The Archive

October 2017

Montella: 'EUR 100m players don't come'
28.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella hinted Milan wanted to sign a top striker this summer, but “€100m players don’t come without the Champions League.”

The Rossoneri spent over €200m in the transfer window, including €38m for Andre Silva and €25m for Nikola Kalinic, yet wasted several great chances in today’s 2-0 defeat to Juventus.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella: 'Not everyone has a Higuain'
28.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella insists Milan played “on level terms with Juventus, but not everyone has a striker like Gonzalo Higuain.”

Pipita bagged a brace at San Siro for this evening’s 2-0 Bianconeri victory, whereas Nikola Kalinic wasted several golden opportunities and hit the bar.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Serie A: AC Milan 0:2 Juventus - match report
28.10 || webmaster

Scorers: Higuain 23, 63 (J)

A Gonzalo Higuain brace at San Siro gave Juventus the 2-0 victory and plunged Milan back into crisis after poor Nikola Kalinic finishing.

The Rossoneri ended their run of one point from four rounds with Wednesday night’s 4-1 victory away to Chievo, but were still without Leonardo Bonucci, completing his two-match ban against his former club, while Jack Bonaventura, Davide Calabria and Andrea Conti were injured. Juve didn’t field any of their summer signings, but missed Medhi Benatia, Marko Pjaca and Benedikt Howedes, while Claudio Marchisio, Blaise Matuidi and Mattia De Sciglio weren’t fully fit.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Agent: ‘Conti back in January’
27.10 || webmaster

The agent of Milan full-back Andrea Conti believes “we’ll see him on the pitch again at the end of January”.

The Italian international joined the Rossoneri this summer, but suffered a cruciate ligament injury last month.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

San Siro sold out for AC Milan - Juventus
27.10 || webmaster

Milan-Juventus is a sell-out, and it’s estimated around 730 million people will watch the match on television around the world.

Two of Serie A’s biggest clubs meet at San Siro tomorrow night, in what is always one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the season.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Li, Mirabelli visit Milanello
27.10 || webmaster

Han Li and Massimiliano Mirabelli will reportedly have dinner with the Milan team tonight, ahead of the Juventus game.

The Rossoneri got back to winning ways against Chievo in midweek, but face the champions at San Siro tomorrow in a crucial game for both sides.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella sees improving AC Milan
27.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella insists he sees a Milan side that are “growing and getting braver” ahead of Saturday’s Serie A clash with Juventus.

Milan ended a run of four games without a win after they thrashed Chievo 4-1 midweek, and Montella believes his side are ready to confirm their performance at the Bentegodi was no flash in the pan when they take on Juve.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Was AC Milan’s Spending Spree Worth It?
27.10 || webmaster

AC Milan got a decent cash injection following the Chinese-led acquisition, which rounded up to $800 million. This was a big milestone in AC Milan’s history,that shifted the club’s strategy in a new direction. The management opened their wallets and brought “fresh blood” in the team, which was supposed to take the “Rossoneri” at the top of the leaderboard. After a dozen games, we have enough data to evaluate this truly bold decision. We have witnessed similar situations which ended infamously, like the gigantic investments PSG and Chelsea have made in the past. Have they had any major success? We tend to disagree.

New Players for New Trophies - Does it Really Work that Way?

Big budgets make expensive squads, they definitely don’t make great teams. There are many good examples which perfectly confirm this. Even the grand Real Madrid had to settle down and create a team with chemistry that can deal with Europe’s greatest. Another good example is PSG, which hasn’t had any major success out of France. They perform quite well in France, but when it comes to international competitions, they simply can’t take the pressure.

AC Milan definitely needed new players that can make a change. Leonardo Bonucci, who is considered as Italy’s finest defender, fits the overall club mentality, defense is more important than having big striker names who can settle the score with a few moves. In spite of this strong “reinforcement” of the defensive line, AC Milan still has a negative goal difference in Serie A.

Stout Defense Breeds Consistency

The Italian top football league is known for the fierce rivalries, tie outcomes and it’s also known as the home of some of the best defenders the general football audience has ever seen. This is what makes the Serie A exciting, attractive and most importantly, it’s what makes it distinctive.

A top-notch defensive line usually comes with high consistency. A clean sheet, although not the best outcome, can be a driving motivation force for the next match. Lucas Biglia, Leonard Bonucci and Andrea Conti along with Franck Kessie were brought to AC Milan to establish a strong defensive that will keep any threats at bay. Gianluigi Donnarumma also vested his trust in AC Milan, which to be honest, didn’t make impactful changes. After all, we’re here to evaluate the club’s situation and form as a team in general.

Hypothetically, if AC Milas had a goal difference that’s slightly better, they’d be contenders for some of the European competitions. This was the objective and the reason behind the ludicrous transfers. Again, we’re not saying that they weren’t needed. Instead, we strongly supported this decision.

AC Milan’s Looking Good in Europa League, Dominating Group D

However, not all is that bad. AC Milan’s in good shape in Europa League. The Rossoneri crushed Austria Wienna, which conceded 5 goals. This was a grand opening for the Milanesse. Although the match was close, AC Milan were also victorious versus the Croatian Rijeka. Lastly, AEK was a tough nut to crack and Milan’s home match ended without any goals. This surely tilted football sports betting enthusiasts.

Currently, Milan’s the leader in the group with a 2 point lead on AEK and 4 points ahead of Rijeka. It’s safe to say that they will move to the next stage. One can argue, “The investment is paying off, Milan’s getting its dividends”. It’s still, only the first stage of the competition. Once the low-tier clubs are out of the competition, AC Milan will encounter some serious squads, like Arsenal for instance. At the very least, AC Milan can boast its acclaimed players.

Final Summation - Is AC Milan Going to Kick it up a Notch

The biggest problem that arises following major spending is that both fans and the management raise their expectations too high. It’s probably going to take a year or two for the team to consolidate its qualities, its skills, and all new players to finally settle down, and start feeling comfortable.

Currently, they’re wearing shoes that are too big for them. In 2 months or so, there’s going to be a new transfer window, and we’re quite suspicious about it, AC Milan’s going to make a move once again. Maybe this time around, they’re going to find the missing puzzle that can turn things around, and bring AC Milan closer to the reigning champion Juventus, and the current leader Napoli.

There are great challenges ahead, and this squad looks promising, but it still isn’t working properly. Maybe it’s not the players? Maybe it’s the coach? Who knows. Unless the management decides to experiment, we can’t really find out, can we? Vincenzo Montella has a lot on his plate, and unless he gets a grip of the squad, he’s getting the boot. AC Milan is hungry for success, thirsty for trophies.

Serie A: Chievo 1:4 AC Milan - match report
26.10 || webmaster

Scorers: Suso 36 (M), Cesar og 42 (M), Calhanoglu 56 (M), Birsa 62 (C), Kalinic 64 (M)

Milan ended their dire run of results with a 4-1 victory away to Chievo, as Suso played an inspirational role at the Bentegodi.

Vincenzo Montella was hanging on by thread after one point from four Serie A rounds, as a goalless draw with Genoa when down to 10 men only delayed any decision on his future. Leonardo Bonucci saw red for an elbow in that game and started a two-match ban which will also rule him out against old club Juventus this weekend, while Jack Bonaventura and Andrea Conti were sidelined. The Flying Donkeys rotated their squad, starting Sergio Pellissier in place of Roberto Inglese.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Albertini unsure about Bonucci armband
26.10 || webmaster

Demetrio Albertini denies he was approached to join Milan and isn’t convinced Leonardo Bonucci was the right choice as captain.

The former midfielder spent most of his career at San Siro and, having unsuccessfully run for election as President of the FIGC, seemed a natural fit for a directorial role under new management.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Kalinic goal sets season record
26.10 || webmaster

Nikola Kalinic’s goal for Milan against Chievo on Wednesday set a Serie A record for this season, coming at the end of 43 consecutive passes.

Opta statistics showed the Croatia international’s strike finished off a textbook team move at the Stadio Bentegodi.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Calabria: 'I am fine'
26.10 || webmaster

Milan defender Davide Calabria thanked fans for their messages after his frightening head injury. “We’re doing all the necessary tests.”

The full-back was stretchered off after a nasty collision with Chievo defender Massimo Gobbi during the final minutes of Wednesday night’s 4-1 victory.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Berlusconi: ‘Maybe I’ll buy AC Milan…’
26.10 || webmaster

Silvio Berlusconi jokes “maybe I’ll buy Milan again”, as Mediaset are likely to receive €500m.

The former Italian Prime Minister sold the club in April this year, with a Chinese group led by Yonghong Li taking over.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella: 'Milan building to Chievo win'
26.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella believes Milan’s 4-1 win at Chievo was simply building on the growing performances of recent weeks.

Suso was decisive with a goal and assist at the Stadio Bentegodi, ending a run of one point from four rounds.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Lazaros: 'I expected a better AC Milan'
20.10 || webmaster

AEK Athens winger Lazaros Christodoulopoulos admits he “expected Milan to be better than this. We could’ve won with a little more focus.”

The 0-0 draw at San Siro kept the Europa League qualification open and was the first time the Rossoneri have dropped points on the continent this season.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella: 'AC Milan must protect players'
20.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella urged Milan fans and the club to “protect” the players rather than jeer them after the 0-0 draw with AEK Athens.

There were only 17,000 supporters in the crowd at San Siro and they often insulted the squad during this Europa League stalemate.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Locatelli: 'AC Milan fans right to jeer'
20.10 || webmaster

Manuel Locatelli admits Milan fans “have every reason to jeer. We are a great team, but we’ve got to prove it” after a 0-0 draw with AEK Athens.

The Rossoneri were jeered off the field by the relatively small crowd at San Siro following this disappointing Europa League stalemate.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Europa League: AC Milan 0:0 AEK Athens - match report
20.10 || webmaster

Milan put in another disappointing performance to draw 0-0 at San Siro with AEK Athens, but goalkeeper Giannis Anestis performed heroics.

The Rossoneri had won all six of their Europa League games this season, including the preliminary rounds, yet lost three on the bounce in Serie A, putting Coach Vincenzo Montella at serious risk. Nikola Kalinic returned from injury, but was only fit for the bench, while Alessio Romagnoli, Cristian Zapata, Ignazio Abate, Luca Antonelli and Gustavo Gomez missed out. Hakan Calhanoglu was suspended for Sunday’s 3-2 derby defeat to Inter.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella ‘still figuring out best XI’
18.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella admits “I still have to figure out which socks go with which trousers” in his Milan team.

Montella’s position was plunged into further doubt after Milan’s 3-2 defeat to Inter in the Derby della Madonnina last weekend, but the Coach insisted his side “deserved at least two draws” from their last two losses and “didn’t see” much difference between them and their arch-rivals.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

AC Milan defensive shortage with AEK
18.10 || webmaster

Milan named their squad for the Europa League clash with AEK Athens, as Nikola Kalinic returns, but Alessio Romagnoli is one of several defenders out.

Striker Kalinic is back in the squad after missing the Derby della Madonnina 3-2 defeat with a thigh problem and could well start in place of Andre Silva.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella: ‘Milan are improving’
18.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella insists “I see a higher quality of play” from Milan - “it takes time”.

The Rossoneri have lost their last three Serie A games in a row, putting pressure on the Coach ahead of tomorrow’s Europa League clash with AEK Athens.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella given three games?
18.10 || webmaster

Reports suggest Milan Coach Vincenzo Montella is in no immediate danger of losing his job, but the next three games are decisive.

The Rossoneri have lost their last three Serie A games in a row, with the most recent coming on Sunday against city rivals Inter.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

AC Milan eye Lucas Lima
18.10 || webmaster

Milan could bring Lucas Lima in from Santos as a free agent in January, according to Sky Sport Italia.

The 27-year-old Brazilian creative midfielder’s current contract is due to expire on December 31.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Cutrone ‘not feeling pressure’
18.10 || webmaster

Patrick Cutrone insists he is not feeling the pressure at Milan after offering his backing to Coach Vincenzo Montella and ‘leader’ Leonardo Bonucci.

Cutrone has been a rare bright spark in Milan’s season, with Montella and Bonucci coming under particular scrutiny for their poor performances at the helm and in defence respectively.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

AC Milan host AEK Athens in Europa League - a must win for Vincenzo Montella
18.10 || webmaster

After a summer of splurging in the transfer market, many tipped 2017-18 to be the season where AC Milan returned to the glory days of old and challenged for major honours.

However, the new campaign has not quite gone to plan as yet, as summer signings settle in and Vincenzo Montella looks to find a winning formula.

With the club’s new owners surely impatient after their expenditure, Milan are at a crossroads and the head coach needs results to start to improve if he is to play a prolonged role in the Rossoneri’s rejuvenation.

Next up for the San Siro outfit is Greek outfit AEK Athens in the Europa League, with the game a must-win for the Italian hosts.

For those wanting to use a Winner Coupon Code 2018, Montella’s men are favourites with the bookmakers at odds of 4/9.

Milan go into the continental encounter on the back of two consecutive defeats, with an agonising late 3-2 loss to rivals Inter last time out still fresh in the memory.

While the home side should on paper have too much quality for AEK, Montella will also have one eye on Sunday’s Serie A clash with Genoa and know that he needs to manage his squad accordingly.

Milan currently have issues at both ends of the pitch.

In attack, the loaning of Carlos Bacca to Villarreal in the summer was a peculiar move and the Rossoneri’s new faces have not filled the goal void left by the Colombian.

Andre Silva and Fabio Borini are yet to register for their new club, while Nikola Kalinic has scored twice in six outings thus far.

The veteran Croatian is highly fancied by the bookies to add to his tally against AEK, at odds of 5/4 to score at any time.

In defence, the audacious capture of Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus was hailed as a transfer masterclass, but the supporting cast around the Italy international are struggling to match his world-class moniker.

Having only kept two clean sheets domestically and on the continent since the start of the regular campaign, shutting AEK out would be a morale booster for Milan.

With this in mind, odds of 11/10 are available for punters to wager that the Greek visitors will not beat Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Rossoneri goal.

Milan need to put the disappointment of derby defeat behind them and get back to winning ways on Thursday night - Montella’s future and the feel-good factor around the club depend on it.

Montella: 'Very proud of AC Milan'
16.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella was “very proud” of Milan despite their 3-2 defeat to Inter and contested the penalty. “If we play with this spirit, we won’t lose again.”

Mauro Icardi bagged a hat-trick, including a last-gasp penalty for Ricardo Rodriguez’s embrace on Danilo D’Ambrosio, after Suso and Jack Bonaventura goals.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Fassone: 'AC Milan just need time'
16.10 || webmaster

Marco Fassone admits Milan expected better at this stage, but confirmed his backing for Coach Vincenzo Montella after a 3-2 defeat to Inter.

Mauro Icardi’s hat-trick proved decisive at San Siro this evening after Suso and Jack Bonaventura had twice clawed back a draw.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Borini: 'Painful derby defeat'
16.10 || webmaster

Fabio Borini experienced a “painful” defeat as Milan capitulated 3-2 to Inter in the Derby della Madonnina. “We played such a great game.”

Suso and Jack Bonaventura had twice pegged their city rivals back for a draw, but Mauro Icardi completed his hat-trick with a 90th-minute penalty.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Albertini: Montella needs time, Inter…
16.10 || webmaster

Milan legend Demetrio Albertini insists Vincenzo Montella needs time to “integrate a lot of new players” and that Inter “haven’t impressed me yet.”

Albertini made over 400 appearances for Milan between 1988 and 2002, winning five Scudetti and three Champions Leagues, and the former Italy midfielder made it clear he was unwilling to confirm to general consensus.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Serie A: Internazionale 3:2 AC Milan - match report
16.10 || webmaster

Scorers: Icardi 28, 63, pen 90 (I), Suso 56 (M), Handanovic og 80 (M)

Mauro Icardi scored a hat-trick, including a last-minute penalty, to win the derby 3-2 and send Milan further into crisis.

This was a massive Derby della Madonnina, as the Nerazzurri were unbeaten and in second place, but needed a result to stop leaders Napoli breaking away. Marcelo Brozovic was injured and Joao Mario suffering from tonsillitis, so Matias Vecino moved into a more advanced trequartista role. The Rossoneri were in poor form after three defeats in the opening seven rounds and Coach Vincenzo Montella under fire. He couldn’t count on Nikola Kalinic, Andrea Conti, Luca Antonelli, Riccardo Montolivo or suspended Hakan Calhanoglu.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Rodriguez: 'Big game for Andre Silva'
15.10 || webmaster

Ricardo Rodriguez is tipping Andre Silva to score the decisive goal as Milan go into the derby against Inter.

“We worked hard over the last few days, as we want to win the derby by putting in a great performance,” the wing-back told Milan TV.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Serie A: Internazionale vs AC Milan - line-ups
15.10 || webmaster

Inter: Handanovic; D'Ambrosio, Skriniar, Miranda, Nagatomo; Gagliardini, Borja Valero; Candreva, Vecino, Perisic; Icardi

Inter bench: Padelli, Berni, Ranocchia, Santon, Dalbert, Cancelo, Karamoh, Eder, Pinamonti

Milan: G Donnarumma; Musacchio, Bonucci, Romagnoli; Borini, Kessie, Biglia, Bonaventura, Rodriguez; Suso, Andre Silva

Milan bench: Storari, A Donnarumma, Gomez, Gabbia, Zapata, Paletta, Calabria, Mauri, Montolivo, Locatelli, Abate, Cutrone

Read the rest on Football Italia.

AC Milan still want Conte
3.10 || webmaster

With Vincenzo Montella under pressure, reports suggest Milan are interested in Chelsea’s Antonio Conte for next season.

The Rossoneri have lost their past two Serie A games, and face Inter in the Derby della Madonnina after the international break.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Montella meets AC Milan again
3.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella is reportedly holding a new meeting at Casa Milan to decide on a new fitness Coach.

It was announced last week that Emanuele Marra had been fired by the Coach, reportedly because he didn’t agree with several of his methods, including a vegan diet.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

AC Milan clubs strike San Siro deal?
3.10 || webmaster

It’s reported both Inter and Milan have agreed to renovate San Siro, rather than building a new stadium.

Representatives of both sides met with mayor Giuseppe Sala last night, to discuss the future of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Infographic: Biggest Sponsorships
3.10 || webmaster

The biggest clubs across Europe not only compete for the Champions League but also for the biggest kit manufacturing deal. Come the 2018/19 season, Barcelona will officially hold the record for the biggest sponsorship when their contract extension with Nike starts.

With the Catalan giants expected to rake in around £140 million a season, the Champions League might start to favour Barcelona once again if they manage to spend the money wisely. The following infographic takes a look at the biggest sponsorship deals in comparison to club revenue as well as how they compare to the biggest transfer records of each club. You can do your own football betting here ahead of another huge week across the major European leagues.

Nike and Adidas are the big spenders in kit manufacturing and often alternate between the top teams in the world. Although there are brands like Under Armour and Puma who have been rumoured as having offered big money deals to those big teams.

When the deals are due for renewal, it is likely that we will see more figures of over £100 million per season being offered as these brands like to be featured by the very best and they know that they will have to pay in order to achieve this.

Montella: 'Satisfied with AC Milan'
1.10 || webmaster

Vincenzo Montella insists he is “satisfied” after Milan’s 2-0 defeat to Roma. “We played the way I like and created numerous chances.”

Edin Dzeko’s deflected effort and Alessandro Florenzi following up on a parried Radja Nainggolan effort made the difference at San Siro.

Read the rest on Football Italia.

Serie A: AC Milan 0:2 Roma - match report
1.10 || webmaster

Roma put another dent in Vincenzo Montella’s Milan project with a 2-0 victory at San Siro thanks to Edin Dzeko and Alessandro Florenzi.

It was a very scrappy game with little quality from either side, as the tension of the situation clearly got to the two teams.

Read the rest on Football Italia.