Despite Sunday's successful Coppa Italia win over Bari, there was something very much to be desired. The atmosphere at the San Siro was eery and abysmal, unworthy of this great club, and lamented even by those who have associated with the guilty parties. Following the harsh restrictions imposed by the local law enforcement on the use of banners, flags, and coreografia last season due to the investigation and conviction of eight members of the Curva Sud, Milan increased the tensions by blacklisting a number of Curva Sud members for participating in protests against the club last season. The Curva's response was to not cheer as usual on Sunday, which was a sad and haunting experience, and they have announced that they will do this again for this match. For once, I actually very much support their actions, even though it impacts the team, because there is so much at stake here for the future. If they lose this battle, the San Siro will eternally become RedBird's Funeral Parlor.
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| Normally colorful and full of life, the San Siro has become RedBird's Funeral Parlor. |
The timing of this nonsense is not a good look. It is the first match of the season, and we have seven shiny new players, and a sold out San Siro stadium on a Saturday night vs. newly promoted Cremonese. That Cremonese side will look quite familiar, too, with both Filippo Terracciano and Warren Bondo having gone there on loan from Milan this summer, and young goalkeeper Lapo Nava having transferred there permanently as well. Cremonese is also the current team of former Milan youth player Frank Tsadjout. For those old enough to remember the fabulous co-ownership era, you may remember Cremonese's Mattia Valoti, whom Milan co-owned at one point, who featured for our Primavera during Allegri's first reign of terror.
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| A majority of Nicola's starters vs. Palermo were new signings this summer. |
In addition to raiding Milan's younger players, this summer the newly promoted side completely revamped their side with quite a few new signings and loans, including Emil Audero on loan and Marco Silvestri as a free transfer to complete an all new goalkeeping trio; center back Federico Baschirotto purchased from Lecce and left back Giuseppe Pezzella from Empoli, as well as the unfortunately named right back Romano Floriani Mussolini on loan from Lazio. In the midfield, they added Jari Vandeputte from Catanzaro, Martín Payero, the newly arrived on loan from Udinese, with Alessio Zerbin also on loan from Napoli, and Alberto Grassi signed from Empoli, as well as center forward Antonio Sanabria, who just moved from Torino for fire power up front. The best signing, however, was manager Davide Nicola, who specializes in keeping teams from relegation, and is deceptively good, despite having never really managed a big club.
Last weekend, Cremonese also played in the Coppa Italia. However, after a 0-0 draw in regulation, they were knocked out 5-4 on penalties by Pippo Inzaghi's Serie B side, Palermo. (Both Terracciano and Bondo made their penalties.) For that match, Nicola lined up a 3-5-2 with: Audero; Filippo Terracciano, Baschirotto, Bianchetti; Zerbin, Collocolo, Alberto Grassi, Vandeputte, Pezzella; De Luca, and Bonazzoli. It is unlikely that Payero or Sanabria would start, given that they just arrived this week, but they are amongst the 23 players called up for this one. Valoti, Barbieri, and Vázquez are all suspended for this match, carried over from last season. Nicola will also be without Dennis Johnsen, who is injured.
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| A tragedy that Modrić is likely to start without the proper San Siro atmosphere. |
This week, Marko Lazetić finalized a transfer to Aberdeen for free with 50% sell-on fees, Furlani's cookie cutter formula for dumping unwanted young players. Noah Okafor was also sold to Leeds United for a transfer fee of €19 million. Those two players make an astounding 25 players out from the first team roster, with only six of those players on loan now, and three of those loans with obligations. Amazing what can be done with a proper Sporting Director, not only has Milan brought in record transfer fees, but we finally cleared all of those unused eternal loan players off the roster. Tare is like some kind of hero.
After missing his first match due to a Coppa Italia ban, Allegri will be joining the team on the bench for the first time officially this season. He will be missing Rafa Leão, who suffered an elongated calf muscle injury on Sunday scoring that badass header. Reports are that Allegri will be starting Modrić in the midfield, which is impressive, considering he returned from vacation so much later than everyone else. Santi Gimenez, who also returned late from vacation, remains our only forward at this point, but that may be remedied soon. There may be a new signing to be presented Saturday night, as Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen has been taking medicals and hopes to sign a contract for a loan with option this season.
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| Santi Gimenez will face pressure to carry the attack this week. |
The Curva Sud, minus the "undesirable" members who were sent letters from the club stating they could not renew their season tickets, will be there, but not vocal like usual. And all of the flags, banners, and coreo are still banned, but now they've even stolen their identity, forbidding them to even have their legendary "Curva Sud" banner, or even banners representing groups. It's not enough that the entire Curva are being punished for the actions of a few, but the Milan Curva Sud are being punished for the crimes of Inter's Curva Nord. All of the begging for free tickets from the club and then selling them for profit, selling beer, managing the parking, etc. as a money-making scheme for the 'Ndrangheta crime family... that was Inter's Curva Nord. Milan fans never did any of that. Yet they are being punished as if they did.
I am normally very opposed to any kind of stadium protests that impact the team when they are playing. However, the local authorities and the club are using the "Double Curva Investigation" as an excuse to silence the fans. Many of the Milan fans who were sent letters had not committed any kind of crime, they had merely spoken out about management in peaceful and lawful protests. A management who are happy with getting rid of any kind of dissent, who are happy to fill the seats with fans of other clubs who will spend big money and fill the stadium, but lack the passion and love for Milan that actually creates the legendary atmosphere and helps to support the team on the pitch. And if the Curva don't do something about this now, this will become the new normal. That is despicable. This must be stopped.
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| It should be a warning sign for a haunted house, not a stadium welcome sign. |
On paper, Milan should easily win this match. However, missing Rafa Leão, and with the team still under construction, there is a very real chance this Cremonese team could take points from Milan in week one. And that would be a horrifying way to begin this season. Almost as horrifying as watching our San Siro being micromanaged to death by an American owner who doesn't even have the balls to show up to the stadium, and local authorities who cannot differentiate between the colors red and blue. They are colluding to turn the San Siro, a sacred temple of football worship, into RedBird's Funeral Parlor.
This post inspired by the music of Rage Against the Machine's "Take the Power Back"
Reviewed by Elaine
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