They come from a difficult period, but this cup hits home for them. Milan starts again from here. Hernandez: “If Fonseca left, it’s our fault too”
“Ready, Milan?”. Phone turned off. “Milan?”. Busy. They try again… and Milan put it down. Theo and Leao were criticized by their coach at the end of 2024, then ended up at the center of transfer rumors that weren’t far-fetched. We wondered: will the offer arrive? Now Milan will no longer answer the phone, because they won the Super Cup, the first trophy after the Scudetto, and their champions have become champions. Theo scored the 2-1 and provided the assist for the 2-2. Leao came on 5 minutes into the second half, took over the game and turned it around. He started the comeback by taking the free kick to make it 2-1 and ended it with an assist to Abraham. The 3-2 goes to Tammy for the scoreboard but to Leao and Pulisic in the hearts of those watching: Rafa is the one who cuts to suggest the pass that Captain America, as a champion, delivers to him in the area. A bit Gullit, hair in the wind.
theo capopopolo
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The main scene of the evening takes place under the South stadium of Riad, who doesn’t know how, but we’re cheering for the Rossoneri as if we were at San Siro. The match has been over for five minutes and Theo, under the curve, is the leader of the people. He raises his arms and calls everyone to cheer, then does it again once, twice, three times. He pretends to go away, turns around and forces everyone to raise their hands again. And who has ever seen him so happy recently? His autumn was full of problems on and off the pitch, but the new year sweeps everything away, deluding himself that this is another life, another Milan.
Not all Fonseca’s fault
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Sergio Conceiçao’s embrace comes to mind. At the end of the semi-final, with the team reunited, SC entered the circle of players, gave Theo a pat and hugged him, a non-causal choice. Clear message: even if you made a mistake – and Theo made a mistake twice against Juve – I’m with you. There are many ways of coaching and there is no right way regardless, but one thing can be said: Theo today needed this mix of toughness and complicity, a feeling that just hadn’t developed with Fonseca. This is also why his sentence at the end of the match is very honest, very correct: “If Fonseca left, it’s not just his fault. It’s our fault too.” True, but it’s not easy for him to say.
dedication to the family
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Theo also said something else: “I wish Fonseca the best, with Conceiçao we had little time but we made the most of it well. We played a very good match. Inter are a great team, it was a difficult moment for me but I’m getting better, I’m not 100% yet but I can help the team like I did today. I dedicate all this to my wife, to my son… and now a girl is also coming. Yes, I dedicate it to my entire family.”
like the championship
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Beyond all this, the impression from the stadium remains in the eyes. Fonseca was right in theory: Theo and Leao, in Parma and beyond, had a terrible approach. They seemed without fire, drained, listless. Look at them here in Riyadh, as excited as in the months of the championship. The old scenes have been revisited and the old principles have returned: when those two speed up, no one catches them. And now? And now Milan starts again from them, or at least with them. The 19th and 10th, on good days, are the true free spirit of Milan. The cup, in Riyadh, was raised by Maignan and Calabria but four other invisible hands raised it: theirs.
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