AC Milan getting ready for an epic encounter with Greek Champions Panathinaikos
Italian heavy weights AC Milan would be look to tighten all loose ends as they head into a match labelled as “the clash of titans” when they face Greek champions Panathinaikos. The newly appointed manager Massimiliano Allegri took his side into the Emirates Cup, where Milan met Arsenal, AC Milan and Celtic. The tournament was a mini league in its own, where Arsenal eventually won the contest by defeating Celtic 3-2 in the final. Milan drew their two matches 1-1, against Arsenal and Lyon and the manager rated his team’s performance to a 6.5/10. The manager would be looking to get his tactics right in time for the all important clash with Panathinaikos.
However, AC Milan was without its full squad, owing to post World Cup breaks and other issues. Brazilian Striker Alexandre Pato and Italian forward Marco Borriello scored the only two goals for Milan. AC Milan is considered to be one of the top clubs in Europe and was established back in 1899. The club has won the Italian Serie A for a record 17 times while winning the Champions league 7 times. The club is one of the most widely known clubs in the world and has hosted some of the true legends of football.
However, more recently, Milan has found it hard to win more silverware and has only managed to finish 3rd in the league. The team lost 7-2 on aggregate against Manchester United in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. Milan last won the league in 2003/04 but won the Champions league in 06/07 season. Many fans and supporters are now worried with the lack of new signings and the aging squad. The manager however shunned such claims and stated that he was very happy with the squad and the team’s performance over the weekend.
While talking to the official website, Milan’s manager stated that he liked how his team defended and was delighted by the positive attitude of all the players. Allegri noted that having a squad full of youngster does however have its own advantages since youngsters work harder and with much more enthusiasm than older players. Milan resumed their first team training as late as 20th July, which was later than both Arsenal and Lyon. Players featuring in the World Cup including Andrea Pirlo, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso and Thiago Silva met with the squad even later than that. Pirlo was also recovering from an injury he suffered in the World Cup.
Milan began training later than both Arsenal and Lyon, not starting until July 20. Milan played below par as most of its experienced squad were on vacation. Milan host 4 of the top Italian players who played the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The side had one of the most disappointing campaigns in its illustrious history, when they failed to qualify for the Round of 16 in World Cup and crashed out in the group stages. The coach is currently playing a blend of young and old players. The coach, however, would be hoping to get his first team player back in time for the all important clash. Players like Ronaldinho, Filippo Inzaghi, Kakha Kaladze and Marek Jankulovski couldn’t feature in the Emirates Cup and Milan would fly to USA with its full strength. The team will reach the United States for the third time in the same year and would reside in the Silverdome in Detroit. Here, they will be playing Panathinaikos, which is expected to be one of the biggest matches of the summer.
However, Brazilian players Alexandre Pato and Thiago Silva won’t be returning to Italy with the club, as they would join Brazil’s national team when they play against USA in a friendly game. Milan will be looking to regain its past glory and contest for the Serie A title. Moreover, they will be looking to finish better than what they did last season with a 3rd place finish. They play the new season of the Serie A on August 29th when they play the newly promoted Lecce.
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