fans underestimate what this team can do. The undefeated streak after coming out of lockdown, finishing second place last season, and being joint-top of the table on points once again now apparently do not make us Scudetto contenders. Sunday will be a massive test of what this squad is really made of, but that is a team that has also been propelled by grinta. People literally put more faith in Allegri and the Cristiano Ronaldo-rejected Juventus than they do the team that has had more injuries by far than any other team in Serie A and is still seven points ahead of that team. They simply overlook the power of grinta. 

Never underestimate the grinta

Milan 0, Inter 0: Born of Frustration

Both clubs came into this match sputtering, and much was made of the potential outcome of the game. As if a Derby wasn't frustrating enough, this one ended up a scoreless draw, with a referee who contributed to the frustration by making very few calls (maybe he was reacting to Pioli's complaints about too many calls.) The match had all of the fire of a Derby, but all of the satisfaction of a wet blanket. It was born of frustration.

Brilliant.