Some leading members of AC Milan’s ultras group the Curva Sud were putting pressure on the club to hire Antonio Conte as the head coach, and it led to an internal disagreement.
It was announced yesterday that the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office had arrested a number of key figures from Inter’s Curva Nord and Milan’s Curva Sud during Monday morning on charges of criminal association, and more information is now coming to light.
As Calciomercato.com report, a wiretap has emerged between Luca Lucci – who is the more active leader within the Sud – and Giancarlo Capelli who is famous as ‘Il Barone’. The former points out to the latter that he is not willing to endorse Roberto De Zerbi as the new head coach given that he and others are pushing for Antonio Conte.
“But Barone… we are pushing for Conte… I’ve been doing things with Milan for four days and you’re going to tell me De Zerbi?” he said.
The phone call took place on April 26, when it was already clear that Stefano Pioli would no longer be the coach of Milan beyind the end of the season, after the derby lost against Inter a few days earlier.
“I read it now, they passed it on to me now: Il Barone wants De Zerbi… but how can you name a name? How can you name names? […] But Barone, we are pushing, we are pushing for CONTE, but you represent the Curva, do you want to get it into your head that you don’t represent yourself? […]
“I understand! But you represent the Curva Barone! It’s not true that you are nobody! You are the Barone! You are Il Barone, Gianca! You are Il Barone! […] Okay, okay! But don’t name any coaches! But Barone… but I’m doing, I’ve been doing for four days, things with Milan and you go and tell me De Zerbi??.”
In another phone call made by Capelli to Lucci the day after the one reported above, the former told the latter that he had been contacted by some television stations to give an interview on the situation at Milan and asked him what he could have said in that circumstance.
Lucci’s response is peremptory: “At this moment if they want to keep the people united… the Conte choice is the most intelligent choice, at a club level […] because in a second they’d make all the discomforts of the Rossoneri fans go away!
“We are no longer willing to maintain a climate of serenity and tranquility because the Rossoneri people are neither serene, nor calm! They want cheering, they want cheering from the Curva, from the strongest Curva in Italy, they have to deserve it!
“Starting, starting from the club, and the choice, the choice, the choice of the coach is the first step where we evaluate the intentions of the club […] No! Barone! Conte you have to say […] you have to say Conte! Someone like Conte! […] if Milan wants to win, and you get someone like Conte, it means that there is ambition to return to greatness, understood?
“There is ambition to return to greatness! Then you tell them clearly, we are no longer willing to hear, to hear, from anyone, crazy statements from our managers and our president, we are no longer willing.”
Meanwhile, Milan has informed ANSA that ‘with regards to the investigations involving members of organised fan groups, the Rossoneri club have immediately made itself available to collaborate with the investigators, to provide any documentation and information requested’.