Milan CEO Adriano Galliani said the fan protest “hurts” and defended Mario Balotelli ahead of the Parma game.
Hundreds of ultras waited outside San Siro with banners and jeered at the team bus, which drove in round the back entrance.
Milan CEO Adriano Galliani said the fan protest “hurts” and defended Mario Balotelli ahead of the Parma game.
Hundreds of ultras waited outside San Siro with banners and jeered at the team bus, which drove in round the back entrance.
The Curva Sud will be left empty in today’s Serie A showdown with Parma, click here for the line-ups.
“Of course it hurts, especially as people ought to remember the journey of this squad. I was looking at the statistic and over the last decade we’ve been the only Italian side regularly in Europe,” Galliani told Sky Sport Italia.
“We hope not to miss out on Europe next season, but if it does happen then it won’t be the end of the world.
“I am disappointed and it’s certainly not pleasing to see the fans against the team and part of the club, but I continue smiling.”
A statement released by the Curva Sud specified Galliani and Balotelli were among the main targets of their protest.
“I am very happy that we signed Balotelli and the fans ought to be too. If the club hadn’t snapped him up last January, then Milan would not have qualified for the Champions League.
“He helped us out this season too and has been here for just over a year, scoring more goals than anyone else.
“Unfortunately, people only remember the last game. People have a very short memory in football. Balotelli has done a lot and will do even more, while I don’t think a protest is the way of getting the best out of the players.”
Galliani was asked about Clarence Seedorf pinning the blame on predecessor Massimiliano Allegri this week.
“I think that the media enjoy pitting everyone against everyone else. I defended Allegri, who did well for three years, then the club – including me, as it’s not true that I didn’t want Seedorf – decided after 22 points in the first half of the season a change was necessary. Allegri understood that too.”