[JD Farrell]

June 20th, 2008

Berlusconi brings down the axe

Carlo Ancelotti has been abruptly sacked by Italian giants A.C. Milan today. Milan Chairman Silvio Berlusconi, not known as being one to mince words, announced the termination to a gathering of reporters outside of San Siro early this morning.

"Carlo Ancelotti's contract with A.C. Milan has been terminated, with immediate effect. As Chairman of the club I believe we posessed a team whose talent level demanded Champions League qualification at the very minimum. I, aswell as all Rossoneri supporters, respect what Carlo has done for us in the past but we must now look to the future of our club.

We have a team that is certainly not getting any younger and after this season's disappointment I believe a change in management is needed. Milan need a young, dynamic manager who is capable of carrying them forward and back to the top of Serie A and European competition. I have already shortlisted several managers who I believe are capable of doing so and we as a club are in the process of contacting each of them in turn. Once a final decision has been made the new manager will be unveiled and we will go forward as a club. Thank you all for coming and I hope to see you gathered here again within the week."

Speculation is already rife throughout Italy as to who will replace Ancelotti at the San Siro, with everyone from Marco van Basten to recently fired Inter man Roberto Mancini being listed as possible candidates. Stay tuned to Sky Sports for more information as it becomes available.

Ancelotti : Out after a disappointing season at the San Siro

[JD Farrell]

June 30th, 2008

Costacurta unveiled at San Siro

In what has come as a surprise to many outside of the A.C. Milan hierarchy, club Chairman Silvio Berlusconi today unveiled former Rossoneri defender Alessandro Costacurta as the club's new manager. Costacurta had spent the past season as a technical assistant to former manager Carlo Ancelotti after calling time on a twenty year career at the end of Milan's 2007-2008 campaign.

Seated alongside Berlusconi as he was unveiled to the Italian press, Costacurta seemed delighted at the prospect of managing his former club.

"Obviously this is a huge day for both me and A.C. Milan. I mean this not in an arrogant way, but in the sense that Milan now have a new manager after Ancelotti was here for several years. I would firstly like to thank Carlo not only for what he taught me as a player but for the lessons he gave me as a coach over the past year, lessons which enabled me to be in the position I am in today. I don't have any false sense of security based on my former time as a player here, and I strongly encourage the A.C. Milan supporters to demand the best of both myself and the team as a whole. This past season should not be viewed as anything less then a disappointment, one which me and my staff will be doing the utmost to make the Milan fans forget. I know that there are several areas of the squad which need to be addressed immediately and Mr. Berlusconi has assured me that there will be resources made available to me to ensure that these needs are addressed. He has reiterated to me that money will be provided for transfers and I will not have to sell any players unless I deem them surplus to the team's requirements."

One source inside the Milan hierarchy, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Milan's season ticket sales had already been well above what was expected and that this was a key reason in Berlusconi's willingness to promise Costacurta a rather 'generous' fund to use to buy players. Hours after the press conference Italian soccer websites were placing the money available to Costacurta anywhere between the twenty million and eighty million pound range, though most pundits agreee that somewhere around thirty million would be the most Berlusconi will allow to be spent without the sale of at least a few players.

Before concluding his introductory press conference, Costacurta wet the appetites of transfer gossip columnists everywhere with several tidbits.

"We have already contacted several teams, both in Italy and abroad, and are in the market for two more defenders and at least two midfielders. Other than that, there is no information I can give you without upsetting the current teams of prospective targets."

Costacurta then expressed his delight to be able to manage several of his former team-mates in the prime of their careers before Berlusconi and the A.C. Milan press officer called an end to the conference, citing the need for Costacurta and his staff to immediately begin working on retooling the Rossoneri squad.

Costacurta expressed his delight to be the new Rossoneri gaffer

[Ana_Garcia]

Good start, and nice choice of manager!

I wish you good luck with this

[JD Farrell]

AC/DC, on Jun 27 2009, 11:17 AM, said:

Good start, and nice choice of manager!

I wish you good luck with this

Cheers, Adriana and thanks for the comment. I'm already well into the game so updates should be flying up at a pretty fast rate for a few days.

Love your Barca story, by the way. :delighted:

[Ana_Garcia]

Shankly, on Jun 27 2009, 04:20 PM, said:

Cheers, Adriana and thanks for the comment. I'm already well into the game so updates should be flying up at a pretty fast rate for a few days.

Love your Barca story, by the way. :delighted:

Thanks, I am really enjoying it!

Warning though, updating can get VERY addictive!

[JD Farrell]

July 3rd, 2008

Rossoneri swoop for Inter starlets

Alessandro Costacurta made clear today just how serious he is about rebuilding the aging A.C. Milan squad, announcing the arrival of two young Italians from fierce Internazionale.

Francesco Bolzoni and Davide Santon met Costacurta on the San Siro pitch and were paraded infront of several thousand fans, all of whom appeared ecstatic to have snatched the two Italian youngsters from their fiercest rivals. The combined fee for the two youngsters is believed to be somewhere in the region of £12 million, which Costacurta felt was a bargain. Prior to letting one of his new signings speak, Costacurta spoke to the gathered crowd.

"Today is a huge day, not only for myself and the fans of A.C. Milan but also for the careers of Francesco Bolzoni and Davide Santon. Mark my words, ten years from now all supporters of A.C. Milan will look back and remember the day that these two left Internazional and joined the Rossoneri. I could not be happier, not only for the club but for these boys who have decided that they wanted a chance to step in and make a difference in first-team football instead of sitting on the bench behind players who are in a starting eleven based more on reputation than ability. Davide and Francesco both have the ability to start for any team in Serie A regularly, and I expect them to play an integral part in our upcoming season."

Costacurta then handed the microphone to Santon, who was greeted with thunderous applause by the A.C. faithful. Santon, a seventeen year old who hails from Portomaggiore, expressed his delight both to have joined the Rossoneri and to have the opportunity to work with some of their legendary Italian players.

"For me the big selling point of this deal was the opportunity not only to work under Alessandro Costacurta, but to work along world-class Italian players like Gianluca Zambrotta, Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, and Gennaro Gattuso. A.C. Milan are proving that they are a team not only from Italy, but for Italy, and nothing could make me prouder then to be part of a club that believes it's own countrymen are crucial to its success. I hope I can find the kind of success that the likes of Costacurta, Maldini, and Baldini found here and I am very thankful for this opportunity. Thank you all, and I cant wait to see you in the stands this season."

Costacurta and Santon then headed into the crowd to sign autographs and take photos with the gathered Milan faithful. Francesco Bolzoni was unavailable for the conference as he has yet to return from vacation, though a statement from the players Agent reported the he was 'honored' to have the opportunity to play for A.C. Milan.

Santon and Bolzoni are Costacurta's first signings

This post has been edited by Shankly: 27 June 2009 - 05:05 PM

[shan0811]

Interesting signings from arch rivals, wonder how Jose let them go...

[chris~rangers]

i had to pay 10mil for davide santon in my new game with fulham 1season

[Ehmo]

Costacurta :cool:

Great signings. Not unusual for AC to take players from Inter and make them amazing . Are you playing with an update... so you would be without Kaka?

[Hibee]

A couple of really promising signing there, it's going to be interesting to see who else comes in and how you rebuild the team.

Good luck :thup:

[Euan]

Good start man, keep it up :thup:

[JD Farrell]

Ehmo, on Jun 27 2009, 06:38 PM, said:

Costacurta :cool:

Great signings. Not unusual for AC to take players from Inter and make them amazing . Are you playing with an update... so you would be without Kaka?

No update, except a slightly customized version of the 9.3.0 update. Not heavily altered, just a bit to fit the story. I'm strongly opposed to heavy editing, especially in-game editors.

I dont mind updates though, just didn't feel one was necessary as this story has potential from the normal starting point of 2008 rather than 2009.

Thanks for the comment though. :delighted:

[JD Farrell]

Palombo joins A.C. Milan

Angelo Palombo was today unveiled as the newest addition to Alessando Costacurta's 'Italian Revolution'. The Sampdoria midfielder has completed the move for a cool £14 million pounds, bringing Costacurta's total spending this summer to just over £26 million pounds.

Palombo, who has become a regular member of the Italian national team since joining Sampdoria, is said to have welcomed the move to one of Italy's biggest clubs. Speaking to gathered reporters at Sampdoria's Luigi Ferraris stadium, Palombo thanked the fans of the Genova-based club for the support he had received in his time there.

"It is with a heavy heart that I move to Milan, but it is a move that I feel is best both for myself as a footballer and for my family. Milan have the opportunity to let me compete at the highest level and I am delighted to have the opportunity to play for a club with such a rich history. Sampdoria has been good to me, and the Sampdoria fans will always have my heart. It was my performances here that garnered me my reputation as a player who leaves everything on the pitch. I hope that the fans can find it in their hearts to understand my reasoning for the move, and I dearly hope that I can return here one day to finish my career."

Palombo then reiterated how greatful he was for the chance to play for the Rossoneri before calling an end to the press conference. It is believed that his physical will be completed at the San Siro within the next fourty eight hours and he will put pen to paper on a four year deal worth £53,000 per week.

Palombo expressed his gratitude to the Sampdoria fans

[JD Farrell]

Costacurta snaps up two more as pre-season wraps up

Alessandro Costacurta has dipped into the A.C. Milan coffers for what he claims to be the last time this transfer window, according to reports from the Rossoneri's official website. Milan are set to unveil eighteen year old Alberto Paloschi, who had been previously co-owned by Parma, in a deal worth £1.3 million pounds. Paloschi, whose co-ownership was seen as nothing more than an extended loan by many Serie A pundits, is said to be delighted to have the chance to play regular first team football at the San Siro. Paloschi will be Costacurta's fourth signing of this transfer window, all of which have thus far been Italian.

Costacurta's alleged last signing of the window, and first non-Italian, is young Brazilian defender Leonardo Renan Simões de Lacerda, or simply Léo, from Porto Alegre based club Grêmio. The twenty year old has claimed he is thrilled to have the opportunity to play under Costacurta, aswell as along several of his fellow Brazilians. Milan's Brazilian talisman Kaká has already announced his approval of the Léo capture, hailing Costacurta's vision for signing a player that he believes has a major future with the Brazilian national team. Léo's transfer fee is reported to be £7.5 million pounds, all of which will be paid for in monthly installments.

The news of the two transfers has leaked as Milan wrap up their pre-season. Things got off to a flying start as they defeated Spanish side Xerez three goals to nil. Returning home from Spain, the Rossoneri were unlucky to only scrape out a one-one draw at the San Siro against Turin-based Juventus. Going back on the road, Milan continued their pre-season with two three to nil wins over AA Gent and Barakaldo, before thrashing Varese six to nil in their final pre season fixture yesterday.

Milan's season begins away to Serie A side Udinese. Brazilian superstar Kaka, who missed all of the Rossoneri's preseason fixtures through injury, is expected to be fit in time for Costacurta's crucial first game at the Friuli. Kaka has been out several months due to damaged knee cartiledge obtained during a training accident. Costacurta has maintained that his side will not use the injury of their star player as an excuse for any results which occur during his absence.

Paloschi became the fourth Italian to join Costacurta's Milan side

This post has been edited by Shankly: 30 June 2009 - 12:56 AM

[JD Farrell]

Seedorf the first transferred out as the Rossoneri head to Friuli

Clarence Seedorf became the first Milan casualty under Alessandro Costacurta this evening, having been deemed surplus to requirements early this month. Despite expressing his determination to stay put and battle for a first team place, the Dutch international eventually chose to complete an £8 million pound transfer to Serie A side Palermo.

Seedorf joined Milan from bitter rivals Internazionale and made 219 appearances for the club in the six seasons he spent at the San Siro. Seen as a crucial piece of their dominant midfield in the first half of this decade, he was voted the best midfielder of the Champions League for the 2006-2007 season and made his 100th appearance in the Champions League on December 4th, 2006 against Celtic.

Speaking to journalists as he departed the San Siro, Seedorf took a moment to thank the Milan fans for their support.

"I would like to thank the Milan fans for all of their support in the six seasons I've spent here. Playing at Milan has been the greatest time of my life, and I was extremely fortunate to be a part of several very successful seasons here. Unfortunately, Costacurta has seen fit to let me go in his bid to 'rebuild' the squad. I dont have any bad feelings for him or the club, it is simply my belief that I am capable of playing regular first team football and Palermo have assured me that they will give me such an opportunity."

Even as the ink dried on Seedorf's new contract the Milan squad finished their final preparations and packed up, heading to the Friuli and a crucial first Serie A game away to Udinese.

Milan's dynamic attacker Kaka, who had missed all of the preseason due to injury, took part in his first training sessions early last week and has traveled with the squad to Udinese. This news seems to support earlier reports that Kaka will be ready to play when Milan kick off their season this weekend.

Seedorf moved to Palermo in search of first-team football

[Hibee]

Some really promising signings there, though the flipside of rebuilding a team is guys like Seedorf will have to be moved on. With a side like Milan that's been together for years you might have to watch players don't get upset with all their mates being sold off. KUTGW :thup:

[Ali16]

some good signings i would say, waiting to see what you get against udinese, btw what formation do you plan to use with milan.

[LisaPar]

Yay i like it! GO you.

[JD Farrell]

August 30th, 2008

Di Natale's late winner spoils Costacurta's return

Antonio Di Natale's late winner was enough for Udinese to leave the visiting Milan fans wondering what might have been tonight. The Rossoneri supporters, who packed the Friuli en masse, were left scratching their heads after witnessing Milan's 0-1 loss to Udinese.

Despite their loss Milan dominated posession and it can certainly be said that they had the best pick of the chances. Things looked destined for a good start when youngster Alberto Paloschi found himself one on one with the Zebrette keeper just four minutes in, only to see his curling shot go wide.

After a considerably slow start to the first half Milan looked destined to strike again in the 39th. Brazilian playmaker Kaka latched onto a pass from Andrea Pirlo and, after turning his defender, tried an audacious thirty yard lob that bounced off the crossbar and clear for a goal kick.

With the referee drawing the first half to a close the visiting fans were undoubtedly expecting an early lead in the second half, but their Udine based had other plans. The zebrette looked a completely different side for the first twenty minutes of the second half and excelled in the buildup but were efficiently closed down in the box by a resilient Rossoneri defense.

After eighty minutes it became clear that Costacurta had decided to settle for a vital early season point and defend his way back to Milan, but Italian international Di Natale had different ideas. After missing several opportunities early in the second half Di Natale made his best chance count and, as previously mentioned, slotted home a Simone Pepe cross in the eighty seventh minute to send the home fans into raptures. Milan bravely went on the attack for the remaining five minutes of the game but failed to take a shot on goal and the final whistle saw Udinese and Di Natale receive a standing ovation from their supporters.

Key Man Watch (A.C. Milan): Gennaro Gattuso had a superb game despite his side's loss. The midfielder looked lively in the heart of Alessandro Costacurta's diamond midfield formation and was a key component for his side on both ends of the pitch.

Key Man Watch (Udinese): Antonio Di Natale proved once again that he may be the best player on a small team in Italy. The forward created several chances for himself and proved once more that he is more than reliable when needed most.

Man of The Match: Antonio Di Natale

Goals: Di Natale 87'

Attendance: 40,056

Di Natale celebrates his late winner with his Bianconeri teammates

This post has been edited by Shankly: 02 July 2009 - 02:29 AM

[JD Farrell]

August 31st, 2008

'NO ADDITIONS NEEDED' SAYS COSTACURTA

Speaking to Italian media a day after his squad's opening day defeat, A.C. Milan manager Alessandro Costacurta firmly stated his belief that his squad require no further strengthening.

Costacurta, whose A.C. Milan side went down 0-1 to a considerably weaker Udinese team, made it clear that he would not be making any last minute moves in transfer market. After being repeatedly asked about the possibility of bringing in another forward player, Costacurta replied hotly.

"We do not need another striker, end of story. We played extremely well yesterday and anyone who watched the match knows that we were unlucky not to win. We already have three world class attackers in Kaka, Ronaldinho, and Shevchenko. When you consider that we also have players like Paloschi, Inzaghi, and Borriello it is obvious that we do not need any strengthening upfront. The loss against Udinese was unfortunate, but it must be remembered that winning away from home is extremely difficult in at this level of competition. Another thing that many of you have failed to note is that Di Natale's goal was the only real chance Udinese had the entire game. Am I happy with a loss? Obviously not. However I certainly am not going to make a drastic change to the squad and risk affecting the rest of our season because we lost a game that we weren't even favorites to win."

Many Italian football pundits have stated that, despite having the better of the chances against Udinese, the Rossoneri lacked a forward player with a 'killer instinct'. Columnists throughout Italy slated Costacurta's squad selection and stated their belief that without the addition of a consistent finisher like Trezeguet or Van Nistelrooy it would be a long and painful season for the Rossoneri faithful.

This post has been edited by Shankly: 03 July 2009 - 06:53 PM