Land Down Under [Newsletter]

May 29, 2024

Hi there, Land Down Under! AC Milan received a warm welcome from the local fans in Australia yesterday, arriving ahead of the friendly against Roma this Friday. After a long and tough season, this is the perfect send-off for the Rossoneri players ahead of their vacation, although some will more or less be heading straight into international duty.

Milan and Roma announced the friendly a couple of months ago and at the time, it felt like a rather strange decision. Now that we have arrived at the week of the game, though, it seems like the perfect opportunity for the Rossoneri to end a roller-coaster season on a good note. Not to suggest that the result of the friendly will matter a lot, but the trip serves as yet another team-building exercise.

Several key players have travelled with the team, including Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders, while Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic have been left out for personal reasons. The most surprising call-up is perhaps Olivier Giroud, but he did make it clear after the Salernitana game that he was up for the challenge. Like the true professional that he is.

The game will take place in Perth, more specifically at Optus Stadium, while kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 local time (13:00 CEST). Reports suggest that it will be a sell-out crowd and the atmosphere should thus be decent, especially considering the amount of Milan fans based in Australia. For the latter, it’s certainly nice that so many ‘prominent’ players have made the trip even if Leao and Pulisic are missing.

Speaking of missing, Stefano Pioli has indeed coached his last game for Milan and will not be on the bench this Friday. Daniele Bonera has assumed his responsibilities, warming up for the U23 project, and this will be his fourth game as the Rossoneri’s emergency manager. Back in November 2020, the former defender had to step up as Pioli and his assistant both got Covid-19. The result? Two wins and a draw.

Of course, Bonera will soon have to pass the baton again as Milan reportedly are ready to announce their new manager. It certainly makes sense to wait until after the game, but if the official announcement doesn’t arrive within a week of the final whistle, it would be very strange indeed. The Rossoneri fans have waited long enough and planning is needed for the mercato, so why drag it out?

News Bulletin

➤ AC Milan’s Primavera side had their season ended on Saturday evening as they drew 1-1 with Lazio in their play-off, which was not enough to secure progress. The rules meant that Milan had to beat Lazio inside 90 minutes and they let a lead slip, so the Biancocelesti advanced.

➤ At the end of the game, Ignazio Abate officially announced that he is leaving the Rossoneri during an interview with Sportitalia. It is a possibility that we had previously spoken about, and he confirmed that he is departing because he wants a job with a senior team.

➤ It was a night full of emotions on Saturday as Milan closed the curtain on the season and ended an era in the process. Each of Stefano Pioli, Simon Kjaer and Olivier Giroud addressed the fans on the pitch at San Siro, with some players in tears hearing their heartfelt speeches.

➤ Paulo Fonseca is expected to sign a two-year deal to become the new head coach of Milan, but there is a surprise regarding his salary. Additionally, the Rossoneri will have the option of another year on his contract, and this would come with a pay increase.

➤ Kylian Mbappe has once again got fans in a frenzy as he declared that if he ends up playing in Italy one day, he will only do so for his boyhood club AC Milan. The reason that he ended up loving the Rossoneri has been explained before, but for now a move remains a dream.

➤ The Milan management and Fonseca believe there are strong foundations to build around going into their first summer together, but there are four starters that the coach wants and there is a sizeable budget for the directors to work with, possibly €100m or more.