One of the leaders of the Curva Sud has published a strong statement on social media, calling for action from the management after yet another disappointing season for AC Milan.
After being knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage, the Coppa Italia in the quarter-finals and the Scudetto race before Christmas, the hopes of salvaging the season rested upon a deep run in the Europa League.
Milan’s Europa League run was ended at the quarter-final stage as they lost the second leg 2-1 against Roma, meaning they crashed out 3-1 on aggregate. After a very flat performance at San Siro, the Rossoneri found themselves 2-0 down inside 22 minutes and went out at the Olimpico.
Luca Lucci, the head of Milan’s Curva Sud, expressed his opinion on the Rossoneri season in the aftermath of the defeat against Roma in the Europa League and did so via a post on his Instagram profile.
“Dear Mister, I strongly want to remember you as the creator of one of the most beautiful titles in Milan’s history, but then we get to the point where the paths inexorably have to part and I would say that all of us fans have waited too long!
“I’m certainly not one of those who points the finger at the individual, because it’s clear to everyone that the blame for a year like this is to be divided on several fronts!
“It certainly cannot be a second place that gratifies us and makes us proud of our Milan, because if the alibi of having faced an iron round is valid for the Champions League, it must also be recognised that the Coppa Italia and the Europa League were within reach objectives on which we could aim strongly.
“All things considered, at this point a change of coach is now a must in the face of a Milan that has been boring for some time, devoid of play, confused, inadequate and unprepared especially in decisive matches, fluctuating and so on and so forth, a Milan that has need a change of direction, new stimuli and above all to find the game that has been lost for some time!
“Now on Monday comes a derby that would give the sh*** a particular meaning in the victory of their cardboard star, after a flat season, with a title never in question and never fought for (by us first and foremost) totally devoid of charm and won for months now.
“There is no party to ruin or victory to prevent because the game has been over for some time, very little will change for us because the Derby, cartoon or not, always has supreme importance, but if on the one hand the result will count for the most part humiliation that they wish to inflict on us, on our part there must be the f***ing desire to bring home the derby that has been missing for too long now!
“Finish this season with the professionalism that should distinguish every professional, but certainly the fans today no longer have to wait for any response!”
View this post on Instagram
Well spoken!
💯
I thought the Curva Sud were delighted with last summer’s transfers….
Oh yes here it is:
“In, out, bla… bla… bla.. Curva here… Curva there… you dispute… do… say… maybe today you will shut your mouth, pseudo Milan ‘tifosotti’ because only one thing is certain,” he began.
“We haven’t seen a Milan that moved so well on the market for years, targeted signings, promising young players, experienced champions, European market, a market that finally does not see its jewels go away for free but rather monetises more than it should, however sad it may be, finally no soap operas but concreteness!
“We asked for the leap in quality after the first purchases, we trusted you with a ‘carry on like this’, today it is clear that the path taken has never been more satisfying!
“We were certain that strong corporate moves must then be supported by facts and so it was!! Now last word to the field…. And dear Milan, the market is still long FORWARD SO united until death. Talk is zero.”
Sorry Curva Sud if last summer’s transfers were so amazing – so targeted – so not missing a proper DM or leader in midfield after selling Tonali (and then Krunic) – how come the season hasn’t quite worked out (ignoring the fact that it has in fact worked out ok because, remarkably and despite the amount of injuries we had, we have more points than the SEASON WE WON THE ACTUAL SCUDETTO.
I suppose if everyone’s writing off this season as a total failure I’ll revisit what I said at the end of last season…
At the end of last season I wanted Milan to:
– replace Pioli;
– sign 3 key players – a AM, RW and CF.
Instead:
– we fired Maldini and Massaro (and the revenue guy and about 15 other backroom people);
– we sold Tonali (random);
– we signed (need to double check):
– 1 GK
– 1 LCB
– 3 box to box midfielders;
– 3 Res;
– Okafor;
– Jovic
– we decided to turn on Krunic (a player that Pioli once described as his most important player);
– we gave CDK to Atalanta (our rivals).
Good times.
The result:
– a very impressive 2nd in the league;
– disappointment in Europe after reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last season (where we dominated in midfield in the Last of 16 and Quarter Finals),.
So bit of a mixed bag.
Still think that my approach might have seen us challenge for the title….
“we decided to turn on Krunic” is complete conjecture, or at least projection, because my understanding is that Krunic WANTED TO LEAVE. “Turning on Krunic” would have meant selling him in the summer, but he started the season with us, no? We did reject an offer from Fener, did we not? That implies that as of the first game of the season, he was in the coach’s plans. Fastforward a few months and a bunch ho-hum games (because he wanted to leave) and he’s on the bench and on his way out.
No he didn’t want to leave or else he would’ve left in the summer.
He started the first few games of the season (when we went top and were competitive in the Champions League) and then Pioli randomly decided to stop playing him and then we eventually LOANED him…..
So my conjecture is kind of looking pretty accurate.
And we have seen this quite a number of times. That’s why we have gone through 10+ players in every position in the last 10 years.
We lack focus.
Pretty sure Krunic wanted to leave for more money in the summer. He remained only becos Pioli insisted. After Krunic came back from his injury, Pioli benched him after a few lackluster games. Pioli even uncharacteristically chided his performance for not being up to mark. There was also an article alleging Krunic refused to come on as a sub. The choice is Krunic’s and he had made his.
And, ‘randomly’ selling Tonali is to get Pioli the 3 mezzalas he needed for his 433. At that point, we only had 3 serviceable midfielders as 2 loanees had went back and 1 is on long MC. So we sold 1 and got 3 for depth. We should instead ask Pioli why he switched back from 433 to 4231 at not even halfway of the season. On hindsight, had we not randomly sold Tonali, we will have one more lesser MF (on top of Pobega alternating Bennacer at the sick bay) for the whole season. So it’s definitely a blessing in disguise.
Live and let live. The season is concluding. The good thing is that the new players had spent a year to know each other. Very likely a new coach will arrive. Pioli has had his moments in Milan. But instead of him always saying his players ‘lack clarity’, I feel that he is the one lacking clarity for sometime now.
he saw the salaries of other players (e.g. Musah) and rightfully wanted a salary increase or to be sold. We even got two good offers (Fener and another french team) but we decided not to sell him and instead after a couple of months gave him a low-ball contract extension offer…
At this point, he was rightfully upset and started dragging his feet on the pitch and pushing to be sold in January (iirc at the beginning of Jan he even refused to enter as a sub saying that his back was hurt). At the end, he got what he wanted, and the only ones who lost are Milan.
We should have either given him a proper extension or sold and replaced him earlier in the transfer market.
Someone get this guy wambulance 😂😂😂
“we have more points than the SEASON WE WON THE ACTUAL SCUDETTO”
The same number of points don’t win the league each year!!
What relevance has this? That is more a reflection of the league and the big teams doing poorly.
Last year we finished 2 points behind Inter, we are now 14 behind and counting.
Also have some respect for the fans that spend there money week in week out attending matches at home and away, not just commenting on websites.
They are right, it is time for a change. Look at Roma, Mourinho did well with them but eventually they became stale, it happens. Now DDR has inspired a revival.
Milan play with no strategy or plan, it’s a shambles.
We had a great chance to lift the Copa Italia or even Europa league, but fell flat against teams that have less money and lesser squads
I am sorry points are points…
If we have more points than the season we won the Scudetto (and everyone was presumably happy with that number of points) then (if people are being reasonable LOL) they should be happy with the number of points we had this season?
Just because Inter have had an incredible (and questionable) season doesn’t mean we should all turn on the manager.
Remember the general narrative is that Pioli has ‘run out of steam’/’his tactics have been found out’ but if that’s the case HOW DO WE HAVE MORE POINTS?
How are we winning MORE GAMES not LESS?
I do respect the support these fans give but it doesn’t give them any extra insight. And in fact they’re more likely to be reactive than sensible given their passionate.
“If we have more points than the season we won the Scudetto (and everyone was presumably happy with that number of points) then (if people are being reasonable LOL) they should be happy with the number of points we had this season?”
This is a contradiction that negates your entire position. According to this, you should be happy with all the staffing and player moves that occurred over the summer. No complaining about Maldini, Tonali, etc.
Yes I am……
Did you read my original comment?
I also said the other day that I was ecstatic about being proven wrong.
You see I am not trying to have it both ways.
I have said that the season we have surpassed expectations.
It’s the people who believed that last summer’s transfer market was the greatest ever that are disappointed.
All of this whaling is because people got carried away last summer.
Pioli is a victim of the completely unrealistic expectations that were set last summer.
I had lower expectations and so I am very happy that we’re finishing 2nd.
And since last summer was supposed to be the ‘Rebuild’. I’d prefer to avoid another “Rebuild” this summer.
But I am sure others would love a good old “Rebuild” because it would mean lots more transfers (and threading water).
Serie A winning midfield:
Tonali, Kessie, Bennacer, Krunic
This year:
Bennacer, Reijners, Adli, Musah
— in every singly measurable (value, performance, rating, stats, etc..) way the midfield is worse.
Moneyball Moncada is not building a team. He’s building a portfolio of players that he felt could generate the most profit.
Moneyball Moncada has done more harm to this team than Pioli ever did.
Maldini warned them, but Moneyball moncada & Cardinale didn’t listen.
The BIGGEST problem were the sales and replacements. There are a lot of problems but moneyball man was the biggest F up of them all.
Agreed.
And our midfield has been a problem all season and even more so when Krunic was frozen out.
Even if you go back to last season – Tonali, Bennacer, Krunic – dominated in the knock out games in the Champions League (before Inter).
Maldini it is time you stop talking you talk nonsense, and this is mentality of a 5 year old.
Milan won the scudetto yes, but fell over thee line. That year they failed to beat the big teams and when losing to Inter, Juve, Atalanta, Roma, Lazio meant they were lucky
Pioli’s tactics ever since he took over have been low class especially against high quality teams. The CL and Europa are prime examples and not to mention against INTER, ATALANTA, ROMA, JUVE this season.
There is a saying “Buy peanuts you get monkeys” Milan management!
A special thought for the Summer Market when buying and selling.
A last word if I may….. Poli must GO! Curve boss makes a lot more sense that Maldinis every day of the week
Maldini you were the one that wanted to keep Pioli and said he was a great manager? What trophy’s did he win before coming to Milan after all those teams he managed?
Some wise words, however not all is absolute.
Ancelotti had won nothing as a coach before coming to Milan!
Pioli’s tactics are in part determined by the players he has, if you give him Kessie the tactics will be better than if you give him Musah.
Curva boss is just a regular fan, and he rightfully has no say on what the club should do. Curva bosses are in the vast majority leeches tied to organized crime who get money by selling free tickets, etc. I don’t like Lotito, but he going to war with Curva fans is one of the things I like most about him.
Curva Sud woke up.
Good Morning to you All
When many in this site with me included
Some users said you couldn’t tell that in their faces lol and we were right all along . When you are true fan and see for yourself something wrong you want change. Improvement not be the little dog and obey everything they say to you . You as a fan know better especially them when they go and see the matches not stay silent for long time .
Can’t wait for the Curva Sud’s announcement next season calling for the next manager to be sacked.
“At this point a change of coach is now a must in the face of a Milan that has been boring for some time, devoid of play, confused, inadequate and unprepared especially in decisive matches, fluctuating and so on and so forth, a Milan that has need a change of direction, new stimuli and above all to find the game that has been lost for some time!”
💯💯💯💯💯
I so much respect the Pioli on a human level, but whether we win the Derby or not, we need a coach with great vision, hunger and ambition take lead us right. It was a huge disgrace last night like some nights have been. I would’ve wanted consistency if this coach knows what is doing but obviously, he’s so confused and toothless. I was so bitter last night. I was wondering if this is the same Milan Maldini, Costacurta, Inzaghi, Gattuso, Kakà and the other respected legends played in. There was this M*D energy from these players. You can’t lose a match and still f**king post on social media. I can’t keep up with the consistent disgrace from this disgraceful manager. When was the last time we won the Champions league??!! Maybe we’ll win it when Madrid wins the 16th one….
a) Pioli has secured more points in the league than at any time in his career so that’s not exactly what ‘confused and toothless’ coaches do.
b) There’s no hope in hell Maldini, Costacurta, Inzaghi, Gattuso, Kakà and the other respected legends would be playing for Milan today as they’d be chased out by the fans and the media – in fact famously Maldini himself was boycotted in his last game.
PREDICTION: We’re not going to quality for the Champions League next season and the next manager will be sacked by Christmas.
Good times ahead.
Being MALDINIS HEIR, I understand…🙂
Nostradamus is that you??? More like nostradamus heir.
This season isn’t even finished yet, impossible to predict next season when we don’t even know what kind of moves management will make. You sir are full of it.
I so much respect Pioli on a human level, but whether we win the Derby or not, we need a coach with great vision, hunger and ambition to lead us right. It was a huge disgrace last night like some nights have been. I would’ve wanted consistency if this coach knows what he is doing, but obviously, he’s so confused and toothless. I was so bitter last night. I was wondering if this is the same Milan Maldini, Costacurta, Inzaghi, Gattuso, Kakà and the other respected legends played for. There was this M*D energy from these players. You can’t lose a match and still f**king post on social media. I can’t keep up with the consistent disgrace from this disgraceful manager. When was the last time we won the Champions league??!! Maybe we’ll win it when Madrid wins the 16th one….
Some will say Luca Lucci and the Curva Sud are fake fans and inter supporters in disguise because they asked for Pioli to be sacked.
@Novae, no one would say that at this time. Even INTER would want us to change coach for next season. It’s a disgrace to AC MILAN!❤️🖤
Lol the way you said that in such a confident manner might prove that you are new here.
We disagree on clear facts for months on.
But as you say “at this time” it is clear as night and day
@Novae, I’ve been ever present even if I don’t comment sometimes. I see insults thrown at people here which doesn’t please me. As Milan fans, we should be more united and be polite, even though I agree we can’t have the same opinion. Sometimes, I see us as enemies or opponents here. We should tell or enlighten people about things without insults.
I think PIOLI has made me cry and disappointed enough if not all of us
Very late realization..This was expected, Pioli don’t have a game plan or vision to manage a squad of top players. Leao, theo and now pulisic saved his @$$ multiple times through individual contribution. Thats it.. a quality coach is a must for milan to play some attractive football and win something every season.
Jürgen Klopp is ideal for these players, fast counter attacks and 4 3 3 formation….let’s collect 5 euros from a fan and offer him a 4 year contract 🙂
@Christian, I want Klopp too but don’t know if it’s just a dream
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion (obvs), tuttavia I think the disrespect shown to La Curva in these comments shows just how many click-baity keyboard warrior kids are here right now.
Have you ever walked in Their Corteo?
Have you seen the effort they go to EVERY SINGLE game (at San Siro, or hundreds of miles from home in Europa?)
Have you ever noticed on TV how unbelievably loud they are for EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERY SINGLE MATCH – irrespective of the game-state or score?
THAT is real support, passion, and commitment.
Biting the hand of the true voice of ALL Us Rossoneri – wake up dimwits and show some respect.
Watching & hearing La Curva is one of the primary elements that makes me proud of being a Rossonero – you’d be wise to remember that and try to appreciate them.
I appreciate the atmosphere they bring but they are also idiots who boycotted Maldini in his last game.
And they’re taking the same cake and eat it approach to most people around here:
– on the one hand last summer’s transfers were awesome;
– but on the other hand this season has not reached acceptable standards…
I mean I guess it must be the people who were there before this season who are responsible for this season’s ‘failure’.
Piolis Heir goes around defending Pioli like he is getting paid for it.
About time for Curva Sud to come out and let management know enough is enough with this coach.
They said everything most fans have been saying for most of this season.
Up to management now to step up and fire him.
I would fire him today and let Bonera coach the rest of the season. With Bonera will have better chance of not losing vs Inter than with Pioli. With Pioli the loss is a guarantee.
Also with Bonera some of the players that don’t get to play because of Pioli will get a chance to show what they can do, especially the young players.
Agree 100%. Nothing to lose with the Bonera plan for the rest of the season. Especially since the BEST FAN OF THEM ALL said we have more points than during the scudetto year and points are all that matters, right? 🙂
Start preparing for the next season already and it really needs be without Pioli.
Hear, hear. Curva said what needed to be said.
Pioli are good build foundation but he is not the right man to continue the foundation, his tactic already easy to neutralize by other serie A coach like simone inzaghi , gasperini,palladino, and now de rossi. Thats what you get if 5 years in row using same tactic and system then you are easily to read by other coach , remember simone beat pioli 2 times in row in CL , after that pioli can never beat simone team same with gasperini team and now if next season pioli still head coach then de rossi with roma will easily beat ACM . Curva sud are right, this season should be pioli last season with ACM even if he win in derby next match . Grazie pioli for your hard work and giving scudetto but if ACM want to continue further then the new coach must coming . I personally prefer sarri or vicenzo italiano
Emotions are running high, which they will right after an elimination like this. People splitting up into the usual camps: pro/against Pioli, pro/against the players, pro/against ownership/management, or some combination thereof.
In terms of Pioli, I think the writing has been on the wall for a while. These types of performances happen too often, and even if we had Man City’s squad, Pioli would only be able to do so much.
That brings us to the players. It’s clear we need upgrades along the spine of the side. We need to finally sort out striker with a young reliable individual, we need to add a proper defensive midfielder and we need to upgrade the CB next to Tomori. The issue with the rest of them is not quality but being coached properly. A well trained team knows what to do. We have 6-7 starters who belong at Milan, they just need to begin to show it. Their quality is not in question, it’s their movement, positioning, decision making and desire. This is a coaching issue. As for the rest, bring in those three reinforcements and you’re left with Calabria and RLC as question marks, but even one, two or three average players can rise to the occasion as part of the collective. We don’t need a revolution, just the RIGHT transfers this summer. Let’s see if the get it.
Which brings us to management. Some people praise last summer’s transfers, others decry them. I think in 2023 it was clear we needed not only upgrades, but depth. I think that was achieved. Money doesn’t grow on trees, so a sale was needed. The sale itself worked out, because that player was suspended for 8 months. If people think this midfield is bad, imagine a midfield of Tonali, injured Bennacer, KRUNIC, Pobega and Adli starting this season, then Tonali gets suspended, Bennacer is injured and out of form and Krunic unhappy to still be at the club. What would the double pivot have been for the first half of the season? Krunic-Adli with Pobega in reserve? Forget 2nd place, CL football would have been in doubt altogether. Assuming that the 30M we would have had to spend without sales would have been spent on a single player for RW, we also would still have had a hole at AM, no backup for Leao, and no backup for that new RW. I do think there was an overestimation of Giroud (who probably needed to be replaced last summer) and the defensive abilities of the current set of midfielders, but unfortunately money doesn’t grow on trees. Paying 24M for Chukwueze after already having bought a starting RW in Pulisic isn’t moneyball, btw. We have a chance to plug the gaps this summer. Let’s see what they do.
Finally, a word on Leao. This is a player who can win games by himself, but he chooses not to. I’ve always had my doubts, as have others, only to get shouted down by some who praise him as world class. He can be, but usually isn’t. A coaching change might help him, bringing in someone who might throw down the gauntlet and demand he be more professional and committed, but he may not, as it seems he has many off-field hobbies that he give much attention to, such as fashion, rapping and writing biographies, even though he’s only 24. I think Leao is at a crossroads. Maybe, just maybe, we should sell Leao this summer. This would allow us to change shape for a 3-5-2 manager (rejoice Conte fans) as well as fund the changes we need generally and for that type of formation. But if we keep him for another season to see how he reacts to a new manager, it would mean committing to 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, which like a domino effect will determine who we bring in. There is a lot to do for the decision makers at the club this summer.
This!
Interesting post. You make a good point about planning our formation for next year (with or without Leao).
I think he will stay, I’m less sure about Theo and Mike.
Whatever our plan is, it needs to be made early.
As in decide who the coach will be and what formation. Then we can address the holes in the squad.
Saying that, whatever happens, we need a striker and a DM.
Last summer we added depth, but whether you like the players or not, we did not bring in players to suit the 4231 system.
After we won the scudetto, my joy was short lived as the whole takeover mess began, delay in renewing Maldini and an interrupted market. At that stage, had we kept Kessie, all we needed was a striker, RW and AM. Now I feel we are way behind where we were then.
In short, make a plan, stick to it and execute it
I think your assessment has been spot on on almost everything.
For the summer, I’d say we mostly need a striker (or 2?), a defensive midfielder (or a midfielder than can defend) like Hojberg or Hjulmand. The other positions will depend on who will go and who will stay during the summer.
A new coach and new athletic staff will also be needed (please don’t go for Lopetegui or Conte).
As far as the tactics, the 4-3-3 or even 4-2-3-1 are fine by themselves, the problem is how we used them. These tactics don’t require man-marking, high pressing and inverted fullbacks, you can use them and they were infact used, in a variety of ways.
I agree with the sentiment but:
– I have no idea why you’re writing off Gabbia since he’s been our best CB. Does one slip against Lukaka now mean he’s finished? In my opinion we don’t need a CB, we need a DM and we need to spend 80m or whatever on a DM and make that our focus. If we have money left over sign a CF (I’d go for Icardi in the short term).
– last summer why did we need 10 ‘upgrades’ to a squad that had already won the Scudetto and made the semi-finals of the Champions League? And how did we ‘upgrade’ them with players most of whom had never done any of that?
– The Tonali situation is farcical because at the time we sold him I assume we didn’t know he’d be banned. The Adli situation is even more farcical since he couldn’t make the team last season and he’s been mostly infuriating this. The Krunic situation is, yes, farcical because we decided to freeze out a player who been a core part of our success including the run to the Champions League (and he wouldn’t wanted to leave if he had been shown the smallest amount of respect). With Pobega you’re just writing off another Primavera player (presumably because he’s not a new signing).
– personally I would’ve signed RLC, Pulisic, and a CF and kept Saelemaekers and possibly CDK.
– I also probably would’ve replaced Pioli last summer and seen what a different manager could do with CDK…..
Man you and the former milan players. First, silva, than paqueta and now krunic. These are all players that we didn’t let go for free. Where are all these players now? Glad they are gone, they suck. Give it a rest.
Andrea silva that is.
That’s mostly correct on the transfer front but recall prior to Maldini sacking the budget was lower and we’d have the freebies…Ndcka, Kamada and Thuram. A little nitpicky I admit but just wanted to add that context. We’d have kept the 4231 and maybe only gotten Puli and Okafor/RLC.
The Krunic -Adli I wished would have been tested out more. Unfortunately Pioli didn’t see this as a viable option.
Anyways things went the way they did. We have numbers in many areas but the biggest upgrade was RW. The problem was shifting back to the 4231, it doesn’t do justice to the players bought in specifically for a different formation.
I understand/agree with these rest though. Solid post
Well done.
It’s now they speak up. Oh please fret not, we can all go through another half assed season winning nothing. But at least end it counting points over the scudetto or whatever metric they use to justify mediocrity and backwardness.
Reality challenged fans who count points attained over potential silver ware lost.
God’s once walked Ac Milan. But now……
Oh please curva with their usual contradictions and nonsense. Don’t care if I agree with them or not. One minute they stay out of corporate decisions, next minute they praise them, next they criticize. Which is it? Or maybe they just want to ride whatever current sentiment there is to drum up support.
“We don’t go into the merits of corporate choices, it’s not up to us to make assessments on the work of managers, coaches and players”. Remember this gem after sacking Maldini and before the summer transfer window? They don’t make assessments of the coaches..ok. So why release a whole statement to say you want him out? As always, they can go to the Frank stand
Turns out Maldini was right about literally EVERYTHING lol oh the irony.
Maximum respect to Pioli for being the Milan coach, but is think is time for him to leave. I laugh when people are talking about quality players. Not all but most players brought in were performing well in their teams. So a good coach will start from there and add more value on them, but instead most players underperform when they come to Milan why ? that’s a coaching problem . Look at Bayer Leverkusin as an example, Alonso is doing a great job with those players. A good coach has to get different options in a game , but not only plan A. Derossi should not be able to outsmart Pioli but he did. We definitely need a great coach.