AC Milan and their manager Massimiliano Allegri are celebrating taking their arch rivals crown
And so the streak is over. After five consecutive Serie A titles, the championship trophy was finally wrestled from Internazionale hands by their a city rivals AC Milan who moved level with their neighbours on the all time winners podium by securing their 18th title on Saturday night. Following the departure of Jose Mourinho in the summer and the lack, until January at least, of any significant acquisitions, Inter took their eye of the ball allowing a reinforced and refocused AC to claim their first Italian championship since 2004.
In a twist on the recent dichotomy between the two clubs, it was Inter that undoubtedly paid the price for an over reliance on their tried and trusted against a Milan side that for the first time in years conducted some serious squad rebuilding. After sticking with the veterans for so long the calls came in the summer for radical upheaval and while it wasn’t quite a revolution in the red and black half of the city there was certainly an evolution of the playing and coaching staff.
First and foremost the club decided a break with tradition was needed in charge of the first team as they looked outwardly for a replacement to outgoing coach Leonardo. Whilst the Brazilian was only completing his first year in management, his near 15 year association with the club (ironic given his current posting as head coach across town) meant a continuation of the club’s long term culture. Whilst justifiably being proud of their identity and past success it was clear that something had to give and the appointment in the summer of Massimiliano Allegri was just the break with the past that was needed.
Far from being a big name, Allegri earned his reputation with unfashionable Cagliari turning them into an upper mid table team within the top flight and winning plaudits along the way for the style of their play as they went. Indeed such were the impressive results that he achieved on such a small scale budget led him being acknowledged by his peers and awarded the Panchina d'Oro (Golden bench) in 2009, an award voted on by the managers himself. No one hit wonder he won the same prize for the consecutive year the following season. By bringing back the Serie A title to Milan at the first time of asking he has added team glory to his personal accolades.
His appointment does AC Milan credit and it’s in direct contrast with the approach of their city rivals. It was clearly going to be difficult for anyone to step into the shoes of the ‘Special One’, not to mention taking over a team that have just completed a remarkable treble but while the ‘if it ain’t broke why fix it’ approach was understandable perhaps taking a gamble on a fresh perspective might have been more effective.
It is perhaps easy to say now with the benefit of hindsight but in trying to maintain the status quo, Inter have suffered and a number of the key players, not only from last year but the previous title victories, have either been a victim of injury or loss of form or are now starting to show signs of being on the wane. Whilst Milan went for an up and comer to put in charge of the team, one with fresh and dynamic ideas and eager to impress, Inter went for a big name, probably arguing that was the only way to shoulder the intense pressure that would come from replacing such a huge presence as Mourinho.
Inter’s insistence on hiring a ‘superstar manager’ in Benitez is after all very much ‘in trend’ with all of the biggest clubs across Europe and it’s hard to imagine Manchester United or Chelsea looking to the manager of a West Brom or a Blackburn when trying to find a new man at the helm. As a more unheralded name Allegri would have been under intense pressure to succeed with a sceptical public and no big name reputation or vaunted club history to buy him time. While The Guardian’s Italian football expert Paolo Bandini admits that; ‘while Allegri has been fortunate to take charge at a time when Silvio Berlusconi's interest in the club seems to be on the rise once again – prompting the arrivals of Ibrahimovic, Van Bommel and Robinho, among others – he has also known how to pick his battles with the owner’.
After all having the Italian Prime Minister taking a more interested role in proceedings might not be considered a plus point for many but as Bandini points out; ‘Allegri was quick to smarten up when Berlusconi suggested he should comb his hair before TV interviews, yet he was equally decisive in dropping Ronaldinho early in the season despite the owner's demand to see all the club's attacking talents on the pitch at once.’
Whether this is a vintage Milan or not remains to be seen. Serie A is not what it was at the turn of the century when it was the standard that all others strove to meet and there was the Champions League elimination by Tottenham where they looked decidedly slower and less dynamic than their English opponents. The team has certainly benefited from the arrival of some big names and certainly in the earlier part of the season Zlatan Ibrahimovic (a man with a remarkable record of having won the domestic league that he is in for the last eight seasons...taking into account the one’s Juventus were stripped of) was hugely influential, carrying the team through several indifferent early season performances.
However in the last few months the team has started to click, the ‘Zlatan dependence’ that Inter so often fell into has been lessened and they are worthy champions. When it came to facing their main title rivals, they were able to record three goal victories over both Inter and Napoli. As Bandini highlights, despite the presence of some big name individuals; ‘This was a victory for team ethic over individual performers, with more than 30 different players featuring for Milan over the course of the season. As the manager, Massimiliano Allegri, put it: "this Scudetto belongs to those who played one match and those who played 36".’
How the club move forward is dependent on how far the squad will continue to be refreshed and remodelled. Aging stalwarts like Massimo Ambrosini, Alessandro Nesta and Clarence Seedorf have all experienced something of an Indian summer but players like Gennaro Gattuso have looked badly off the pace (particularly in Europe) and even the previously untouchable Andrea Pirlo look like they reached the end of their AC Milan road.
The signs however look promising. Building on title success, deals to bring in Roma’s Phillipe Mexes and Marseille’s Taye Taiwo to bolster the defence have just been announced. As Bandini notes;
‘The fans, [meanwhile] have an eye on a summer transfer window in which Berlusconi has promised further "gifts", with a move for Paulo Henrique Ganso widely expected and the vice-president, Adriano Galliani, getting their hopes up with mention of a text message he received from Kaka...with Pirlo just one of a number of high-profile players who is out of contract this summer – Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf are among the others – the club could conceivably raise the funds to move for Kaka, though such a transfer may not be Allegri's first choice. "It is not about presents and cherries on the cake," insisted the manager when asked if he expected any big signings. "The important thing is to build a balanced squad."
Already planning for next season and not resting on his laurels is exactly what should stand Allegri, and Milan in good stead. It’s perhaps what their neighbours Inter should have been doing a little more closely last year.
For more detail and to read Paolo Bandini’s excellent musings on all things Italian football please follow the link below:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/may/09/milan-scudetto-massimiliano-allegri
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