Milan fans are disillusioned with this management after a season that was excruciatingly painful and shameful. Monza fans have to be disappointed with their season, being relegated after only three wins, nine draws, and 25 losses. Yet this match will not only be the departure of Nesta's Monza from Serie A, but it will likely be the last match for an unknown number of Milan players. If rumors are to be believed, it could also be the last match for Conceição at Milan, and he will not even be on the bench, as he is suspended after last week's match vs. Roma. The San Siro will likely be pretty full, but the fans there will be disillusioned, disappointed, yet may not even be aware of the departures we are likely to see this summer.
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| Pavlović is all of us this season. |
Nesta had a season at Monza, being sacked just two days before Christmas, then being rehired less than two months later. Milan also gifted Daniel Maldini to Monza at the beginning of the season, whom Galliani then turned around and sold to Atalanta for pure profit in January (although Milan reportedly received 50% of that sale.) Yet their results just did not reflect performances, and they were the first to be mathematically relegated.
Monza's penultimate Serie A match was a 3-1 loss to Empoli at home. For that match, Nesta lined up a 3-5-2 with: Pizzignacco; Carboni, Brorsson, Tomas Palacios; Brindelli, Milan-owned Kevin Zeroli, Bianco, Akpa Akpro, Kyriakopoulos; Keita Baldé, and Caprari. Nesta will be missing six players to injury for this match: Izzo, D'Ambrosio, Gagliardini, Matteo Pessina, Omari Forson, and Ganvoula.
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| A farewell to Nesta's Monza on Saturday, as well. |
Conceição has recovered Theo Hernández, Walker, and Bondo from their injuries last week. Which means that only Chukwueze will miss this match to injury, another testament to how well Conceição and our staff have managed our players' health since arriving in January. Unfortunately, Conceição himself will not be on the bench due to suspension, and neither will Santi Gimenez, after Sunday's random referee adventures with Mariani. There have been rumors that Camarda could start in Gimenez's place on Saturday, but Gimenez did not even have a starting place, so who knows what Conceição will do.
Unfortunately, it will likely be the last match for a number of Milan players. Nothing is certain, as Igli Tare reportedly signed a contract on Friday to become Milan's token Sporting Director (which has not yet been made official by the club.) However, it is highly unlikely that Milan will keep loanees João Félix, Kyle Walker, Tammy Abraham, or Riccardo Sottil from their repsective clubs, so this would then be their final Milan match. (Not that this management is decent enough to actually announce that or allow them to say goodbye to the fans.) It has been widely reported that Milan are in negotiations to sell Tijjani Reijnders, who was named best Serie A midfielder of the season on Friday, which means that this is likely to be his last match as well.
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| Obviously, this management would sell Serie A's best midfielder. |
Beyond that, the club have failed to renew Maignan and Theo Hernández, both of whom only have one year left on their contracts, therefore, they could also easily leave the club. Leão, who has also stayed at Milan for low wages and been through thick and thin these past six years, could also potentially leave this summer. Pulisic's renewal has reportedly been put on ice as well. In fact, without Europe next year, we are likely to see a mass exodus of players-who-care-about-their-careers. Which means, although we have no idea exactly who, this could be the last time we see so many of them in the Milan shirt.
Speaking of Milan shirts, the club launched next year's new home kit on Thursday, presumably to have the players wear it on Saturday. I'm too exhausted from this season to go into the details, but the fact that they have allowed Puma to remove the soul of our crest, changing the very colors on our home kit should tell you how soulless this club has become. Don't buy this kit. If you hate that our team is finishing in ninth place and without Europe next season, don't support this management. If you hate that Gerald is not firing anyone who is responsible for this mess, but rather bringing in a midtable, underpaid Sporting Director into their "working group" for them to also fight with and not listen to, then don't buy this kit.
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| Conceição's most valiant efforts were not enough. |
Certainly, the Curva Sud have had enough with this management. They are planning a big protest ahead of the match, having invited all Milan fans to join them. Then they are also planning on leaving after 15 minutes, leaving the team and directors "in their shame." Personally, after probably at least 40 protests/boycotts in the past year as well as the investigation and criminal trial of the leaders of the Curva Sud, I really don't think these guys have any room to talk about shame. At least they have finally been putting up banners at Casa Milan and even stickers all over Milan to protest this management's completely failed year.
This should be a terrible ending to a terrible season. Even Serie A recognized that neither team have anything left to play for by scheduling this match for Saturday rather thans simultaneously on Sunday like the other matches. Yet a win against the already relegated Monza is not a guarantee at this point. Conceição did not give a prematch press conference, will not be on the bench, and is also unlikely to speak after the match. He kind of said his public goodbyes on Sunday after the match anyway. Obviously, we will not know which players we should be saying goodbye to, and they will likely be wearing the new home kit for next year, which includes an appropriately a soulless crest. Curva Sud are going out in a ball of flames as well, marking this as a disillusioned, disappointed departure.
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Campionato Primavera 1 Playoffs – Quarterfinals
Serie A Week 38
Reviewed by Elaine
on
7:00 AM
Rating:
