Milan upset the odds to win their first Scudetto in over a decade, but with other teams reinforcing and the club keeping a lid on costs, Susy Campanale sees them as underdogs once again.
The Serie A title was the culmination of a project built under Stefano Pioli, with players largely picked by the management team of Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara, sometimes despite the efforts of club chiefs Elliott Management and Ivan Gazidis. The on-going tension, especially once new owners RedBird come in from September, was evident in the fact Maldini and Massara did not sign new contracts until the last minutes of their existing deals. One has to wonder what else this group could’ve done on a small budget after winning the Scudetto, but the pressure is now on to keep building.
It won’t be easy, as Franck Kessie departed as a free agent for Barcelona and as yet has not been replaced, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out until 2023 following knee surgery and new arrival Divock Origi is coming off an injury too. On the other hand, they have poured all their resources into the areas that badly needed reinforcement, specifically a creative force behind the striker, bringing in both Yacine Adli and their most expensive signing under Elliott in the form of Charles De Ketelaere.
The search for a centre-back was ultimately less of a concern because Pierre Kalulu impressed so much in the closing stages of last season when given the chance to partner Fikayo Tomori regularly. Sandro Tonali and Rafael Leao were given time to mature and perhaps Kalulu can follow suit at this club built on sustainability.
Key man: Charles De Ketelaere
There’s a reason Milan spent months of negotiations and €35m to get Charles De Ketelaere, above, from Club Brugge. The 21-year-old Belgian can be a trequartista, play wide right or be a centre-forward, simultaneously plugging various gaps where last season’s side struggled and finally giving some alternatives to off-form Brahim Diaz.
Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez made the Rossoneri attack lop-sided on the left, so De Ketelaere can even things up a bit. His playing style and general demeanour have reminded some of Ricky Kaka and will perhaps be even more important providing assists than scoring goals.
Coach: Stefano Pioli
The tactician had famously never won a single trophy until breaking that duck with the Scudetto to the tune of ‘Pioli’s On Fire.’ It was a wholly unexpected one, achieved on a smaller budget and with a team developed over time. Just remember, Milan were all ready to replace him with Ralf Rangnick in September 2020 before changing their minds. How things could’ve been different.
Pioli moulds his tactics to the players and brings the best out of younger figures with a paternal touch. That stability helped him take the title, but this time all the top eight clubs have kept their coaches and are ready to progress.
Watch out for: Yacine Adli’s debut
Maldini and Massara proved they’ve got an eye for talent and Adli, purchased in January and left on loan at Bordeaux, could be another revelation. The creative midfielder was easily the best performer of pre-season and already has the fans excited to see what he can do in Serie A.
Get the full 2022-23 Serie A season preview here.
I think surprise is a bit harsh. One of the commentators on BT Sport got it spot-on in a game towards the end of the season when he said that it’s been an unremarkable season but Milan have been the best side. I think the only thing that sees Milan as underdogs this season is that Juventus have spent obscene amounts of money compared to the par for the league and that Inter have Lukaku-Lautaro back.
I believe luck plays a pretty big part in football and life but winning the league requires much more than luck. Over the course of 38 matches luck balances out and the table does not lie. They won the title because they were the best team. End of. That was a few months ago. The question is have the other teams improved (difficult to see since many of the same managers (the main difference maker) and signings are often disruptive. There’s also the question of whether Milan have the same hunger. It was the question that Ferguson used to ask his team each season. That is probably more important than any new signings. As for the signings. By the end of this transfer window we could end up changing a quarter of the first team squad. What more do you want? Actually that could be what costs us.
You would hope theres no drop in hunger from such a young squad. All we needed is a few additions and we’ve done that. Another CM would be a good idea but surely that will be a squad player as opposed to a big money, big name signing.
Milan is not underdog at all and what they need now is just another midfielder who’s physically fit to replace kessie, I see Tonali Bennacer Pobega as a reliable going forward but we do need another one. Still CDK best position is ACM so Milan need Hakim Ziyech still as Both messias and Saelemakers are not the type of players Milan needed to be consistent in UCL and to continue winning the scudetto. Despite Romagnoli departure nothing will change in defense but just need another one in case of injure or put more believe in Gabbia. Forza Milan
Milan have a thinner squad than either Inter or Juve; but if they can avoid too many injuries, they can win it again. And if they can find a good defensive midfielder, they will have one of the best midfields in Europe.
@ DB Milan Football matches are decided in split seconds and all it takes is an extra touch or wrong option. The top teams – and Milan were playing like one at the end of last season – play in such a boring fashion because they find a system that works and then repeat ad nausea. The secret is to keep playing that boring football without ever letting up. That is very difficult to do which is why the exact same teams can struggle to retain titles. It was the secret to Ferguson’s success.