AC Milan had one of their busiest transfer windows ever recently. With a £200million+ spending spree that saw them bring in over ten players, the club is announcing to their domestic rivals that they are no longer messing around. The Italian side was one of the biggest clubs in European football just some years back, but a combination of mismanagement and poor decision-making on the part of the board led to years of decline that they are now trying to end.
It was only ten years ago that AC Milan defeated Liverpool 2:1 to lift the UEFA Champions league, now a new initiate into the world of football would struggle to know the name, let alone appreciate the greatness that was once AC Milan.
Inter Milan were also European champions recently, more recently than AC Milan actually, as they won the UEFA champions league in 2010 under Jose Mourinho. However, since the Portuguese tactician left the side, they have experienced a change in fortune for the worst. Recently though, things seem to be looking up for them. They put out a great performance in the derby match and won dramatically against their fierce city rivals.
The Suning group, a Chinese investment group took charge of Inter Milan in 2016, and in 2017, AC Milan ended Berlusconi’s tenure with a transfer of ownership to Li Yonghong. Li Yonghong has introduced some enthusiasm to life in Milan with his ambitious moves, and the transfer war chest he provided Marco Fassone and Vincenzo Montella gives the impression that he has great plans for the club.
So far, however, the transfer activities haven’t exactly translated to great performances on the pitch, and questions are already being asked of Montella. The side has won just four out of the eight games they have played so far, losing the remaining three. For a side that brought in ten new high class players last summer, that is well below par.
Inter Milan with seven wins and one draw is currently doing much better than their city rivals, but only after bringing in Luciano Spaletti, their third manager within the space of a year.
It is not looking good for Vincenzo Montella and the club may already be thinking of a replacement to bring out the value of the investments in players; whatever they decide, Milan has to find its feet fast.
Huge football fans who have been watching football for a while would really want to see a resurgence of two of Italy’s biggest football clubs. It would especially be great to see one of them break the stranglehold of Juventus on the domestic league and bring back the days of old!