Fabio Capello has congratulated AC Milan and Igli Tare on the hiring of Massimiliano Allegri, but explained the work that is still to be done.
Milan have officially confirmed that Massimiliano Allegri has become the new head coach, returning 11 years after his previous stint. He was previously at the club from 2010 to 2014, winning the Scudetto and Supercoppa Italiana in his first three and a half year tenure.
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Allegri is someone who knows how to win, and to do so in Italy. He has six Scudetti on his personal honours board – one with Milan and five with Juventus – plus three Supercoppa Italiani (one with the Rossoneri, two in Turin) and holds the record for Coppa Italia wins: five, all with the Bianconeri.
Allegri back at Milan: Capello’s reaction
Capello published a column in La Gazzetta dello Sport this morning in which he spoke about the return of Allegri over a decade after his loan spell at the club. It would be fair to say that he supports the move.
“A few days ago I urged Milan to spring forward so as not to start late. Well, I can say that the Diavolo listened to me and, using language from the Giro d’Italia, got up on the pedals. First a true sports director, Igli Tare, then a great coach, Massimiliano Allegri. Two moves… that are Milan-worthy,” he said.
“After an extremely disappointing year, it was important to immediately send a signal to the entire environment. Because we have to say it loud and clear: Milan can no longer afford to make mistakes. And they started off on the right foot.
“I had the opportunity to meet Tare at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. A true man of football. In a long chat he explained to me his method for finding players and choosing coaches. Then we exchanged ideas and I appreciated his global vision.
“That’s why when Milan made his arrival official I was confident that Igli would show up with an important coach. And he certainly didn’t make a mistake with Allegri. I am convinced that Tare was decisive in the decision to focus firmly on Max, a coach with experience and personality. With Allegri on the bench I expect not to see the tantrums of last season.
“Before we even talk about the market, modules or tactics, let’s focus on the immediate impact that Max can have on Milan. First of all on the mentality. Last season we saw a team that did everything well for 20 minutes, then shut down.
“Incomprehensible blackouts, which arose above all from a problem: everyone participated enthusiastically in the offensive phase, but few did their utmost with the same will when it came to running backwards. Rest assured that with Allegri it will not be repeated.
“Wherever he has been, Massimiliano has always been able to create a collective with a global sense and a concrete balance. The second aspect that the Livorno coach will have to take great care of is the minds of some of the most representative players who have objectively disappointed.
“Max will have to do what Antonio Conte managed to do at Napoli: give new motivation to those who did not always seem to have it.
“It is clear that Allegri must also be given a helping hand by the market. I don’t want to talk about specific names, but I believe that the department where we need to intervene most urgently is the defense.
“The rest will also depend on the sales. For example, I read about Manchester City pressing for Reijnders, someone I would never sell, but in today’s football I know well how things go. If the Dutchman were to leave, he would obviously have to be replaced with another quality midfielder.
“The important thing is that there is now a defined decision-making chain. As I see it, Tare and Allegri must discuss and agree on the technical choices, while the CEO, Giorgio Furlani, has the task of ratifying or not a purchase by weighing the economic aspect.
“The CEO should not venture, however, into purely technical considerations and leave them to Igli and Max. I am sure that Tare and Allegri know well how to identify who ‘is worthy of San Siro or not’, as my friend Ariedo Braida liked to say.
“This is the first consideration to make when you bring a player to Milan. You don’t have to buy just for the sake of buying, as has been done in the recent past, but spend in a targeted way.
“How will Allegri’s Milan play? It’s useless to ask this question today. Fortunately Max is not a fundamentalist, who bends teams to pre-established modules or radical ideas like some of his colleagues.
“One of his qualities, from my point of view, is knowing how to adapt to the group at his disposal. In fact, in his career he has played with three-man defences – like in the last period at Juventus – or four-man defences – like at Milan or in part of his experience in Turin.
“It is synonymous with intelligence to adapt and not to cage players within principles that are perhaps not well suited to their characteristics. From my point of view, Massimiliano would be very happy to have Theo and Leao back at the top.
“Milan’s fortunes in recent years were born there on the left wing. But it is clear that Hernandez should first sort out his contractual situation and then recover the desire of the past. On the first point, however, I don’t know what Max can do.
“While speaking of Leao, I am sure that he will be able to give him continuity: Rafa would have everything to make the difference often and willingly and not just in alternating current. But as we said before, Milan must first become a team again, in the true sense of the word.
“Where can it get? I don’t know where it can, but I know where it must get: at least in the top four in Serie A. Or it will be a new failure, without ifs or buts.”
Give me some elbow room
Spark the boom
Then pass it
I’ll drop ya like acid
Ya might get blasted
If ya step to the crew with the Rafa Leao
Important thing is going to be to clear some space – we have so many right-backs and midfielders… but how many of them can we find homes for elsewhere? Can we make use of the ones we can’t rehome, instead of treating them like we did Origi?
My guess is that Leao will be a vital part of this new Allegri’s Milan. He relies a lot on creative player, he often leaves the player to make the in-game decision. Just like in the past where we saw Ibra-centric system. Could be both good and bad ad thing in the end.