A strange season finale [Newsletter]
Just four games remain of the 2023-24 season and it feels like most AC Milan fans have checked out already. Since it has been a tiring one, while the remaining clashes aren’t exactly high profile, this is far from surprising and has made for a very strange season finale. On the other hand, one could argue that it’s just what the Rossoneri needed: time for reflection.
All eyes are naturally on the managerial pursuit, with a few candidates still in the running, and it seems the ‘Nopetegui’ trend has had an effect on the Milan management. The outcome is still very much up in the air and all we can do right now is to wait. We spoke about the matter at great length in one of our latest bonus articles here on Substack, also naming the Rossoneri’s key candidate.
As mentioned above, the situation has made for a strange season finale, even for the most devoted fans (perhaps especially for them). The support will not be lacking in the final four games, of course, but it’s equally true that fans might not be able to rely on the same enthusiasm. Stefano Pioli brought Milan back to the Champions League and won the Scudetto, but it still feels like a ‘let’s get it over with’ farewell.
Regardless of what has happened this season, and the last one to an extent as well, Pioli deserves a nice farewell from the fans. He arrived in a period of chaos and not just stabilised Milan, but also brought them back to the top. Fans are right to criticise some of his decisions as of late, especially since we have seen a clear regression, but it would simply be wrong not to thank him for his efforts.
The remaining games should be relatively easy, at least on paper, and winning these could be a much-needed boost as we head into the summer. Not that it will matter much, apart from definitely clinching second place in the standings, but it will give Pioli a worthy farewell and the fans something to cheer about. Then, we can truly start focusing on the summer mercato and the 2024-25 season.
There is no doubt that the management is thinking about the future already, though, and that is also why this ‘dull’ season finale is perfect for Milan. Many important changes will be made in the summer and being able to focus on these quite early, without distractions from the pitch, is obviously a benefit. On the other hand, this has led the fans to be more involved as well (Nopetegui etc), putting more pressure on the management.
News bulletin
➤ Milan Primavera were beaten 2-1 by Bologna on Wednesday afternoon as Thiago Motta watched on from the sidelines. It is a second straight defeat in the league, and it further complicated the mission to get into the play-offs.
➤ Sticking with the youth sector, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is apparently now involved in the renewal talks with Francesco Camarda's agency in the hopes of finding an agreement, while there is an Italian-Ukrainian striker nicknamed 'Baby Sheva' who has scored over 800 goals in the youth sector.
➤ AC Milan Women’s winning streak came to an end away at Pomigliano on Wednesday as they drew 2-2 after throwing away a 2-0 lead. They still remain top of the relegation pool, but given they were playing the team in rock bottom it has left a sour taste.
➤ It is hard for even us to make sense of the head coach pursuit after the Julen Lopetegui U-turn, but at the moment the three profiles in the lead seem to be Roberto De Zerbi, Thiago Motta, Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao.
➤ There have been a couple of good interviews in the past week, starting with Tijjani Reijnders reflecting on his decision to pick Milan in the summer and then Matteo Gabbia spoke about his loan spell at Villarreal plus his growth as a defender.
➤ Features on the site this week include a deep-dive into whether Stefano Pioli was the perfect caretaker after all, a Devil's Advocate on the dangers of fan pressure and external noise, plus a look at why Motta ticks so many boxes for Milan and how the door has reopened.