Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he still follows AC Milan from afar given the place they have in his heart, while he also shared some thoughts on Rafael Leao.
Ancelotti stands four days before yet another Champions League final – which Real Madrid will play on Saturday 1 June at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund – and today marks 21 years since he led Milan out at Old Trafford.
As everyone is familiar with by now, the Rossoneri drew 0-0 with Juventus after extra-time and Andriy Shevchenko scored the winning spot kick after some heroics from Dida, and that begun Ancelotti’s love affair with the Champions League, as a head coach at least.
Ancelotti gave an interview to La Repubblica and he was asked about his former club, with his comments relayed by TMW.
“I follow the team from afar, with affection. We got back an extraordinary Brahim Diaz. Milan have a great talent like Leao: he needs to be beaten, sometimes. If he were with me, I would beat him every day,” he said.
The former Napoli and Chelsea boss was asked what he thinks the problems are with Italian football at the moment, given that the league is perceived to be lagging behind by many.
“What is missing, for me, is in the stadiums, in the environment. There is enough to modernise. And there are no champions, apart from Donnarumma in goal. I’m talking about a generation similar to that of Pirlo, Totti, Del Piero.”
Controversial opinion:
I think this why many of our players seem to like Stefano Pioli: they’re very comfortable with him because he doesn’t criticize them, push them, beat/yell, and some of them are almost always guaranteed to start every “important” game regardless of their last performances, lack of discipline fighting spirit,…
That’s not a controversial opinion mate, I think everyone that follows this team a bit more closely can think the same. I think that Milan has won Scudetto only because they had Zlatan in the dressing room. If you follow the intereviews with Milan players in period after winning Scudetto, ALL of them admitted that Zlatan give them mentality and boost of morale many times. That means Pioli was unable to do it on his own – and we saw that when Zlatan departed. Pioli is just a “good uncle” that will let his favourites play and with each post-match interview would say “well we lost again to Inter but look, we had good ball possesion percentage, right?”. Always blunt, without emotions, poses on matches as “thinker” only to came up with the same exact strategy for next match that every other coach can read like an open book and prepare for it. Hence the “family amotsphere”, everyone feels safe because they don’t have a strong coach over them.
I support your view of Milan player post Zlatan. No motivation, encouragement in the dressing room since he left.
Another possibly controversial opinion…Having Kessie and Rebic gave a lot of stability to the team.
Ibrahimovic and Kjaer played a good part, but Ibrahimovic was a lot more injured in the second half (so was Kjaer)… Ibrahimovic was 90 min on the field in all 4 losses. Heck someone might argue that having Ibrahimovic on the field was a detriment to the team since he couldn’t run to pressure the opponent (e.g. like Giroud with Sanchez )
The turning point, was Kessie getting back in shape (he was trying not to get injured and not playing great until January when he closed the deal with Barca), and also Rebic came from injury in the second half.
Even though Rebic was playing roughly 15-20 min per game, Rebic ran a lot and always helped the team make the most. In fact Rebic was on the field on only the loss to Spezia (which should have been a win with a different referee.)
Compare this with the next season when Rebic was no longer motivated to be an impact sub, Kessie was gone, and the team had less stability.
One of the worst things that happened is that we no longer had a good backup to Leao, and even though I like Okafor, he’s not at the level that Rebic used to play.
Lmfao even Ancelotti can easily sees that Leao are lazy af, wait until those Leao simps coming here and attack our legend Ancelotti hahahaah.
Of course, even a blind man can see that Leao is lazy. Hope the rumours about a €175 million offer buy the rich guys is real so we can get rid of Leao and buy a decent replacement.
” buy a decent replacement”
such as ?
He always has been lazy. Zlatan came and turned him into a Serie A MVP. Then our wise management decided to proclaim him the leader of this team, using him to sell merch. They turned him into a fashionista/rapper. We need someone able to unlock his full potential.
Ha ha ha 😂.
The management turned him into a fashionista and a rapper!!!
You remember the interview of your gawd Paolo when he said that during a season Leao asked him if he can release his rap album? Maybe you should read it. 😅
Also, Leao proclaimed himself a leader, no one from management, coaches or players did that.
I thought they bought Pulisic for merch sale. Did they make Leao write an autobiography too?
Yeah I remember, Leao asked and Maldini told him “if you score a brace” or something like this.
Man it’s well known now that you’re the biggest fan of this management, good for you enjoy the moment. I’ll not waste my time trying to convince you that a management that admitted they recruited Pulisic for commercial reasons (the same Pulisic absent from Australia for commercial reasons) is thinking business first and saw a huge opportunity to make our most famous player a fashion icon and the face of this team. Number 10, rap, biography, partnership with Puma, etc.
So if Leao was doing that while your gawd was management why are you saying that Milan management, referring to the current one, turned Leao into all those things?
Even Diogo Dalot said that Leao has many interests and that football isn’t the most important to him. Diego Dalot played for Milan in 20/21 and knows Leao from before. Who was in Milan management back then 🤔?
I’m a fan of Milan, not the current management. When this management is gone I wouldn’t cry after them like you and the rest of the Paolo followers are doing for 12 months now. Don’t care about Paolo, nor will care about the current guys when they are gone. You just mad because you don’t like facts when they are presented to you.
Tell us again how Jorge Mendes is Fonseca’s agent even though several people have told you he is not, but would that’s top you from pushing false narratives? Nope.
LMAO 😂😂😂 uh oh you said the magic words Paolo Maldini + something positive. Run for the hills 🤣🤣🤣
Ok man I got it, you’re that breed of fans that is fine with everything (unless someone criticises that management). Maybe it’s wisdom, maybe it’s just that you can’t get excited with football. Once for again, good for you.
Yeah I acknowledged I was wrong about Mendes. He’s Fonseca’s former agent and half of Lille’s starters are Mendes’ players, I’m sure in this time of fairy football business they’re unrelated yeah. You can check Romain Molina, he explains how Mendes has huge influence over European football. It’s interesting. Anyway you triggered me again, I’m done, have a nice day.
Don’t waste your spittle on that fellow.
Another waste of logical thinking, once you mention Maldini or his management, heck you didn’t even mention Maldini but living rent free they can’t do without him. All the hate boner come running out the wood works. They are blind to facts, reason or logic. Just smile, wave and nod.
It’s the best medicine for those who reason is wasted on.