From Wembley to Istanbul

When Sheva missed the penalty that cost us the Champions League as all respected members of the Devilhood aswell the Milan fans that travelled to Isanbul like myself to support our team, obviuosly disappointment was high. However, personally, after the initial emptyness that filled my soul, in a matter of seconds, my drained soul guided as always by instict, reversed it's logical pattern to something else.
Pride
Within seconds, if possible, I would have entered the pitch, I would have walked to our Capitano I would have told him one word. Simple, brief and above all Felt

GRAZIE (Thank you)

Some of you may think I may have turned stupid, or making it up. In not wanting to defend myself from the accusasion of being stupid, for sure I am not making this up. It's what I really felt.

Despite our loss, I saw a team playing the most magnificient game of football conceivable in a Champion League Final I saw a team that did not allow a serious threat towards our goal till Barros scored. I saw a team that conceeded 3 goals almost casually. I saw a team that gave it all, till the 120th minute, with Dudek making a number of fantastique saves that perhaps only add mysique to an evening that was not so benevolant towards us.
I saw and heard Liverpool fans cheering their team from the 2nd half till the 120th minute when their players were clearly passing the ball aroud the pitch without any offensive purpose. I saw our boys giving all they had and beyond I saw and heard Liverpool fans in the aftermatch not believing they had managed to win. I met their eyes, and eyes never lie
Nevertheless, congartulation to them. No bitterness

I could have all the reasons to be annoyed or bitter, since I travelled to Isatanbul and I can assure you that the conditions that I aswell as a number of other fans were appalling, and this is an understatement.
On the contrarary, I have never been as proud as being a Milanista as a few seconds after Sheva missed the penalty
We were incredible :shades: sometimes the incredible turns out to be overwhelming. This happened last wendsday :shades: :shades:

He who has eyes saw, withour taking away anything from Liverpool's win, we were simply beautifull I would go as far as saying that the football we played was blissed by Venus

Thou canst not see one wrinkle in my brow; Mine eyes are gray and bright and quick in turning; My beauty as the spring doth yearly grow, My flesh is soft and plump, my marrow burning;
--Venus, to Adonis, in Shakespeare's poem Venus and Adonis

Technically we lost, but this game will be remembered. We will remember Paolo Maldini backheeling a ball to Seedorf deep in Liverpool territory, we will remember Kaka's almost ballerina style progessions, we will rembember the absolute fair play from our players even in the number contrevertial calls that on the pitch appeared evident.
We will rembember Paolo Maldini's grace even in defeat

We have come a long way from Wembley 1963 when 2 goals from Jose Altafini crowned us champs for the very first time :shades:
For some fans like me, we that have seen Serie B
I can only add that I am happy to have the priviledge of being Milanista

From Wembley to Istanbul
Grazie Milan

http://www.ultrasinside.it/concorso7/20italia/MILAN.jpg

Excellent post Diavolo ,nothing i could possibly add to this

Good post Diavolo

i agree.... god was just not with us today.... its a shame. playing such a good game and loosing it... football is so cruel sometimes.

As some of you know, I am a season ticket holder, been one since I was a kid but for the years I've lived abroad, I have never failed but due to being sick or other unpostponable reasons to show up in San Siro I've lived the highs and the lows, I was one of thoese that packed the stands even when things were not that glamourous and succesfull I was in the stands when we played and lost in the last second through a Bergomi goal a Coppa Italia derby back in the early 80's when we were in 2nd division and it meant so much for us, I remember as yesterday our city rivals enyoing every second of it. I remember the years of doom when we were barely allowed to speak cause every single fan in Italy would laugh at us, I saw with my eyes 60 years old men crying when we were relegated for the 2nd time in 3 years
I remember kids going to school in tears when this happened, I remember how us Milan fans were deprived of even the right to speak, such was the embarassment we went through; it was as if every single non Milan fan was on a special mission to bash us. We were the first team to bring a Champions League to Italy back in 1963 doubled in 1969, every single fan no matter in wich stadium, school, office or bar had a moral duty to corner us in our misery
But for Franco Baresi a number of players left us, the most illustious of wich was NT player Fulvio Collovati that signed for Inter, we were defeated and humiliated
In Milano in particular, things were even worst, the Inter board had a week of feasts, with parties every single day of the week.
We stood United, we gathered in San Siro aswell as in away games in numbers Incredibly Milan fans were multiplying by the day, we felt united against everbody, we had no twinned teams but a couple, unlike Inter and Juventus, we were filling our stadium :shades: in our first years back in Serie A, prior to pay tv, in one particular season we had 70.000 plus season ticket holders a tangible sign of love faith and and hope not based on the true value of the team. Other teams had players such as Rummenigge, Platini, Paolo Rossi, Falcao or Zico, we had Luther Blissett, but we were back
Such was the love and passion that our supporters granted the team that in 1986 a then young buisnessman decided that it was time to bring some pride back to the team of working class Milano.
Then came history, We were back, this time for good
Derision was still their, but day after day, our rivals knew that something BIG was to happen
The 28th of May 1989 in Bracelona, 20 years after our last, and victorious, Champions League final, the incredible happened; The Neu Camp was totally tinted in Red&Black, I was their, it was the last time my eyes were watering for my/our beloved Milan
90.000 devotees to the Devil gathered in Barcelona in the biggest migration Sports has seen all the brothers humiliated for years travelled to Barcelona with all possible means, car, bike, train, bus, boat. He whos was their, will never witness anything remotely comaparable Barcelona 28th May 1989, a date that should be learnt by heart by all Milanisti. It was our resurection from doom

We are a melting pot of emotions, no other team in the last 40 plus years has been on the front pages like us decade after decade. From Nereo Rocco to Sacchi, from Fabio Capello to Ancelotti, from Maldini father to Maldini son, from Jose Altafini to Shevchenko

In 1993 we lost a Champions League Final after having won every single match leading to the final, last wendsday we lost after delivering showtime to the world
Never a defeat has been so unfortunate, never a defeat has been taken with such grace, never a defeat has been so circumstantial
You know it, they know it, I know it

Forza Milan

Still from Milan vs Steaua 28th May 1989
http://www.sunwing.co.jp/MatchOfTheD...sb-CampNou.jpg

Beautiful posting, Luciano it's great to see you of all people handle it so well.

Although feeling as proud of Milan as ever I'm still absolutely devastated about what happened

My God, Diavolo you cannot imagine how much your post has cheered me up! You've made me believe our greatest victories are yet to come, thank you.

Originally Posted by Laudrup

Beautiful posting, Luciano it's great to see you of all people handle it so well.

Although feeling as proud of Milan as ever I'm still absolutely devastated about what happened

As said, no tears.
We were amazing

Originally Posted by Mehdi

My God, Diavolo you cannot imagine how much your post has cheered me up! You've made me believe our greatest victories are yet to come, thank you.

Have you ever had any doubt?

awesome post from a true fan

Diavolo: Yours are the most inspirational posts I have ever read. Thank you so much

Being a foreign Milan fan, I sometimes feel like I am not considered a "proper" fan, but just a glory hunter who has no real understanding of the club and Italian football.
Yet I would argue that this is not true. Milan is the team that got me interested in football in the first place, as the first time I ever saw them play was against Barcelona in the wonderful 1994 final. I was ten years old and awestruck, because I had never known that football could be played like that. In the following World Cup, I got to see the Italian team play because they were in the same group as Norway, my native country. I sympathized with Baggio when he was substituted in that match, and cheered Italy on through the tournament, and I was devastated when Baggio missed his penalty kick. I think that was the moment when I understood something vital about Italian football - that whether you're winning or losing, there is always drama involved.
I have seen evidence of this many, many times through the last 11 years. From Baggio's missed penalty kick; through Milan's temporary fall from grace in European football in the mid/late-90s; the way Italy were knocked out of Euro96; the way they lost the Euro2000 final; Milan's suprising Scudetto win in 1999; Italy vs South Korea in 2002; Milan's Champions League triumph the following season; the superb way in which we won the Scudetto the season after that, but experienced a shock defeat in La Coruna in the CL; Italy's dramatic exit from Euro2004; and this season, where we looked likely to win it all, but were robbed by fate and left with nothing to show for a magnifiecent season.

I have screamed of joy, I have cried (yes), I have defended my team against the harshest criticism, I have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, and I have made the journey to Milano to be at the San Siro, something that I hope to be able to do more often now that I have a new job In fact, I would move to Milano for Milan's sake (of course I absolutely love the city itself too), and I hope that one day I will be able to.

And fact is, I feel like a Milanista. I stood among 150 Liverpool supporters, holding our flag as we lost the final against Liverpool, paying no attention to their mockery because I knew that we were the better team, even if fate had once again been cruel to us.

And that brings me to the point of this post: We have to experience these lows to be able to appreciate the highs. We are not like Juventus, a team that wins the Scudetto every other year, but plays before empty stands. We are MILAN, and every time we win something it is an amazing experience because our history is filled with not just trophies and glory, but a fair amount of suffering as well. Imagine the feelings and the celebrations if we win the CL next season, after what happened to us this year!

We have a club and a group of players that we should be PROUD of, because they gave everything for us this year, and whether or not we have won anything, that should be enough! What more can we ask of them?

And about the foreign fan thing: I love Milan no matter what anyone says. Nobody gets to take that away from me!

Originally Posted by devoted_dm

And about the foreign fan thing: I love Milan no matter what anyone says. Nobody gets to take that away from me!

We are a Devilhood
having knowledge that so many Diavoletti crawl aroud the 4 corners of the Globe is not only something that makes me happy, but proud
I have the upmost respect for all of you

Forza Milan

Originally Posted by Nadir

awesome post from a true fan

Heads up, we were awesome

Great, beautiful post Diavolo!

There will be slings and arrows in your time of misfortune, but take that as a compliment too! Success and greatness always breed jealousy and ill will in others, unfortunately. I should know. Besides being an admirer of Milan, I've supported Bayern (from a continent away) for probably as long as Diavolo has supported Milan. Bayern grew stronger from the heartbreak of losing the CL in Barcelona in 90 seconds of madness, to come back and stand on top of Europe 2 years later. I have no doubt Milan will also be back--very soon--stronger than before!

Diavolo's post should be a MUST READ for all Milanisti especially in this past week which has been one of the most difficult periods for Milanisti in a long time. I have had the opportunity to meet Diavolo in person and he is as proud and as supportive as a Milanista can be..truly an admirable gentleman.
Never have I defended Milan (thousands of miles away here in Montreal) and the team so much as in this past week...and at the same time I have remained PROUD of what our team stands for ...

FORZA MILAN.....OGGI PIU CHE MAI (NOW MORE THAN EVER)