Milan Column

Jeff · 23-09-2007, 18:50

Hi all,

The purpose of this thread is to gather articles written by columnists and exclusive interviews with players (or anyone that has an opinion on Milan) in the globe about Milan. Although we hear Milan news in outlets such as goal.com, acmilan.com, or soccernet.com from time to time, we do not have an existing thread regarding what people around the world thinks of the Milan team.

Much credit needs to go to Tony29, who brings up the 'night show' that invites famous coaches, refs etc. to talk about serie A each week (see Milan vs. Parma thread). I think it will be a great idea to talk and discuss what others think about Milan, and to what extent their opinions are justified.

This is not a place for general news (we can save it for individual threads), but for the more analytical. I'll kick off with Rae's (a columnist at soccernet.com) comments on Milan's victory in Champion League:

*******

Rae's Say: Ordinary Milan still worthy winners

Having spent the last week or so in Athens presenting many of ESPN's pre-match programmes and then commentating on the Champions League final itself, chances to put thoughts down on paper have been extremely limited.

Empics
The Milan side celebrate their success in Athens.

As for the Greek experience as a whole, I'll confess to missing the souvlaki and gyros, but not the omnipresent cigarette smoke. It's just not conducive to a commentator's obligation to occasionally hit the high notes!

Let's move on to the match itself, shall we?

Firstly I see no contradiction in proclaiming AC Milan worthy European club champions, while simultaneously acknowledging that they were downright ordinary in the Athens final.

Milan played the most eye-catching football of any side in the knockout stages. While it's disappointing that they reverted to a more defensive style on Wednesday night, that is not in itself, a reason to dismiss the rossoneri as fortunate Champions League winners.

What was fortuitous of course, was Pippo Inzaghi's opening goal, a crushing blow from the Liverpool point of view, coming so close to half-time. I find it hard to believe there was anything intentional or rehearsed about Inzaghi's actions. Logically then, if we take the view that the 33-year-old predator knew nothing about the deflection, then we're hardly in a position to call it deliberate handball. Besides, can we even say beyond a shadow of doubt that the ball even struck Inzaghi on the arm?

Had referee German Herbert Fandel chalked it off, we would now be discussing the most controversial disallowed goal in recent Champions League final memory.

Liverpool will rightly view their Greek odyssey as an opportunity lost. The Premiership side didn't wipe the floor with Milan in the first half, but they were in discernible control.

Rafa Benitez, normally a manager this commentator is reluctant to criticise, was too slow in reacting to the changes in circumstances as displayed by the massive electronic scoreboard at the Spiros Louis Olympic Stadium.

I expected to see Harry Kewell at the very start of the second half in place of a tentative Bolo Zenden who never looked likely to skin Massimo Oddo. The switch came a few minutes too late.

Similarly, Peter Crouch ought to have been brought on with at least 30 minutes to go.

The general feeling is that Benitez got his starting line-up spot on. I'm not totally convinced. While I liked his commitment to attacking width - Jermaine Pennant excelled in the first forty five minutes - I would rather have seen a more potent, pacy threat on the left. That would have meant Kewell from the beginning.

Benitez is naturally cautious and wanted to avoid getting steamrolled in the first half a la Istanbul. However back then, he didn't have a defensive midfield specialist with the prowess of Javier Mascherano.

I feel he could have been bold enough to start Xabi Alonso on the bench, let Steven Gerrard play slightly in front of Mascherano in the centre of midfield and most importantly field Crouch from the outset. Awkward he might look at times but to listen to the Milan players ahead of the final, his height and nuisance value was on their minds. As Liverpool's top scorer in the Champions League this season, he deserved more than a quarter of an hour.

Milan were decidedly lacking in ambition. However in Pippo Inzaghi they have a throwback to an earlier era. An awkward runner who scarcely resembles a contemporary, well-balanced athlete, Inzaghi neverthless possesses the striking instincts of Gerd Muller.

In the 1974 European Cup final replay, Bayern Munich's Muller (Inzaghi's role model incidentally) scored twice against goalkeeper Miguel Reina of Atletico Madrid.

Sadly for the Reina family, Miguel's son Pepe saw his own dreams of European glory cruelly shattered by the modern-day 'bomber.'

Real Madrid are still correctly regarded as European Cup royalty, but the recent history of the continent's premier club competition belongs not to the merengues, but to the rossoneri.

This was Milan's 8th European Cup or Champions League final since 1989 and their 5th victory during that time frame. No one else comes even close to matching that record in the last couple of decades.

We can now watch with interest to see if wholesale changes are made to the current Milan squad over the next few months, as they try to close in on Real Madrid's haul of nine.

Barcelona players Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Gianluca Zambrotta have all been linked with a summer move to the San Siro.

*********

I personally like Rae because he is one of the more objective columnists. Of course, most of what he says indicate that he is quite pro-Milan, but at the same time he backs up his points with evidence.

To be continued... J

Jim_UK · 24-09-2007, 03:54

That's not our former member Rae is it?

Jeff · 28-09-2007, 11:30

No Jim lol

Seedorf gave an 'exclusive' interview in uefa.com:

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl...id=590414.html

He is especially right when he says that the key to success is 'team spirit'. "It's easy to say it but it's difficult to do" and you have to "help each other through difficult problems."

I truly believe that Seedorf is a true representative of the management's philosophy.

Jeff · 30-09-2007, 20:25

Thanks to Tony29, this will be nice archival data for the future...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony29.

I'm watching RAI DUE show and again the same things are said about Milan. Capello, Daniele Massaro and few more gentlemen are in the studio and again they agree Milan has double personality, one for CL, one for SerieA.

First of all, there were questions to fans at San Siro after the match. They all said they are very angry and they have good reason for that. They say Berlu must do something because this can't and mustn't go on.
"Mancano attacanti" ( we're missing attackers) is what all of them agree on.

About today's match, Capello said " I can't believe that a team like Milan can concede such a goal. This isn't alowed for teams like Milan"

Massaro was less harsh and he said that the defenders that played today are the substitutes and that's why they weren't organized at all. He still admits that he's worried by the lack of concentration.

Milan's fan in the studio ( the guy i mentioned last Sunday) is again very protective and refused to admit Milan are in crisis. He says the reason for the bad results is a sole one : Ronaldo and Pato aren't playing.
Capello replied with " You think one man, even Ronaldo, will solve these 3 years old problems ? "

About the dubious situations, the ref said :

1. Kaladze didn't have an intention to toch the ball with his hand and the ref shouldn't have disallowed the goal ( Capello didn't agree. According to him, a handball that leads to a goal must be called a handball and the goal must be disallowed. Massaro also thinks the goal was rightly disallowed and according to him Kaladze stopped the ball with his hand with an intention to protect his head and to control the ball better)

2. The penalty for Milan : according to the ref it was a right call because there was a big distance between Favalli and Edusei, and Edusei had enough time to see where the ball will go and shouldn't have handballed it.
Everybody in the studio agrees it was a clear penalty.

3. The yellow for Mascara was correct because he mustn't stop the scorer from taking the ball to the center (Kaka took the ball after the penalty)

4. Pirlo deserved a red card for his tackle, not yellow because if he didn't make the faul, 4 Catania players would have been in counter against 2 Milan players

Jeff · 01-10-2007, 14:00

Goal.com editorial wrote about the recent issue with Milan's form. Here is the full article:
****

Last season Milan finished the Serie A campaign in fourth place, a monumental 36 points behind city-rivals and Scudetto-winners Inter. In any normal year there would have been an outcry that Milan could possibly finish so far off the pace.

However all talk of the Rossoneri’s shortcomings seemed to disappear as soon as they lifted the Champions League in Athens in May. Of course the season had now been a hugely successful one – Milan had won the most prestigious club trophy in European football and what’s more they had done it in style after some sensational performances against Bayern Munich and Manchester United en route to the final.

Therefore Milan went into the summer transfer market with an arrogant aura that they were the Champions of Europe and did not need to change something that was not broken. The Rossoneri’s only notable purchases were 31-year-old ‘has-been’ Emerson from Real Madrid and the 18-year-old Alexandre Pato who, despite his description as a wonderkid, is only eligible to play for the Rossoneri from January onwards.

The result of this transfer strategy is that Milan now sit in 11th position in Serie A, already seven points behind leaders Inter after just six games. Furthermore Carlo Ancelotti’s men have failed to win in the league since the opening day of the season and they were dreadfully poor during the 1-1 draw with Catania at the weekend.

Critics in Italy all have their theories as to why things have gone wrong. One explanation is that Milan are simply too old. Out of the first choice starting-11, six are over 30 and only two are below the age of 29, Andrea Pirlo, who is 28, and Kaka, who is 25. The argument is that a team with so many old players simply cannot cope with the rigours of playing twice a week.

The second explanation is that Milan need to buy a striker. The Rossoneri have scored just five goals in their last five Serie A games, with two of these being penalties. This record is simply not good enough. What is even crazier is that Milan currently have just three senior strikers on their books.

Filippo Inzaghi can still be brilliant, but at 34, he cannot be expected to play 40 games a season and his best years are certainly behind him. Alberto Gilardino, to put it simply, is just not good enough to play for such a prestigious club. He is by no means a bad player, but he does not posses the technical ability or the striker intelligence to succeed. Then of course there is Ronaldo, who is either injured or overweight, and despite his undoubted genius, at 31 he hardly represents the future.

So this makes Milan’s decision not to invest during the summer in a proven striker all the more bamboozling. According to ex-Milan player Oscar Damiani, Milan passed up the opportunity to sign Luca Toni, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and David Trezeguet in the summer, three genuine world-class strikers. The fact that Toni only moved to Bayern Munich for a fee of around £9m makes this decision even harder to understand.

The simplicity of it all is that, in my opinion, Milan are probably only one world-class striker away from having a truly awesome team. The defence is sound, and the midfield of Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Ambrosini and Kaka is undoubtedly the best in European club football. Finally the Rossoneri possess the best player in the world in the absolutely outstanding Kaka.

However all of this is wasted because Milan do not have a striker to finish the job. If either Toni, Trezeguet or Van Nistelrooy were playing up front for Milan, they would have scored about eight goals this season already. The sheer brilliance of the midfield means that chances will always be created, as was the case in the defeat to Palermo last week.

However this does not explain why, despite their dreadful form in the league over the past year, Milan are still the number one team in Europe when it comes to the Champions League. This topic requires a lot more analysis than I can offer here but the statistics talk for themselves. In the past five years, Milan have won the trophy twice and reached the final, semi-final and quarter-final on one occasion each.

This is an incredible record, unrivalled in recent years. Milan were simply magnificent in winning the competition last season and they have also began in imperious form this time around with a dominant 2-1 victory over Benfica a fortnight ago. So why do Milan continue to perform in Europe but struggle so badly in Serie A?

Are they, as many Italian critics say, prioritising the Champions League too much? Carlo Ancelotti has openly admitted that he prefers success in Europe to success at home. Or is the slow, passing game that Milan play so delightfully against foreign opposition just not suited to Serie A? Have Milan just been unlucky so far this season in the league?

Goal.com wants to know your views! What is wrong with Milan and what should they do, if anything, to solve their problems?

*****
It's more of a problem with motivation, but again teams that play against Milan only aim for a point (at least before the match begins). On the other hand, teams that play against Milan in CL really wants to win despite knowing that there will be a risk. More space for Kaka and Seedorf means that there will be more opportunity for scoring.

Old age is an issue, too, but we have been talking about this for the past 5 years, and we have won 2 champion leagues. If age is a factor, it only predicts Serie A

J
p.s.: I actually think that I'm going to write my own column pretty soon! Although I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Jeff · 02-10-2007, 14:05

Here is a recent interview that Kaka` gives to uefa.com. It is given before the game against Liverpool.

On the way to the photography studio where I'm scheduled to meet Kaká, I pass two billboards featuring the AC Milan star. In one he is dressed stylishly in suit and tie, in the other the clothes are more casual. We are in Zona Tortona, the trendy district dubbed the Soho of Milan because of its bars, galleries and fashion showrooms. Thirty seconds into our conversation it is obvious why stylists compete to have his clean face and gentle smile endorse their products.

Humble
When Kaká married his wife Caroline 18 months ago, Milan president Silvio Berlusconi declared he was "the husband every parent would like their daughter to have". A part-time model off the pitch, he has been a model of consistency on it, dominating the UEFA Champions League this season. His competition-leading ten goals have driven AC Milan to another final against Liverpool FC, but Kaká has not let his achievements go to his head. Deeply religious, the attacking midfielder remains one of the most humble figures in football. The word revenge is not part of his vocabulary.

'More experienced'
"The final against Liverpool is not about revenge," he told uefa.com. "Two years ago they won and that's it. We're just focusing on this new final. It's a great opportunity to write my name and the club's in the history of the competition. In a final anything can happen, we know it better than anybody after that game in Istanbul." Kaká was superb in the 2005 final, wresting the game from Liverpool in a mesmerising first half with his darting runs and pinpoint passing.

Liverpool challenge
Two years on another English side has witnessed Kaká at his best. He scored twice against Manchester United FC in the first leg of their semi-final, then put on a show for the adoring Rossoneri supporters at San Siro. The 25-year-old opened the scoring and drove Milan forward all night, the United midfield never coming to grips with his pace or vision as he exploited space in front of the visitors' back four. "Liverpool will probably be more difficult to face than Manchester United," Kaká reflects. "They are more focused on cutting down space while United play great football but also let you play. Liverpool are very organised and have a great coach. We know [Rafael] Benítez and [Steven] Gerrard really well but Liverpool are not about individuals, they are a very good side overall. Still if I have to choose one player, I would go for Gerrard. He is a leader, a point of reference for them."

'Work hard'
Just as Kaká is for Milan. The conduit of their best moves on the pitch, he has also become the focus off it. The patience and attention with which he deals with constant demands on his time from press and fans alike suggests he will not be letting success go to his head. He has been in the form of his life, but insists “there is room for improvement, there are many things to learn. I leave comparisons with other players to journalists and coaches, I only want to work hard to become a better player. Finishing as top scorer was never my objective. I'm not a forward, I'm more a playmaker but as long as my goals help Milan win games I'm happy."

'Focus'
As 23 May approaches, those goals have given Milan every reason for confidence. "The Champions League has always been our main focus. We started well, then we had a bad period, but now we're back at our peak at the most important part of the season." Not even a specialist in penalty-saving like Pepe Reina gives cause for concern. "I'm only thinking about positive things and I scored a penalty in Istanbul as well so I'm prepared to take one again. Liverpool have won some important games on penalties but I'm sure they don't want that again. No team plays for penalties."

'Very happy'
The bond between Milan and Kaká is strong, too strong to let constant transfer talk linking him with Real Madrid CF disrupt the relationship. "This club is like a family. I feel at home here which is very important for me. The rumours about Madrid do not disturb me. I have a contract with Milan until 2011 and I will move only if they want to sell me." Things might have been very different for the former São Paulo FC player who first moved to Europe in 2003. "I didn't pick Milan, Milan picked me. I could have joined Chelsea [FC] but they wanted to send me on loan to Russia while Milan had faith in me immediately. Looking back, I'm very happy with what destiny had in store for me." Another important date with destiny is fast approaching.

Jeff · 02-10-2007, 16:30

Wow! Another one on Kaka` in soccernet.com; just recently posted:

Being the undisputed king of the soccer world brings the sort of pressure few can deal with, yet Brazilian superstar Kaka insists he is ready to accept the mantle.

ValeryHache/GettyImages
Kaka: Set to scoop award.

The AC Milan hero rolls into Glasgow for another meeting with Celtic this week knowing he will soon be confirmed as the best player on the planet and at the age of 25, the Brazilian who almost single-handedly won the Champions League crown last season insists he will thrive on the status he will soon hold.

Both FIFA and UEFA look certain to name Kaka as their Player of the Year when the awards are handed out in a few weeks time, with his performances in Milan's run to European glory last season leaving the judging panels with few doubts over the destiny of the top prize.

Still looking baby-faced and apparently humble despite the platitudes he has become used to accepting, Kaka's ambition to repeat his Champions League heroics of last season appear to run deep and his determination to build on his already mammoth reputation serves as a warning to all who will cross him.

'I feel as if I'm only beginning to reach my peak now so the best is yet to come from Kaka,' vows the maestro who turned down overtures from Real Madrid and Chelsea during the summer.

'You can only become a mature player when you have played a lot of football and proved you are good enough to play at the top level. I feel I'm getting there now.

'Am I the best player in the world? That's for other people to decide, but the idea seems amazing to me. I believe Pele recently said I deserved to be seen like this so it is an amazing thought. Carlo Ancelotti, my coach at Milan, also said this after the Champions League Final last season.

'I look at some like Ronaldinho or Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as some of my team mates at Milan, and they have amazing talent, so it's hard to me to say I am better than the rest. I prefer to just win trophies and let people make their judgements of what I achieve.

'When people talk of you like this, it brings so much responsibility, but I look forward to accepting that. I feel as if I'm ready to be treated as one of the top players now.'

Ronaldinho's dramatic fall from grace at Barcelona and Thierry Henry's fading powers left a vacancy at the top of the game and Kaka has proved that he is more than worthy of accepting the crown.

That his sublime brilliance on the field is combined with the sort of modesty not normally associated with a player whose talents exploded in front of the watching world as Carlo Ancelotti's men closed in on another Champions League crown last May makes his a truly prized commodity. He is, indeed, fit to hold the title of the world's best.

Kaka's glut of goals in the group stages of last season's competition were followed up by the winner against a gallant Celtic side at the San Siro in the knock-out stages that went on to become a one-man show no one could stop.

It was his performances in the two semi-final clashes against Manchester United that confirmed this little Brazilian as the master many had been claiming he could become and he reflects on those two clashes with the team that went on to be crowned English champions with a gleaming smile.

'Beating Liverpool in the Final meant so much after what happened to us in 2005, but Manchester United at the San Siro was our perfect performance last season,' he continues, still clearly haunted by the Reds never-to-be-forgotten comeback in the Champions League climax of three seasons ago.

'Everyone says Arsenal are the only team in England to play with a Brazilian flair, but I feel United do it even more. Players like Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney bring so much to a game and that is why I say our victory over them in the semi-final was so special.

'I always watch English football and to play at a great stage like Old Trafford, where their fans gave them such support to come from behind in the first leg, was a great memory for me.

'What we did against United in Milan was amazing. They didn't have any chances and we beat them from start to finish. After they beat Roma 7-1 in the quarter-final, everyone believed they would be the champions, but we deserved our success.

'Now we want even more. The memories of the Champions League last season do not mean that ambition in my life has gone. I want to win the trophy again and again and after the emotion of what happened against Liverpool in Athens, we all want to experience this joy again.

'I know the statistics show no side has defended the Champions League successfully, but these records are there to be beaten. Maybe some team relaxes when they have won this competition, but no one at Milan doubts we can be back in the Final again this season.'

Kaka's match winning performances against United last season ensured he edged ahead of Portuguese magician Ronaldo in the race to be crowned the star performer of 2007 and he aims to end the year on a high by inspiring Milan to another triumph over Gordon Strachan's Bhoys on Wednesday night.

More than familiar with the demands of facing Celtic, he seems to be relishing the prospect of another night in the Parkhead caldron. 'They were tough opponents last season and I think Milan have played against Celtic four times in the last five years,' he concludes.

'Celtic are so strong on set-plays and have amazing spirit. Still, they have some weak points and we have to expose them. Scoring at Celtic will not be easy, but we have shown that one goal can be all you need to win a game like this. We came through so many tough challenges last season and this team was one of the trickiest.

'I like some of the Celtic players and (Shunsuke) Nakamura is an intelligent player. The atmosphere at their stadium is always very special and I'm sure it will be again.'

After a 2-1 victory against Benfica two weeks ago, a three-point haul against Celtic will put Milan close to qualification for the knock-out stages of the Champions League once again.

That will ensure Kaka's unique talents remain on display to his adoring public well into the New Year.

Pretty much the same thing, but then it'll be interesting to look back at all these interviews etc. a year (or more) so from now... tbc - J

Warro Bantan · 08-10-2007, 13:19

Article on our recent victory over Lazio, with a focus on Gila:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/20...he_monkey.html

Jeff · 08-10-2007, 15:00

Very interesitng article; it'll be up to Gilardino to (hopefully?) prove the criticism wrong in the long-run.

ACMILAN1983 · 08-10-2007, 15:27

That's a very well written piece regarding Gila there, and the analysis is spot on

Jeff · 08-10-2007, 16:18

From Tony29:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony29.

Ok, they finished talking about Milan.
The guests for today are :
1. The gentleman from previous weeks, the Milan fan (couldn't catch his name)
2. Marco Tardelli (ex-Juve player and ex-Inter coach)
3. Bernardo Corradi (Parma player)
4. Pierluigi Collina
5. Fulvio Collovati ( ex-Milan and Inter player)
6. Daniele Tombolini ( referee)
7. Carlo Ancelotti ( not a guest in the studio but he was online and talking with the guys in the studio)

First of all, my thoughts : This was probably the worst refereeing i've seen for a while.
Great match by Milan but i can't help noticing (as did the men in the studio) that it seemed like Milan is playing against a serie C team. Lazio is simply not a team that can play Wednesday/Sunday.
I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw Seedorf, in 70 minute, running slower than a turtle and still outrunning Lazio defenders. Lazio players looked like they can't take a breath, like their legs weight 200 kilos.

Now, back to the guys in the studio :

1. Braida : He was caught on the camera , saying to someone in his cell phone, what all of us thought : SCANDALOSO ARBITRO (scandalous ref)

2. Ancelotti is mad at the refs and he attacked the way they handled the match.
Then he was asked by Tardelli, who thinks that what Milan needs is motivation, is motivation Milan's problem ? Ancelotti answered " No, getting more space is our problem. Tonight Lazio gave us all the space in the world and you can see the result".
When one of the people in the studio made some joke about Dida and how he is Milan's main problem, Ancelotti said that Dida was not the problem, the way the whole team played was the main problem.
He finished with " Now we are more calm and we can continue preparing in peace"

Then it was time for the ref Tombolini to give his view on the dubious situations in tonight's match :

a) First penalty situation - the linesman says it's a goal out, the main ref says it's a penalty. Then they have a conversation and they give corner kick - it can't be more stupid than this, can it ?
Tombolini says it wasn't a penalty but a clear dive by Gilardino and even though at first i was convinced it was a penalty , after watching the situation from 5/6 different angles, it was clear that Gila dived. He moved his leg deliberately so it will seem as he was fauled. Everybody, except for one other gentleman in the studio, agreed with this

b) The penalty . Everybody in the studio said it was a clear penalty

c) Gila's yellow card. Again everyone agrees that Gilardino dived withour being touched and that he deserved nothing else but a yellow card. (Ancelotti also said how Gilardino dived)

d) Kaka vs Cribari and Cribari stops the ball with his hand. Couldn't have been a more clear penaly, but the ref didn't give it.

There were many more minor incidents and in all these occasions the ref made a mistake in Lazio's favor. There were few bad offside calls when Kaka and Gila weren't offside.

Then they talked about Milan's defense that is playing really bad so far. Tardelli said "Maldini is desperately needed" .

At the end they talked about who has the chances for the scudetto. Everybody thinks Inter is the only team that can win lo scudetto ( even Colina). Only Milan's fan said that Milan and Inter have 50/50 chances to win the league.

P.S : Tay, what comments by Mutu ? When he was praising Juve and Ranieri and when he was thankful for the support they've shown to him, or smthg else ?

Well, let's see if the coaches are right (that Inter is the only team capable of winning the Scudetto!). Forza Milan!

Jeff · 11-10-2007, 00:12

A not-at-all merciful article from ESPN:

Dida - Can he be taken seriously?

I've touched on players cheating in the past, but what I witnessed at Celtic Park in the UEFA Champions League simply stunned me. Along with Shep Messing, I was fortunate enough to be ESPN's commentator as the Bhoys took on the European Champions.

GettyImages
Dida: Time for a nice lie down after a hard night treading the boards in Glasgow.

The game can be summarised in three parts, an uneventful first half, a better second with a great finish and that moment of pure theatrics in the 90th minute. I will never forget the two minutes which followed.

AC Milan keeper Dida's sublime piece of acting would have made renowned Scottish thespian Sean Connery proud. The only thought spoiling the sheer entertainment value of the whole farce was an underlying fear that German referee Markus Merk may actually buy the thing, and abandon the game. After all there was previous form.

Let me take you back 30 months. A Champions League Milan derby. Dida was hit by a flare thrown by an Inter nutcase after Merk had just disallowed Esteban Cambiasso's goal for no obvious reason. Dida was substituted and the game eventually called off. Milan were awarded the victory.

Before I return to the Samba Star in Glasgow, let me qualify. 27-year-old Celtic Robert McHendry was stupid to run on the pitch after Scott McDonald had hit the winner. I understand the emotion of the Celtic 'fan' as I too have been 'right in the moment'. Just two years ago my beloved Middlesbrough pulled off a remarkable four goal comeback after trailing Steaua Bucharest 3-0 in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final.

All professionalism was lost when I jumped onto the press box desk, crying and dancing like a babbling buffoon as Massimo Maccarone wheeled away in celebration at completing the breathtaking 4-3 victory in the dying embers of the game. But I didn't run down the stairs, onto the pitch to commiserate keeper Alberto Carlos with a playful tap.

Thinking about it, I probably wouldn't have been fast enough to get past the portly security man.

It is against the law in the UK for spectators to enter the 'Field of Play' during a sporting match. McHendry has been banned for life by his beloved club and he'll be hit hard in court. He deserves it. But punishment must come the way of Dida's defence. How Massimo Oddo failed to pick up the meandering invader or why Daniele Bonera left his keeper so exposed is beyond belief. Rank bad defending.

Seriously though, what really concerns me are Dida's actions. I watched the incident live; I have also watched countless replays from four different camera angles. Add to this the amount of close scrutiny Georgie Bingham and I gave the incident as we anchored 'Sportscenter'. It is clear to me that Dida was caught by a 'playful tap' no higher than on the base of his neck.

His instinctive reaction to run after the guy and throttle him gave the game away - which had he done, by the way, would have resulted in a red card for the keeper, but my refereeing background makes me digress. Only when the brain kicked in did Dida go down, but unfortunately go down holding an area six inches too high.

When the emergency services arrived the ice pack was hilariously applied even higher, to the temple. Fantastic samba slap-stick stuff. And when the stretcher was called for, I nearly wet myself with laughter. I was just waiting for the four circus clowns to arrive in the ambulance, apply the brake only to see the doors fall off in a puff of smoke. This stuff really should have been saved for the Theatre Royal, not wasted on Celtic Park.

Okay, I know it could have been far more serious than it was. What if the guy had intended to hurt him? What if he had been carrying a weapon? As I've said, Mr McHendry deserves all that is coming his way. But without wanting to sound like I condone his stunt, it was only a mere flick to the collarbone.

Empics
Acting 101: Dida gives us his 'confused' face.

So what about Dida? What I am not saying is that his thoughts went back to the Milan derby in 2005 and he deliberately tried to have the Glasgow game called off. However, there are major doubts to the integrity of his actions. His mind must have been full of all kinds of stuff ticking over at a tremendous rate. 'Has that just really happened?' 'Should I get him?', 'Do I fall?', 'Have I just lost the game for my team?' And, of course, 'We did get the three points awarded at the San Siro before, didn't we?'

There's no mistaking the fact that Dida is one of the world's great keepers, and, hey I would certainly have him at Boro as a number two to Mark Schwarzer. But I am now left with a few questions of my own. 'Can he now be taken seriously?' And, 'Will UEFA do the European game justice and hit him hard?'

They should. After all it was an act of simulation, and referees have had it hammered home by the very same body to clamp down on cheating!

****

As a milan fan, I think we should all support Dida. Ok, he did it wrong, and perhaps it may be worthy to write a column on it.

But don't just forget what happen to him before that guy hit him. Boy, Dida feels to certain extent guilty of the conceded goal, and he thought that the best way to win it is by stimulation!

Out of positive: He loves Milan to the extent of even going for simulation!

***

Then there is this question: Why is that fan allowed to provoke in the first place? Umm.. this is something we should EQUALLY focused on, yet people like to pick on Dida, AGAIN.

Jeff · 11-10-2007, 17:34

Here you go, looks like Rae agrees with UEFA:

I'm not expecting all of you to agree with the first part of the column this week.

Let me just say, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body have got it right in my view. No prizes for guessing what ruling I'm referring to.

If you believe Milan's lawyer Leandro Cantamessa, UEFA's decision to fine Celtic £25,000 while banning Dida from Milan's next two Champions League matches is 'disproportionate and illogical'. The defending European club champions will lodge an appeal but I would be absolutely flabbergasted if they're successful.

Did Celtic get off lightly? Probably yes. But ask yourself this. What was more damaging to the game of football and its image? The over-exuberant Celtic fan running on to the pitch and slapping Dida, or the goalkeeper's bad acting job? I think deep down we all know the answer to that question.

Dida's antics were grist to the mill of football haters around the world. He personified everything the game shouldn't represent.

Celtic supporters can be counted on to police themselves and ensure no fans invade the Parkhead pitch in future. One hopes, in the light of this judgement, players who're inclined to cheat (there's no other way to describe what Dida did) will think twice before indulging in amateur dramatics, whether in the run of play or otherwise.

____

I get his point, but I think he got one point wrong. it's the matter of sequence:

1) If Dida simulated and smoeone came onto the pitch and slapped him on the face, then Celtic should not be fined.

2) But now, it's Celtic who is responsible for the provocation of the simulation; and I think here is what Rae has missed.

I'm not saying that he is wrong; I'm just saying that the sequence is actually more important than what actually happens...

Blacktop · 11-10-2007, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rae (Jeff)

Dida's antics were grist to the mill of football haters around the world. He personified everything the game shouldn't represent.

Wow, so he's basically saying that he rates Dida's dive to be more salacious than the likes of doping and hooliganism.

Someone really needs his head examined.

Rico · 12-10-2007, 01:56

wow, I haven't read the posts yet, but this thread seems to become a truly valuable asset. Brilliant idea for this thread, guys.

I had been thinking about writing a 'little' article about AC Milan's current season myself. I'll wait to write it until the inspiration comes to me.

I'm also gonna write a poem about Carlo Ancelotti soon.

Forza Milan and love to you all

23-09-2007, 18:50	#1
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	Milan Column Hi all, The purpose of this thread is to gather articles written by columnists and exclusive interviews with players (or anyone that has an opinion on Milan) in the globe about Milan. Although we hear Milan news in outlets such as goal.com, acmilan.com, or soccernet.com from time to time, we do not have an existing thread regarding what people around the world thinks of the Milan team. Much credit needs to go to Tony29, who brings up the 'night show' that invites famous coaches, refs etc. to talk about serie A each week (see Milan vs. Parma thread). I think it will be a great idea to talk and discuss what others think about Milan, and to what extent their opinions are justified. This is not a place for general news (we can save it for individual threads), but for the more analytical. I'll kick off with Rae's (a columnist at soccernet.com) comments on Milan's victory in Champion League: ***** Rae's Say: Ordinary Milan still worthy winners Having spent the last week or so in Athens presenting many of ESPN's pre-match programmes and then commentating on the Champions League final itself, chances to put thoughts down on paper have been extremely limited. Empics The Milan side celebrate their success in Athens. As for the Greek experience as a whole, I'll confess to missing the souvlaki and gyros, but not the omnipresent cigarette smoke. It's just not conducive to a commentator's obligation to occasionally hit the high notes! Let's move on to the match itself, shall we? Firstly I see no contradiction in proclaiming AC Milan worthy European club champions, while simultaneously acknowledging that they were downright ordinary in the Athens final. Milan played the most eye-catching football of any side in the knockout stages. While it's disappointing that they reverted to a more defensive style on Wednesday night, that is not in itself, a reason to dismiss the rossoneri as fortunate Champions League winners. What was fortuitous of course, was Pippo Inzaghi's opening goal, a crushing blow from the Liverpool point of view, coming so close to half-time. I find it hard to believe there was anything intentional or rehearsed about Inzaghi's actions. Logically then, if we take the view that the 33-year-old predator knew nothing about the deflection, then we're hardly in a position to call it deliberate handball. Besides, can we even say beyond a shadow of doubt that the ball even struck Inzaghi on the arm? Had referee German Herbert Fandel chalked it off, we would now be discussing the most controversial disallowed goal in recent Champions League final memory. Liverpool will rightly view their Greek odyssey as an opportunity lost. The Premiership side didn't wipe the floor with Milan in the first half, but they were in discernible control. Rafa Benitez, normally a manager this commentator is reluctant to criticise, was too slow in reacting to the changes in circumstances as displayed by the massive electronic scoreboard at the Spiros Louis Olympic Stadium. I expected to see Harry Kewell at the very start of the second half in place of a tentative Bolo Zenden who never looked likely to skin Massimo Oddo. The switch came a few minutes too late. Similarly, Peter Crouch ought to have been brought on with at least 30 minutes to go. The general feeling is that Benitez got his starting line-up spot on. I'm not totally convinced. While I liked his commitment to attacking width - Jermaine Pennant excelled in the first forty five minutes - I would rather have seen a more potent, pacy threat on the left. That would have meant Kewell from the beginning. Benitez is naturally cautious and wanted to avoid getting steamrolled in the first half a la Istanbul. However back then, he didn't have a defensive midfield specialist with the prowess of Javier Mascherano. I feel he could have been bold enough to start Xabi Alonso on the bench, let Steven Gerrard play slightly in front of Mascherano in the centre of midfield and most importantly field Crouch from the outset. Awkward he might look at times but to listen to the Milan players ahead of the final, his height and nuisance value was on their minds. As Liverpool's top scorer in the Champions League this season, he deserved more than a quarter of an hour. Milan were decidedly lacking in ambition. However in Pippo Inzaghi they have a throwback to an earlier era. An awkward runner who scarcely resembles a contemporary, well-balanced athlete, Inzaghi neverthless possesses the striking instincts of Gerd Muller. In the 1974 European Cup final replay, Bayern Munich's Muller (Inzaghi's role model incidentally) scored twice against goalkeeper Miguel Reina of Atletico Madrid. Sadly for the Reina family, Miguel's son Pepe saw his own dreams of European glory cruelly shattered by the modern-day 'bomber.' Real Madrid are still correctly regarded as European Cup royalty, but the recent history of the continent's premier club competition belongs not to the merengues, but to the rossoneri. This was Milan's 8th European Cup or Champions League final since 1989 and their 5th victory during that time frame. No one else comes even close to matching that record in the last couple of decades. We can now watch with interest to see if wholesale changes are made to the current Milan squad over the next few months, as they try to close in on Real Madrid's haul of nine. Barcelona players Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Gianluca Zambrotta have all been linked with a summer move to the San Siro. ******* I personally like Rae because he is one of the more objective columnists. Of course, most of what he says indicate that he is quite pro-Milan, but at the same time he backs up his points with evidence. To be continued... J __________________ What source you can trust: Perfect: acmilan; MM OK: Channel4; calciomercato; tg.com; La Gazzetta Awful: Corriere; Tuttosport; tuttomercatoweb Worst: tribalfootball; goal.com

24-09-2007, 03:54	#2
Jim_UK Registered User Join Date: 07 2001 Location: England	That's not our former member Rae is it? __________________ ... Is watching you ...

02-10-2007, 14:05	#6
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	Here is a recent interview that Kaka` gives to uefa.com. It is given before the game against Liverpool. On the way to the photography studio where I'm scheduled to meet Kaká, I pass two billboards featuring the AC Milan star. In one he is dressed stylishly in suit and tie, in the other the clothes are more casual. We are in Zona Tortona, the trendy district dubbed the Soho of Milan because of its bars, galleries and fashion showrooms. Thirty seconds into our conversation it is obvious why stylists compete to have his clean face and gentle smile endorse their products. Humble When Kaká married his wife Caroline 18 months ago, Milan president Silvio Berlusconi declared he was "the husband every parent would like their daughter to have". A part-time model off the pitch, he has been a model of consistency on it, dominating the UEFA Champions League this season. His competition-leading ten goals have driven AC Milan to another final against Liverpool FC, but Kaká has not let his achievements go to his head. Deeply religious, the attacking midfielder remains one of the most humble figures in football. The word revenge is not part of his vocabulary. 'More experienced' "The final against Liverpool is not about revenge," he told uefa.com. "Two years ago they won and that's it. We're just focusing on this new final. It's a great opportunity to write my name and the club's in the history of the competition. In a final anything can happen, we know it better than anybody after that game in Istanbul." Kaká was superb in the 2005 final, wresting the game from Liverpool in a mesmerising first half with his darting runs and pinpoint passing. Liverpool challenge Two years on another English side has witnessed Kaká at his best. He scored twice against Manchester United FC in the first leg of their semi-final, then put on a show for the adoring Rossoneri supporters at San Siro. The 25-year-old opened the scoring and drove Milan forward all night, the United midfield never coming to grips with his pace or vision as he exploited space in front of the visitors' back four. "Liverpool will probably be more difficult to face than Manchester United," Kaká reflects. "They are more focused on cutting down space while United play great football but also let you play. Liverpool are very organised and have a great coach. We know [Rafael] Benítez and [Steven] Gerrard really well but Liverpool are not about individuals, they are a very good side overall. Still if I have to choose one player, I would go for Gerrard. He is a leader, a point of reference for them." 'Work hard' Just as Kaká is for Milan. The conduit of their best moves on the pitch, he has also become the focus off it. The patience and attention with which he deals with constant demands on his time from press and fans alike suggests he will not be letting success go to his head. He has been in the form of his life, but insists “there is room for improvement, there are many things to learn. I leave comparisons with other players to journalists and coaches, I only want to work hard to become a better player. Finishing as top scorer was never my objective. I'm not a forward, I'm more a playmaker but as long as my goals help Milan win games I'm happy." 'Focus' As 23 May approaches, those goals have given Milan every reason for confidence. "The Champions League has always been our main focus. We started well, then we had a bad period, but now we're back at our peak at the most important part of the season." Not even a specialist in penalty-saving like Pepe Reina gives cause for concern. "I'm only thinking about positive things and I scored a penalty in Istanbul as well so I'm prepared to take one again. Liverpool have won some important games on penalties but I'm sure they don't want that again. No team plays for penalties." 'Very happy' The bond between Milan and Kaká is strong, too strong to let constant transfer talk linking him with Real Madrid CF disrupt the relationship. "This club is like a family. I feel at home here which is very important for me. The rumours about Madrid do not disturb me. I have a contract with Milan until 2011 and I will move only if they want to sell me." Things might have been very different for the former São Paulo FC player who first moved to Europe in 2003. "I didn't pick Milan, Milan picked me. I could have joined Chelsea [FC] but they wanted to send me on loan to Russia while Milan had faith in me immediately. Looking back, I'm very happy with what destiny had in store for me." Another important date with destiny is fast approaching. __________________ What source you can trust: Perfect: acmilan; MM OK: Channel4; calciomercato; tg.com; La Gazzetta Awful: Corriere; Tuttosport; tuttomercatoweb Worst: tribalfootball; goal.com

08-10-2007, 13:19	#8
Warro Bantan Moderator Join Date: 08 1999 Location: Kingston, Jamaica Fave Players: Rui Costa, Pirlo, Pato	Article on our recent victory over Lazio, with a focus on Gila: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/20...he_monkey.html __________________ I Love Milan.

28-09-2007, 11:30	#3
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	No Jim lol Seedorf gave an 'exclusive' interview in uefa.com: http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl...id=590414.html He is especially right when he says that the key to success is 'team spirit'. "It's easy to say it but it's difficult to do" and you have to "help each other through difficult problems." I truly believe that Seedorf is a true representative of the management's philosophy.

01-10-2007, 14:00	#5
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	Goal.com editorial wrote about the recent issue with Milan's form. Here is the full article: ** Last season Milan finished the Serie A campaign in fourth place, a monumental 36 points behind city-rivals and Scudetto-winners Inter. In any normal year there would have been an outcry that Milan could possibly finish so far off the pace. However all talk of the Rossoneri’s shortcomings seemed to disappear as soon as they lifted the Champions League in Athens in May. Of course the season had now been a hugely successful one – Milan had won the most prestigious club trophy in European football and what’s more they had done it in style after some sensational performances against Bayern Munich and Manchester United en route to the final. Therefore Milan went into the summer transfer market with an arrogant aura that they were the Champions of Europe and did not need to change something that was not broken. The Rossoneri’s only notable purchases were 31-year-old ‘has-been’ Emerson from Real Madrid and the 18-year-old Alexandre Pato who, despite his description as a wonderkid, is only eligible to play for the Rossoneri from January onwards. The result of this transfer strategy is that Milan now sit in 11th position in Serie A, already seven points behind leaders Inter after just six games. Furthermore Carlo Ancelotti’s men have failed to win in the league since the opening day of the season and they were dreadfully poor during the 1-1 draw with Catania at the weekend. Critics in Italy all have their theories as to why things have gone wrong. One explanation is that Milan are simply too old. Out of the first choice starting-11, six are over 30 and only two are below the age of 29, Andrea Pirlo, who is 28, and Kaka, who is 25. The argument is that a team with so many old players simply cannot cope with the rigours of playing twice a week. The second explanation is that Milan need to buy a striker. The Rossoneri have scored just five goals in their last five Serie A games, with two of these being penalties. This record is simply not good enough. What is even crazier is that Milan currently have just three senior strikers on their books. Filippo Inzaghi can still be brilliant, but at 34, he cannot be expected to play 40 games a season and his best years are certainly behind him. Alberto Gilardino, to put it simply, is just not good enough to play for such a prestigious club. He is by no means a bad player, but he does not posses the technical ability or the striker intelligence to succeed. Then of course there is Ronaldo, who is either injured or overweight, and despite his undoubted genius, at 31 he hardly represents the future. So this makes Milan’s decision not to invest during the summer in a proven striker all the more bamboozling. According to ex-Milan player Oscar Damiani, Milan passed up the opportunity to sign Luca Toni, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and David Trezeguet in the summer, three genuine world-class strikers. The fact that Toni only moved to Bayern Munich for a fee of around £9m makes this decision even harder to understand. The simplicity of it all is that, in my opinion, Milan are probably only one world-class striker away from having a truly awesome team. The defence is sound, and the midfield of Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Ambrosini and Kaka is undoubtedly the best in European club football. Finally the Rossoneri possess the best player in the world in the absolutely outstanding Kaka. However all of this is wasted because Milan do not have a striker to finish the job. If either Toni, Trezeguet or Van Nistelrooy were playing up front for Milan, they would have scored about eight goals this season already. The sheer brilliance of the midfield means that chances will always be created, as was the case in the defeat to Palermo last week. However this does not explain why, despite their dreadful form in the league over the past year, Milan are still the number one team in Europe when it comes to the Champions League. This topic requires a lot more analysis than I can offer here but the statistics talk for themselves. In the past five years, Milan have won the trophy twice and reached the final, semi-final and quarter-final on one occasion each. This is an incredible record, unrivalled in recent years. Milan were simply magnificent in winning the competition last season and they have also began in imperious form this time around with a dominant 2-1 victory over Benfica a fortnight ago. So why do Milan continue to perform in Europe but struggle so badly in Serie A? Are they, as many Italian critics say, prioritising the Champions League too much? Carlo Ancelotti has openly admitted that he prefers success in Europe to success at home. Or is the slow, passing game that Milan play so delightfully against foreign opposition just not suited to Serie A? Have Milan just been unlucky so far this season in the league? Goal.com wants to know your views! What is wrong with Milan and what should they do, if anything, to solve their problems? *** It's more of a problem with motivation, but again teams that play against Milan only aim for a point (at least before the match begins). On the other hand, teams that play against Milan in CL really wants to win despite knowing that there will be a risk. More space for Kaka and Seedorf means that there will be more opportunity for scoring. Old age is an issue, too, but we have been talking about this for the past 5 years, and we have won 2 champion leagues. If age is a factor, it only predicts Serie A J p.s.: I actually think that I'm going to write my own column pretty soon! Although I'm not sure if it's worth it.

02-10-2007, 16:30	#7
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	Wow! Another one on Kaka` in soccernet.com; just recently posted: Being the undisputed king of the soccer world brings the sort of pressure few can deal with, yet Brazilian superstar Kaka insists he is ready to accept the mantle. ValeryHache/GettyImages Kaka: Set to scoop award. The AC Milan hero rolls into Glasgow for another meeting with Celtic this week knowing he will soon be confirmed as the best player on the planet and at the age of 25, the Brazilian who almost single-handedly won the Champions League crown last season insists he will thrive on the status he will soon hold. Both FIFA and UEFA look certain to name Kaka as their Player of the Year when the awards are handed out in a few weeks time, with his performances in Milan's run to European glory last season leaving the judging panels with few doubts over the destiny of the top prize. Still looking baby-faced and apparently humble despite the platitudes he has become used to accepting, Kaka's ambition to repeat his Champions League heroics of last season appear to run deep and his determination to build on his already mammoth reputation serves as a warning to all who will cross him. 'I feel as if I'm only beginning to reach my peak now so the best is yet to come from Kaka,' vows the maestro who turned down overtures from Real Madrid and Chelsea during the summer. 'You can only become a mature player when you have played a lot of football and proved you are good enough to play at the top level. I feel I'm getting there now. 'Am I the best player in the world? That's for other people to decide, but the idea seems amazing to me. I believe Pele recently said I deserved to be seen like this so it is an amazing thought. Carlo Ancelotti, my coach at Milan, also said this after the Champions League Final last season. 'I look at some like Ronaldinho or Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as some of my team mates at Milan, and they have amazing talent, so it's hard to me to say I am better than the rest. I prefer to just win trophies and let people make their judgements of what I achieve. 'When people talk of you like this, it brings so much responsibility, but I look forward to accepting that. I feel as if I'm ready to be treated as one of the top players now.' Ronaldinho's dramatic fall from grace at Barcelona and Thierry Henry's fading powers left a vacancy at the top of the game and Kaka has proved that he is more than worthy of accepting the crown. That his sublime brilliance on the field is combined with the sort of modesty not normally associated with a player whose talents exploded in front of the watching world as Carlo Ancelotti's men closed in on another Champions League crown last May makes his a truly prized commodity. He is, indeed, fit to hold the title of the world's best. Kaka's glut of goals in the group stages of last season's competition were followed up by the winner against a gallant Celtic side at the San Siro in the knock-out stages that went on to become a one-man show no one could stop. It was his performances in the two semi-final clashes against Manchester United that confirmed this little Brazilian as the master many had been claiming he could become and he reflects on those two clashes with the team that went on to be crowned English champions with a gleaming smile. 'Beating Liverpool in the Final meant so much after what happened to us in 2005, but Manchester United at the San Siro was our perfect performance last season,' he continues, still clearly haunted by the Reds never-to-be-forgotten comeback in the Champions League climax of three seasons ago. 'Everyone says Arsenal are the only team in England to play with a Brazilian flair, but I feel United do it even more. Players like Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney bring so much to a game and that is why I say our victory over them in the semi-final was so special. 'I always watch English football and to play at a great stage like Old Trafford, where their fans gave them such support to come from behind in the first leg, was a great memory for me. 'What we did against United in Milan was amazing. They didn't have any chances and we beat them from start to finish. After they beat Roma 7-1 in the quarter-final, everyone believed they would be the champions, but we deserved our success. 'Now we want even more. The memories of the Champions League last season do not mean that ambition in my life has gone. I want to win the trophy again and again and after the emotion of what happened against Liverpool in Athens, we all want to experience this joy again. 'I know the statistics show no side has defended the Champions League successfully, but these records are there to be beaten. Maybe some team relaxes when they have won this competition, but no one at Milan doubts we can be back in the Final again this season.' Kaka's match winning performances against United last season ensured he edged ahead of Portuguese magician Ronaldo in the race to be crowned the star performer of 2007 and he aims to end the year on a high by inspiring Milan to another triumph over Gordon Strachan's Bhoys on Wednesday night. More than familiar with the demands of facing Celtic, he seems to be relishing the prospect of another night in the Parkhead caldron. 'They were tough opponents last season and I think Milan have played against Celtic four times in the last five years,' he concludes. 'Celtic are so strong on set-plays and have amazing spirit. Still, they have some weak points and we have to expose them. Scoring at Celtic will not be easy, but we have shown that one goal can be all you need to win a game like this. We came through so many tough challenges last season and this team was one of the trickiest. 'I like some of the Celtic players and (Shunsuke) Nakamura is an intelligent player. The atmosphere at their stadium is always very special and I'm sure it will be again.' After a 2-1 victory against Benfica two weeks ago, a three-point haul against Celtic will put Milan close to qualification for the knock-out stages of the Champions League once again. That will ensure Kaka's unique talents remain on display to his adoring public well into the New Year. Pretty much the same thing, but then it'll be interesting to look back at all these interviews etc. a year (or more) so from now... tbc - J

08-10-2007, 15:00	#9
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	Very interesitng article; it'll be up to Gilardino to (hopefully?) prove the criticism wrong in the long-run.

08-10-2007, 15:27	#10
ACMILAN1983 Registered User Join Date: 01 2004 Location: England Fave Players: Maldini, Pirlo and rest of Milan	That's a very well written piece regarding Gila there, and the analysis is spot on

11-10-2007, 00:12	#12
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	A not-at-all merciful article from ESPN: Dida - Can he be taken seriously? I've touched on players cheating in the past, but what I witnessed at Celtic Park in the UEFA Champions League simply stunned me. Along with Shep Messing, I was fortunate enough to be ESPN's commentator as the Bhoys took on the European Champions. GettyImages Dida: Time for a nice lie down after a hard night treading the boards in Glasgow. The game can be summarised in three parts, an uneventful first half, a better second with a great finish and that moment of pure theatrics in the 90th minute. I will never forget the two minutes which followed. AC Milan keeper Dida's sublime piece of acting would have made renowned Scottish thespian Sean Connery proud. The only thought spoiling the sheer entertainment value of the whole farce was an underlying fear that German referee Markus Merk may actually buy the thing, and abandon the game. After all there was previous form. Let me take you back 30 months. A Champions League Milan derby. Dida was hit by a flare thrown by an Inter nutcase after Merk had just disallowed Esteban Cambiasso's goal for no obvious reason. Dida was substituted and the game eventually called off. Milan were awarded the victory. Before I return to the Samba Star in Glasgow, let me qualify. 27-year-old Celtic Robert McHendry was stupid to run on the pitch after Scott McDonald had hit the winner. I understand the emotion of the Celtic 'fan' as I too have been 'right in the moment'. Just two years ago my beloved Middlesbrough pulled off a remarkable four goal comeback after trailing Steaua Bucharest 3-0 in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final. All professionalism was lost when I jumped onto the press box desk, crying and dancing like a babbling buffoon as Massimo Maccarone wheeled away in celebration at completing the breathtaking 4-3 victory in the dying embers of the game. But I didn't run down the stairs, onto the pitch to commiserate keeper Alberto Carlos with a playful tap. Thinking about it, I probably wouldn't have been fast enough to get past the portly security man. It is against the law in the UK for spectators to enter the 'Field of Play' during a sporting match. McHendry has been banned for life by his beloved club and he'll be hit hard in court. He deserves it. But punishment must come the way of Dida's defence. How Massimo Oddo failed to pick up the meandering invader or why Daniele Bonera left his keeper so exposed is beyond belief. Rank bad defending. Seriously though, what really concerns me are Dida's actions. I watched the incident live; I have also watched countless replays from four different camera angles. Add to this the amount of close scrutiny Georgie Bingham and I gave the incident as we anchored 'Sportscenter'. It is clear to me that Dida was caught by a 'playful tap' no higher than on the base of his neck. His instinctive reaction to run after the guy and throttle him gave the game away - which had he done, by the way, would have resulted in a red card for the keeper, but my refereeing background makes me digress. Only when the brain kicked in did Dida go down, but unfortunately go down holding an area six inches too high. When the emergency services arrived the ice pack was hilariously applied even higher, to the temple. Fantastic samba slap-stick stuff. And when the stretcher was called for, I nearly wet myself with laughter. I was just waiting for the four circus clowns to arrive in the ambulance, apply the brake only to see the doors fall off in a puff of smoke. This stuff really should have been saved for the Theatre Royal, not wasted on Celtic Park. Okay, I know it could have been far more serious than it was. What if the guy had intended to hurt him? What if he had been carrying a weapon? As I've said, Mr McHendry deserves all that is coming his way. But without wanting to sound like I condone his stunt, it was only a mere flick to the collarbone. Empics Acting 101: Dida gives us his 'confused' face. So what about Dida? What I am not saying is that his thoughts went back to the Milan derby in 2005 and he deliberately tried to have the Glasgow game called off. However, there are major doubts to the integrity of his actions. His mind must have been full of all kinds of stuff ticking over at a tremendous rate. 'Has that just really happened?' 'Should I get him?', 'Do I fall?', 'Have I just lost the game for my team?' And, of course, 'We did get the three points awarded at the San Siro before, didn't we?' There's no mistaking the fact that Dida is one of the world's great keepers, and, hey I would certainly have him at Boro as a number two to Mark Schwarzer. But I am now left with a few questions of my own. 'Can he now be taken seriously?' And, 'Will UEFA do the European game justice and hit him hard?' They should. After all it was an act of simulation, and referees have had it hammered home by the very same body to clamp down on cheating! ** As a milan fan, I think we should all support Dida. Ok, he did it wrong, and perhaps it may be worthy to write a column on it. But don't just forget what happen to him before that guy hit him. Boy, Dida feels to certain extent guilty of the conceded goal, and he thought that the best way to win it is by stimulation! Out of positive: He loves Milan to the extent of even going for simulation! * Then there is this question: Why is that fan allowed to provoke in the first place? Umm.. this is something we should EQUALLY focused on, yet people like to pick on Dida, AGAIN.

11-10-2007, 17:34	#13
Jeff Moderator Join Date: 03 2002	Here you go, looks like Rae agrees with UEFA: I'm not expecting all of you to agree with the first part of the column this week. Let me just say, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body have got it right in my view. No prizes for guessing what ruling I'm referring to. If you believe Milan's lawyer Leandro Cantamessa, UEFA's decision to fine Celtic £25,000 while banning Dida from Milan's next two Champions League matches is 'disproportionate and illogical'. The defending European club champions will lodge an appeal but I would be absolutely flabbergasted if they're successful. Did Celtic get off lightly? Probably yes. But ask yourself this. What was more damaging to the game of football and its image? The over-exuberant Celtic fan running on to the pitch and slapping Dida, or the goalkeeper's bad acting job? I think deep down we all know the answer to that question. Dida's antics were grist to the mill of football haters around the world. He personified everything the game shouldn't represent. Celtic supporters can be counted on to police themselves and ensure no fans invade the Parkhead pitch in future. One hopes, in the light of this judgement, players who're inclined to cheat (there's no other way to describe what Dida did) will think twice before indulging in amateur dramatics, whether in the run of play or otherwise. ____ I get his point, but I think he got one point wrong. it's the matter of sequence: 1) If Dida simulated and smoeone came onto the pitch and slapped him on the face, then Celtic should not be fined. 2) But now, it's Celtic who is responsible for the provocation of the simulation; and I think here is what Rae has missed. I'm not saying that he is wrong; I'm just saying that the sequence is actually more important than what actually happens...

12-10-2007, 01:56	#15
Rico Registered User Join Date: 04 2007 Location: Skive Fave Players: Kaka, Massaro, Ancelotti, Gullit, Sheva, Albertini	wow, I haven't read the posts yet, but this thread seems to become a truly valuable asset. Brilliant idea for this thread, guys. I had been thinking about writing a 'little' article about AC Milan's current season myself. I'll wait to write it until the inspiration comes to me. I'm also gonna write a poem about Carlo Ancelotti soon. Forza Milan and love to you all