Milan, Pioli and the art of improvisation

It started with Bahrain and ended with Krunic full-back on AC Milan’s pre-Easter Friday. All normal, right? No, not really. But after all, the Rossoneri are now used to improvising this season, even though the management and the coach are hyper-meticulous in preparing the squad and the matches. Captain, the vintages like this: Maldini and Massara had to improvise in the autumn, when they ran out of goalkeepers, scoring Mirante on the fly; Pioli, on the other hand, often had to invent something to make up for the many injuries that have targeted the Devil in this year so full of commitments, between the championship and the cups. The advantage of Milan is that it always remains standing, even when plans fail. Maybe it doesn’t enchant, it gets a bit tangled, but in the end it doesn’t fall.

company

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The rumors about a possible change of ownership are not the best when you are playing for a Scudetto. And putting the team inside a bubble by isolating it from rumors, scenarios and negotiations is not really possible, given the importance of what is happening at the company level. Pioli was good at bringing everyone’s attention back to the pitch, in case anyone got distracted. But it will have to be the same in the coming weeks, because we are only at the first chapter of a story that promises to be long and complex.

field

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Then there was also the unexpected of the last moment, that is the stomach problem that stopped Davide Calabria just before kick-off. Fortunately, nothing serious, but from there a series of events were triggered that were impossible to predict only a few minutes before. Not all unfortunate, actually. In order: Kessie became captain, given the concomitant absence of Romagnoli. And down the whistles of the Meazza, it is no longer even necessary to remember the reasons. Kalulu returned to play as right-back instead of center-back, becoming an assistant after 11 minutes for Leao’s game-breaking goal. Finally, Gabbia: a starter suddenly, out for a physical problem in the final stages, with Kalulu brought back to the center and Krunic ready to add the role of right-back to the collection of positions occupied in his career. Crazy Friday, in short. But winning. At Easter Milan will still be at the top of the standings, waiting for the next performance. Hoping to improvise a little less.