Football Italia
·16 December 2024
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·16 December 2024
Milan’s players, coach and directors all came under fire in the Italian press after Sunday’s 0-0 draw at home with Genoa on the club’s 125th anniversary weekend, as the Rossoneri are accused of lacking in leadership both on the pitch and off it.
Milan were held to a goalless draw by mid-table Genoa on Sunday, which has left the Rossoneri in eighth place in the Serie A table, 14 points off the league leaders, albeit with a game in hand.
La Gazzetta dello Sport wrote on Monday morning that Milan are lacking in leaders on the pitch, and that the directors are also partly to blame.
There is little communication from the club’s senior management team, except from Zlatan Ibrahimovic around Champions League matches, which is requested by UEFA. The Swede is often met by boos when he is present in San Siro.
The recruitment of players has also become a talking point. The Rossoneri have had some success on the transfer market in recent windows with the additions of Christian Pulisic, Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana, but others such as Samuel Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Noah Okafor and Emerson Royal have not yet proved their worth in Serie A.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 27: Ruben Loftus-Cheek of AC Milan drives the ball during a Pre-Season Friendly match between Manchester City and AC Milan at Yankee Stadium on July 27, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
Even though Fonseca is not seen as the problem by most supporters, La Gazzetta dello Sport write that he has become a symbol of Milan’s disappointment, given that he was not the club’s first choice after the departure of Stefano Pioli. There had also been attempts to persuade Antonio Conte, Sergio Conceicao and even Julen Lopetegui before the Portuguese was appointed.
And even if Fonseca is a good man-manager, his results have left Milan in eight place in the table following draws with Lazio, Juventus, Torino, Cagliari and Genoa and losses to Parma, Fiorentina, Napoli and Atalanta.