AC Milan’s New-Look Squad, with Ibrahimovic and Robinho, Is Exciting Many People
AC Milan has recently not been as successful in Serie A as they were in the past. After Juventus, they are the most successful team in Italy, but this decade has been completely dominated by their archrivals, Inter Milan. Therefore, it was necessary for them to strengthen their squad this summer, in order to challenge for the top spot. Apart from the success in Italy, Milan has been the second most successful team in Europe, as they are only one Champions League title behind Real Madrid. Also, in recent times, when they failed to challenge Inter in Serie A, Milan has done well in Europe, as they won their seventh title in 2007.
Now AC Milan would be going for another title in order to equal the record set by Real Madrid. Therefore, in a bid to get stronger, Milan signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona and Robinho from Manchester City. The first deal was finalized in the closing days of the transfer window, while Robinho was signed during the final hours of the deadline date. These signings have changed the overall picture of the team, who have become a real force to be reckoned with. Now, they look good to threaten the big teams for different titles. By chance, Milan and Madrid have been placed in one group in the initial round of the Champions League. Other two teams in the same group are Auxerre and Ajax. Therefore, Jose Mourinho has been the most worried of all managers, after Milan’s successful three months in the transfer market. In an interview with the press, Jose Mourinho said that Ibrahimovic and Robinho are among the best in the world, and their arrival has made Milan a stronger team than before. He also said that Milan looks good to challenge in the Champions League, and they have the credentials to make it to the finals. Ibrahimovic has played under Mourinho before, so he is well aware of the talents of the Swedish striker. Ibrahimovic played for him at Inter Milan, and after a brief spell of one year, he has gone back to Italy, but this time for Inter Milan’s rivals, AC Milan. In his top form, the Swede is an explosive finisher and Mourinho is well aware of the threats faced by his team, especially because of their weak defence.
Like Ibrahimovic, Robinho has some connections with Real Madrid as well. Robinho is a former player who was discarded by Madrid because of certain problems. Therefore, the Brazilian forward has no soft corner for his old team. During an interview, he said that if he scored at Bernabeu, he would definitely celebrate in front of his old fans, which is considered as a sign of disrespect by the fans. Robinho did not give even a slight edge to his old club, Real Madrid. He said that Barcelona and AC Milan are the strongest teams in Europe, so a Champions League final between these two is highly likely. The excitement of Robinho, after joining Milan, was justified, as he is at a place that he likes for the first time in his career. Alongside Robinho, there are other Brazilian players present in Milan, including Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato and Thiago Silva.
Meanwhile, the concerns of Mourinho are justified. He does have a great squad for the Champions League, but they failed their initial test, as Madrid could not win their first league clash. On the other hand, Milan has grown stronger than before, with a lot of threatening faces in their squad. Although it would be easy for Mourinho to qualify, but if he qualifies behind Milan, it would mean that Madrid would have to face another big team in next round. This is a chance that Mourinho would not like to take, especially during the early stages of tournament.
Milan sure looks to be a strong side, but Inter Milan is still stronger on paper. The only problem is that Rafael Benitez needs time to adjust to his new surroundings. Therefore, despite all the praise they are getting, they would still have to work very hard in order to taste glory once again.
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