End Of A Milan Era

Arsene Wenger’s youngsters ended AC Milan’s hold on the Champions League trophy in midweek, beating the Rossoneri 2-0 at the San Siro, no less.

Guess we should have seen that one coming. As I hinted in my Serie A preview several months ago, this could well be the year when age finally catches up with Milan’s battle-weathered warriors. They’ve been far from impressive in Serie A, failing to win any of their first 7 home matches, and it’s only since the New Year – and the arrival of the Brazilian prodigy Pato – that they’ve slowly creeped up the table and back into contention for 4th place.

They haven’t had the best of luck with injuries either. Talisman Kaka has just returned from a spell on the sidelines, and was far from his brilliant best on Tuesday, while first choice ‘keeper Dida, Dutchman Clarence Seedorf and striker Ronaldo are all nursing injuries on the sidelines.

No doubt, Seedorf and Ronaldo were sorely missed against the Premiership leading Gunners, but Milan’s overall showing betrayed a glaring waning in the team’s legendary powers. This was not the Milan side that dominated Man U over two legs of last year’s quarter final. Far from it: Arsenal dominated possession for most of the game and Milan’s famed ball possession and game control was only conspicuous in its absence.
The youthful pair of Fabregas and Flamini cramped Kaka and Pirlo in midfield, reducing the Italian side to an uncharacteristic reliance on hopeful long balls to Inzaghi and Pato upfront.

Milan were as disciplined and organized as ever in defense, and it took a superb 25-yard shot from Fabregas to break the deadlock, although in truth, the Gunners had spurned a number of chances before then. More alarming was Milan’s impotence at the other end where they hardly ever looked capable of scoring. Arsenal’s second goal, deep into injury time, was no less than the Londoners deserved and it was as indicative as anything else of the key difference between these two teams. The prodigious, fleet-footed Theo Walcott chased down a long optimistic pass down the right flank, leaving the lumbering, lunging Kaladze in his youthful wake before setting Adebayor up in front of a gaping goal. It was the triumph of youth over experience, of exciting flair and pace over stodgy steadiness. Milan, with eight players over the age of 30, had been put to the sword by Wenger’s kid brigade.

This defeat surely now marks the end of Milan’s latest triumphant era. An era marked by two Champions League wins – 2003 and 2007 – flanking of course the spectacular reversal against Liverpool in the 2005 final. Sadly, it also marks the final bow in this competition for the evergreen Paolo Maldini, first choice in the Milan team since making his debut in 1986. After 22 years and 5 Champions League winners’ medals, the 40-year-old defender draws the curtains on an illustrious career at the end of this season.
Others are likely to follow: Think 30-somethings like Ambrosini, Cafu, Emerson etc.

Milan clearly need to rebuild, but it’s unlikely that process will be under the stewardship of Carlo Ancelotti. The former Milan player has enjoyed a successful six year spell, but he should have started re-tooling this team last year, after his oldies squeezed out that Champions League win in Athens. Instead, the only new arrivals were Pato and the 34-year-old Emerson. As a result, this summer would more than likely herald the arrival of a new high-profile coach, the key suspects being “Special One” Jose Mourinho and former Milan favourite Frank Rijkaard. My money is on Mourinho.

In Brazilians Kaka and Pato, as well as creative fulcrum Pirlo, Milan boast the beginnings of another great team, but they’ll need to add a few new faces to take some of the pressure off the aging legs of Nesta, Gattuso, Seedorf et al.

So expect wholesale changes at Milanello in the summer. A new coach and some quality personnel should see Milan once again challenging for top honors pretty soon.