GdS: A trophy is a trophy – Milan set early example in Coppa Italia sweepstakes | OneFootball

Paulo Fonseca publicly declared that AC Milan are going for the Coppa Italia, and what we saw on the field last night certainly reaffirms that.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Fonseca kept his promise. The 6-1 win against Sassuolo last night at San Siro showed that Milan do not view the competition as secondary, and they somehow managed to upstage Bologna’s 4-0 victory over Monza in terms of scoreline at least.

Fonseca was clear from the start: the cup is something that Milan want to seriously target. He made eight changes to the team that beat Empoli on Saturday and yet still – thanks to the present of Youssouf Fofana, Tijjani Reijnders and Rafael Leao – fielded a side that got the job done in peace.

The competition has regained a meaning that had been gradually lost towards the end of the 1990s, when it became third-rate in the eyes of top Italian clubs who preferred to prioritise both the league and the Champions League.

It is no longer perceived as an almost annoying commitment. For example, the winning cycle of Inter in the 2000s began with a Coppa Italia, first under Roberto Mancini, then under José Mourinho. The same happened with Juve, a collector of scudetti in the 2010s, who also went for the domestic double every time.

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The beauty of the Coppa Italia as well is that all the ‘top’ teams come into it at the last 16 stage, which means that Milan – who are lagging behind in the league – once again have parity with their big rivals. The more open the race, the more beautiful it is.

It remains advisable to do the calculations based on energy needs, with Inter and Juve set to be on the field until late summer with the Club World Cup. And yet, there is no excuse for not managing things well enough to be able to cope with a cup run.

The quarter-finals will be played in February and the semi-finals in April (a home and an away leg), then a one-off game in the final when that also used to be two-legged, like the last time Milan won it in 2002-03.

It is advisable to stay in the running as long as possible. More than a consolation, the trophy would give meaning to a season. A cup is always a cup; Milan seems to have no doubts.