AC Milan cannot see the end of the tunnel. Indeed, the weeks follow one another and are similar with a few phases better, but far too much irregularity and inconsistency. Arriving this summer to succeed Stefano Pioli after a season punctuated by ups and downs, Paulo Fonseca set down his bags at AC Milan with the objective of introducing a breath of freshness and renewal to the sporting project led by Gerry Cardinale and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Despite a transfer window marked by the reinforcements of Strahinja Pavlović, Youssouf Fofana, Alvaro Morata, Tammy Abraham, Emerson Royal and Álex Jiménez, the Rossoneri have not yet managed to find an effective recipe to be solid and consistent at the start of the season . Currently ranked 8th in Serie A, the Rossoneri are struggling to live up to their tradition and status of being in the race for the Scudetto, while in the Champions League they have settled in 12th position. After the narrow victory in the Champions League at home (2-1) against Red Star Belgrade, AC Milan’s mission was to reassure its fans in Serie A, in the hope of sending a message.
At least that’s what a furious Paulo Fonseca was aiming for on Wednesday evening at a press conference following the difficult success against the Serbian club: “it would have been easy to only talk about the victory against Red Star Belgrade. I can’t just talk about the victory against Red Star. With Wednesday’s attitude, we could not live up to a club that has left its mark on football history. I spoke to the team, I spoke to the players I wanted to speak to and we are ready. Firstly because I always tell the truth, it is difficult for me to hide what I feel after the match. Second, these are important messages to get across. You’re not inside the club, you don’t know everything, but I needed to speak publicly“. And this weekend, to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary, AC Milan hosted Patrick Vieira’s Genoa. Despite the presence of many legends at San Siro and a vintage collector’s jersey worn by Milan players, the Diavolo once again disappointed. Paulo Fonseca continues to be questioned, as do the club’s leaders.
A completely ruined birthday
It was supposed to be a day of celebration for Milan and its inhabitants, but Sunday December 15 will also go down in history as the day of the great San Siro fan protest. Already during the ceremony, the Curva Sud had not spared Zlatan Ibrahimović and Giorgio Furlani who were victims of a rain of whistles. Tempers heated up against Paulo Fonseca’s AC Milan, and at the final whistle from referee Marco Guida, the entire stadium reserved a wave of boos for the Rossoneri players as they left the field. On this frosty Sunday evening in the capital of Lombardy, the players at the club, the coach and the managers, everyone took it for granted. “This club doesn’t deserve us“, shouted the ultras, tired of a team which continues to lose points and which is already almost out of the race for the title before Christmas: “I have total confidence in our attackers. The protest of supporters is normal. We really wanted to win for our fans but I feel they have always been with the team. And I think we can all recognize that the team gave everything for the victory, we are clearly not satisfied with the result and I understand the disappointment of the fans“. Fan protests also continued outside the stadium, targeting Gerry Cardinale. Paulo Fonseca nevertheless remains convinced that the team is growing in quality day after day and is working to find the right balance. He is trying different options, like yesterday with the duo from Milan Futuro, Alex Jimenez and Mattia Liberali, who delivered great individual performances.
La Curva Sud displayed a clear and easily interpretable banner: “Milan Club: we waited and supported you until the end, we have had enough of your mediocrity. Incompetent managers, clubs without ambition. You are not up to our story“. A frustration which was probably also amplified by the many legends who participated in the ceremony. Seeing Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, heroes of the great Milan of Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, and all the trophies won in the past, then observing the indigestible spectacle offered by the current Rossoneri, was simply unbearable, even for the most calm and optimistic fan. With yesterday’s disappointing draw, Milan lost two more important points to Atalanta and Napoli, fell behind Bologna into seventh place and also accumulated an 8-point deficit from fourth place. of the ranking occupied by Fiorentina. Even the minimum objective of qualifying for the next Champions League seems to be spiraling out of control. The gap between the club and the supporters seems irreparable: “you pissed us off” ; “we are not Americans” were the slogans that rose in the bays. AC Milan still remains in contention in the Champions League and the Italian Cup, but without the support of the fans, it is difficult to envisage a positive outcome. In any case, the Portuguese coach has always had an excellent relationship with the club managers. For the moment, AC Milan trusts Paulo Fonseca as the ideal man to lead the team to the desired level.
