Italian Serie A giants AC Milan finished the postponed 2019-20 season in sixth place with 66 points, after shrugging off a disappointing run in the first half of the season.
The Rossoneri, invigorated by Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimovic who re-joined Milan from MLS outfit LA Galaxy in January, became the top scoring team with 35 goals in the European major leagues since Serie A resumed in June following the coronavirus-enforced break.
Only Real Madrid have gained more points than the Italian powerhouse in the European top-five leagues over the same period.
Milan went into the season with high anticipation under Italian Marco Giampaolo, who replaced outgoing club legend Gennaro Gattuso – who later took the reins of Milan’s rivals Napoli.
But under the former Sampdoria coach, Milan saw a disappointing record of three wins and four defeats at the beginning of the season, the worst beginning for the team in 81 years, which cost Giampaolo his job.
Stefano Pioli took over, but his rein at the beginning was deemed only on the same level of Giampaolo.
Then, rumors swirled that Milan had been in negotiations with German coach Ralf Rangnick on coaching Milan, until Pioli’s team, after the coronavirus break, shocked everyone by a 12-match undefeated streak.
“We have confidence and conviction, we also need quality,” Pioli was quoted as saying after the August 2 game. “We close the season with satisfaction. We need to close the gap with the top teams.”
True catalyst
Ibrahimovic, now 38, is the oldest player to score 10-plus goals in a Serie A season, after a powerful strike against Cagliari in the 2019-20 season finale at San Siro. He played just 18 top-flight games this season.
The veteran’s contribution to the Rossoneri goes far beyond on-field performances that belie his age, as analysts believe his sheer force of personality has awakened the sleeping giants, as the team are playing with a sense of conviction and belief rarely seen in the last decade.
Milan have lost only twice since Ibrahimovic’s arrival in January from MLS side LA Galaxy.
A highlight of the season was that he led an unlikely comeback against Juventus earlier in July, helping the team turn a two-goal deficit into a 4-2 win, the first time in history that Milan had beaten Juventus after trailing by two goals.
“If I was here from the beginning of the season, we would have won the Scudetto,” he told DAZN after the Juventus match.
“I am president, coach and player, but they only pay me as a footballer.”
Within a few months, the giant Swede has imbued his teammates with a swagger, as he has become the foundation for a promising partnership between Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie that have taken hold in the midfield.
Hakan Calhanoglu has started to play his rare in-form football since arriving on Italian shores three years ago, and Simon Kjaer’s calming presence has also solidified the defense lineup.
Last summer’s new signing Leao has also shown some flashes of his potential this season, and Pioli has pinned his hopes on the 21-year-old attacker for more quality performances for the team next season.
New contract
AC Milan are in negotiations with Ibrahimovic over a new contract, with the former Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star’s deal set to expire.
“We have built something this season and it should be given consistency. So next season, we will be trying to build on what we’ve already done,” Milan director Paolo Maldini told Sky Sport Italia.
“In all honesty, Zlatan is part of this project. It won’t be an easy negotiation, but we fully intend to keep him with us. We have many young players who can grow exponentially with Ibra by their side.
“We might have different ways of achieving our objectives, but we need the same general vision of where we want to end up. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
Unfortunately for Milan, the summer exploits in the league will not be rewarded with a Champions League place next campaign due to a clear gap of 12 points to Serie A’s fourth-place finishers Lazio, who automatically qualified for the Champions League group stage.
Milan will have to start from the Europa League preliminary rounds on September 17.
With the momentum gained from a red-hot run, Milan could again be an attractive proposition for elite players, as the club aims to return to the Champions League in 2021. The team haven’t played a Champions League game since the 2011-12 season.
Regardless of who they bring in the offseason, it seems that Milan have finally found the path back to greatness it once enjoyed.
For sure, some new signings will vary the tactics for the coach, but too many new players in one transfer window will only collapse the team’s established structure – Li Yonghong’s chaotic ownership of Milan by signing 11 players in a summer transfer window still haunts the team.
AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic Photo: VCG
