Journalist Franco Ordine believes that Inter provide an example for AC Milan to follow, in order to return to the elite of European football.
While the blue side of the city are getting ready for the final in Munich later this month against Paris Saint-Germain, the red side of Milano have a lot of questions to answer about their own future after a 2024-25 that fell below expectations.
The Rossoneri sit ninth in the table despite a positive recent run, while they were dumped out of the Champions League by Feyenoord and won’t be back to compete in it again next season. Thus, there is talk of a summer revolution, with a new sporting director and coach.
Ordine published his weekly column on MilanNews and he provided some reflections on Inter reaching a second Champions League final in three seasons and what Milan can learn from them, something we touched on in our latest audio bulletin too.
“Before turning to current events, we must also take into account the epic success achieved by Inter in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona,” he began.
“We must not overlook an aspect that is not exquisitely football-related, technical but simply temperamental, the great qualities of the group of men who have made and finished who decide, all together, after having lived through a hellish week (the three defeats between Bologna, the derby and Rome), to get up and go towards glory.
“This means that in building a team, or in shoring it up as would be necessary in the case of Milan , human qualities (an old obsession of Arrigo Sacchi) are the most precious, even prevailing over footballing ones.
“I would add in this regard: finding motivation from the success of others, for those who live the competition in business as in sport, without getting depressed and beating themselves up every single day, is for people of a special breed. I hope that at home Milan they pick up this message.
“To build such a solid group, you need men who are capable of speaking to people’s hearts as well as improving their specific talent. From here, to return to Milan, the choice of the next coach passes. I continue to take note of some reflections that come to me about Sergio Conceiçao and that are all to be shared.
“The first, for example: Monday evening, after yet another comeback against Genoa, the coach gathered around him the entire group that provided a public demonstration of great compactness. It is not a formal aspect.
“It is one of the essential requirements in a football team, especially after having experienced the well-known divisions of the previous months (cooling break episode and argument with Calabria).
“Second reflection: Walker, in a recent interview, referred to Milan’s obsession in making the players weigh in every day. It is not an obsession of Conceicao, it is a method shared by other coaches such as Antonio Conte, just to make a doc quote.
“Thanks to this method Mike Maignan has recently lost weight and I believe that his performance, increased in this final phase of the season, is also related to his improved physical condition. Ditto for Luka Jovic.
“From these collected notes a possible future scenario emerges according to which, in the event of a successful Coppa Italia and confirmation of the positive climate at Milanello, it could be worth confirming SC [Conceicao] at the helm of the team without having to start over with another coach, another training method, another playing system.
“Also because next season, starting immediately and well, while Inter and Juve are coming off the efforts of the Club World Cup, would be a good and right thing. I realize that this is a notable suggestion. Personal observation: it would be a risky move with some pros and some cons.
“In the meantime, providing for the extension of the contracts of Maignan and Theo would be a further push to restore that climate that I spoke about at the beginning regarding Inter and the contribution of some veterans (Sommer and Acerbi to name just two in this regard).”
Ordine has begun to see things objectively and holistically, Milan will beat Bologna , then the club needs to not only confirm Sergio Conceicao, they need to renew his contract to 2027, that way he will understand the club wants him to succeed, anyone suggesting he is sacked and a new Coach comes in, does not understand football, he is slowly developing this team into what he wants….
I think Conceicao won’t stay which is really a pitty. I think if the relation didn’t go sour he could have turned this team into something great…
Allegri being linked with Napoli gives a slight hope for Conte for us… Papa Carlo will also be a free agent
The only way to move forward is learning from others who are ahead of you. unlike some hatred comments from pavan(juv) against inter – great from you sir(ordine).
I said yesterday I hope they win the whole thing. Let them paint the city blue!!!
Show our board that nothing improves “brand exposure” quite like, y’know…winning meaningful trophies.
Also show them that a “European Milan” must also be an “Italian Milan”. Remind the misguided fools what the C stands for in our name.
“Remind the misguided fools what the C stands for in our name”
Love that part of your comment even if I would prefer neither Inter or PSG winning the cl final.
They didn’t do enough market research – they think calcio and football are the same thing. Until they learn they’re not, they will never succeed.
To be honest I believe they got blinded by the popularity of epl and maybe your are right that they will never succeed. Personally if things was up to me then I would like to see some demands that maybe 66-75% of all players in all leagues should be native but unfortunately those days are long gone but it certainly would create coherency and enforce the national teams.
They’re pushing out our star players by stalling their contract offers and lowballing offering less they earn now, cause they want to cash in on the them.
They use “the tone” in order to force players out, players who were bought just 6 months prior and players who grew with and gave all to this colors.
They leave players to face the wrath of the fans on their own while they sneak in through the back door just to preach about importancy of respecting these colors and its values.
They turn their backs on the coach and throw him under the bus when things don’t go the way they wanted.
They wage internal war for power while neglecting the needs of the club.
Owner doesn’t even care to visit his players and staff.
These clowns won’t learn. The only solution for this club is that papa clown sells.
“Journalist Franco Ordine believes that Inter provide an example for AC Milan to follow, in order to return to the elite of European football.”
But I thought Inter were on the verge of bankrupcy ?
That sooner rather than later they will fall flat on their faces ?
That their model is unsustainable and will lead to their demise ? That they can’t keep spending and offering higher wages to their players ?
I thought we had the better system, that we were sustainable, that everything was improving and that our management knows its stuff.
Could I have been lied to ?
Their owner went bankrupt and had to give away Inter to Oaktree. That is a fact, not something to dispute.
Just because it didn’t have the massive implosion effect that some people out there expected doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
One thing we have learnt is that Vulture funds run clubs better than actual potential owners, in both cases of us and Inter, the Vulture funds have done great jobs.
The same guy was singing Milan’s praises last summer, after Madrid win and again after winter mercato… Real Oracle.
I started to think that maybe gerry is only a prey to elliot. how this double side management (redbird-elliot) cannot work together and even how their representatives (ibra and furlani) stabbing each others to show who has more power over the club.. one of them (redbird or elliot) should leave..
Unfortunately it will probably not happen anytime soon as Redbird had its loans with Elliot management renewed until 2028 in late 2024 if I recall correctly.
that’s the thing.. it’s the same schema elliot did to yonghong li.. waiting for redbird to defaulted their loans.. while making the management unstable from the inside.