Arrigo Sacchi has stated his belief that the protests from AC Milan’s Curva Sud during the recent games against Genoa and Cagliari were ‘exaggerative’.
The protests from the Milan ultras continued on Saturday night during the 5-1 win against Cagliari as they remained silent and did not show any of the usual flags or banners.
They had done the same against Geboa decided to repeat it six days on, wanting to reiterate their stance that clarity and ambition must come from the management.
Another statement was published by the Curva as part of a fanzine that was distributed ahead of the game and they spoke of their silence being ‘a desperate cry of love’. What that translated into, once again, was a rather eerie atmosphere.
Sacchi spoke during his usual weekly interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport about Milan’s season finale and also the protests from the fans.
Did you expect a season finale like this?
“No. I have to admit that, as civil as it was and this is an aspect that should be underlined, the fans’ protest surprised me.”
What struck you most?
“I understand that the fans directed it at the ownership, to the club. In this way, however, the effect has had repercussions on Pioli and the team. They will finish the season in second place, not in mid-table.
“Could they have done better? Yes, definitely. This season’s Milan was a profoundly renewed team, the coach needed to assemble the players who arrived from the transfer market and create a collective. The result was not always excellent, but Milan still played well good matches and got, I repeat, second.”
The fans protest against the club. They demand it to be strong and successful, we read on a banner…
“The current ownership arrived recently, this was RedBird’s second season with the Rossoneri. Milan today are a virtuous club from an economic point of view, with its accounts in order and this must be recognised. The previous ownership, then, operating in the same direction as the one that took over, it managed to give the fans a Scudetto that had been awaited for 11 years.
“We are talking about a success that came by overcoming teams that had spent more, and in Italy there are at least two or three of them they have always been very important but also demanding, they expect to see the team play well and give everything, but in the history of a club there are also moments…”
What moment is this?
“It’s a phase in which there is a team, Inter, better equipped to win. Milan in recent years won a Scudetto after a wonderful head-to-head with the Nerazzurri, then Napoli and Inter won. I understand that the fact of having lost so many derbies has made the Milan fans suffer, but in the past Inter have also suffered.
“I remember that once, after a derby won by my Milan, the lawyer Prisco came to me and said: ‘If it had been a boxing match I would have thrown in the towel. We lost but without conceding too many goals. And it went well for us, because we didn’t get past the halfway line!’.
“Milan must demonstrate once again their great sporting culture and their love for the club, without being blinded by Inter’s latest successes. We must remember that the club comes before the team, and the team before the players.”
Milan are second, but 18 points behind Inter. Some mistakes were made…
“As I have repeated several times, signing so many foreigners in the last transfer market was a risk, and if Pioli had chosen, the responsibilities would also be his, but I don’t know. Let’s not forget that the decision to close with Maldini and Massara was also it was a move that appears questionable. Now much, if not everything, will depend on the choice of the new coach.”
More must-reads: