Milan and Inter in crisis: Inzaghi without excuses, Pioli must impose himself

It’s the other side of the coin, the saddest one. When things go well and you win, the protagonists share joys, merits, applause and rich bonuses. But when you get lost and the seasons become a via crucis accusations and criticisms rain down, the air gets heavy and the questions that recur are always the same: who was wrong? Whose fault is it? Milan and Inter can still make their season brilliant, but they should reach the Champions League final and maybe win it: a feat that is not impossible, but objectively very difficult. In the championship, however, there is little to save. Reaching the Champions League was the minimum goal at the start of the season, finishing out would be a failure. Nine defeats for Inter, third, eight for Milan, fourth. And thanks to Juve’s -15… The first to take the dock in these cases are the coaches and managers who built the teams with them. To follow who goes on the field, it is no coincidence that many players of the two teams will change next year. But let’s go back to the initial question: whose are the main faults of this horror championship?

milan

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Starting from the Italian champions, the balance weighs more on the club’s plate and less on that of the coach. The change of ownership did not guarantee the Rossoneri treasures to spend, but what was done on the transfer market was done badly. Intoxicated by last season’s Scudetto, obtained thanks to a series of planets that aligned and the simultaneous sporting suicide of Inter (the most equipped to win the title), the Maldini-Massara duo thought that the miracle could have been repeat following the same formulas. Looking for young players, betting on an English exit (after Giroud, Origi), investing in one shot (De Ketelaere), hoping that all the confirmed ones would repeat their golden season. Wrong calculations. It was not easy to predict the collapse of 2023 and that all purchases would prove inadequate or real flops. But therein lies the skill of managers, at certain levels. Ibra himself, after the last defeat, admitted that this team had the structure to carry out a feat on the wings of enthusiasm, but not to carry the weight of being champions and confirm themselves. Personality, experience and quality had to come from the market. But it’s also good to buy young players: it depends on which young players, however… Let’s get to Pioli. It happens to almost all the technicians who have achieved a feat to exceed in gratitude towards the men who have allowed them to hit it. He too should have realized the possible limits and demanded much more, starting with a replacement for Kessie with similar characteristics. Stefano has always been a “corporate” technician and, for the first time as champion of Italy, he has embraced every choice of Milan. So free from guilt? Of course not, he too lost his compass and navigated through technical-tactical choices that didn’t convince. But there isn’t a “man from Pioli” in this AC Milan transfer market, absolutely wanted by him or retained by his will. Pioli did with what he had. And he did little.

inter

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Opposite speech to Inter, where the most obvious faults seem to be less of the club and more of the coach. The ownership, like last year, had to deal with a tight budget, but the market of Marotta and Ausilio (who postponed some expected heavy transfers) brought the various Onana, Lukaku, Mkhitaryan, Acerbi. The already very strong squad has been enriched with expert and valuable players. Inter is complete in all departments. The problem is that it doesn’t pay off, it lacks continuity and character. He thrives on ups and downs. He often suffered stops after great results, a sign of inability to maintain concentration and hunger for victories. She has lost the competitive rage that brought her to the title two years ago. After throwing away the Scudetto last year, he has never fought in this one. But even though Inzaghi is also a company technician like Pioli, his hand on the market was felt. There have been precise requests in these two years and they have been fulfilled both in arrivals (from Dzeko to Correa, from Gosens to Acerbi) and in retaining possible starters (like Skriniar in the summer), and in favoring certain shots (Lukaku) over others (Dybala) and later in not sacrificing one of his pupils (Correa) to chase a still possible top (always Dybala). Hanging on to the Champions League. And save whoever can…