Gli Azzurri are finally about to enter a new era, one that fans have been looking forward to for months. Cesare Prandelli is coach of the azzurri and on August 10th, will lead the team in his first match in charge in a friendly against the Ivory Coast. The man himself is quiet, smart, and reserved, and might just be what the teams needs.

So for the rest of this week, every post will be about Prandelli. Today we kick it off with a look back on how he got the job to begin with: his stellar club record, where he made his name using limited resources.

Prandelli was a soccer player himself, a midfielder who spent six years at Juve amongst various other clubs. As a coach, he started out the way most do- managing youth teams. He was coach and youth coach of Atalanta for 7 years, before moving onto Lecce. Interestingly, Lecce was probably the worst point of his coaching career, where he did less than expected and was sacked. He was then hired by Hellas Verona, where his career began to rise. Over two seasons, he promoted the club to Serie A from B and then led them to a ninth place finish. Parma were quick to snap him up, and he spent two years there. The club was in the midst of financial difficulties and had to constantly sell their best players, including a ripe Marco Di Viao, but he somehow led the club to a seventh place finish. This would become a staple of Prandelli’s career- taking a club with limited resources- most of these were selling clubs- to fantastic heights.

He then joined Roma for a very short time, but had to leave to be with his cancer striken wife. He took over from Fiorentina in 2005, and never looked back. Since:

-2005-2006: Took the team from relegation battlers to Champions League qualification, although this was later stripped from them via Calciopoli. Won Panchina d’Oro for best Italian coach.
-2006-2007: Started with a 15 point deduction and ended the season in 5th place. Had they been allowed to keep those 15 points, he would’ve finished in fourth again. Secured UEFA Cup qualification ad won Panchina d’Oro yet again.
-2007-2008: Reached semis of the UEFA Cup and finally led the team to the fourth place finish that they had earned the past two years. Was awarded “Serie A Coach of the Year” at the Oscar del Calcio awards.
-2008-2009: Knocked out of the group stage of the Champions League but finished 4th in Serie A yet again.
-2009-2010: Reached the round of 16 in the CL where they were controversially knocked out by Bayern. Domestic troubles that year led to a disappointing 11th place finish.

(The one blemish on his career seemed to be last season at Fiorentina, but there are a few things to keep in mind. It was the first time that Fior were truly contending in the Champions’ League, with the year before being their first time in it, and the squad was not that deep. Taking them into the round of 16 was a fantastic achievement, and were it not for poor referees, they would’ve gone farther. The knockout against Bayern seemed to dampen the team’s spirit and cause a slump they couldn’t really get out of. Additionally, on a personal note, I’ve never seen such an unlucky team in Serie A. That year, the amount of times they hit the post/had good goals called off/ had offside goals go in against them was astonishing and sad to see.)

His accomplishments are even more impressive when you consider just how he did them. Prandelli has never been in charge of a rich club, one owned by oil tycoons or rich sheiks. Fiorentina were bankrupt in 2002, and by 2006 he had earned enough points with them to take them into the Champions’ League. He doesn’t run teams with immense squads or unlimited funds. He’s the total opposite of a Jose Mourinho, who’s success is inspired by money. Prandelli knows how to win without it.

He was allowed to speak to the FIGC in the summer of 2010 and became the Italy coach. If his club records are anything to go by, the man can take limited resources and turn a team into something special. He likes to play good attacking football and often incorporates young Italians into his team, such as Riccardo Montolivo whilst at Fiorentina. He also is quite shrewd on the transfer market and is able to see the talent that players have, not just the hype, as he proved when he brought the disgraced Gilardino to Fiorentina and turned him into one of the better strikers in Serie A.

This is the very short history of a young coach who seems destined for a brighter future and a return to Fiorentina, eventually. However his short term furture lies with gli azzurri, and next post will profile what his reign as azzurri coach should be like, based on his quotes so far.

As a side note, I’ll be on vacation till Sunday. Paul will take over posting duties, though, so no worries there.

English and Spanish media, PR departments and supporters may not like Serie A, but their teams are willing to pay through the nose for it’s players. This, potentially, will be the second season in a row that we will make tens of millions of Euros off of a deal from at least one team that originates from either country. I am coming to see that I don’t mind one little bit.

Anyway, on to the deals and why I hope that they both leave. Feel free to reference the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game at any time.

Maicon, or rather his agent whom he doesn’t seem to disagree with, has been angling for a ticket out of town for around two and a half seasons. He and his agent decided that Inter weren’t going to give him a double digit million Euro yearly salary in Milan. His agent, Caliendo, has been trying desperately to get a raise – either money or ire from Inter so that his client could be paid or transferred.

This it season looks like both are finally going to get their wish. Inter’s position has been consistent with their handling of Ibra a season ago – if you want to go and we can get a decent price, goodbye. Rumors say that Miacon looks like he’ll get Inter some 28 million Euros + bonuses depending on performance. How much he’ll get paid is still up in the air, but I bet it’s going to be a raise from the 4.5 million he’s making per year now. Remembering that Maicon’s rights were bought at around 6 million Euros in 2006 this would be a huge return on the investment.

I said goodbye to Maicon a year ago, even though he was when I first saw him and remains now one of my favorites. Will I be sad to see him go? Yep. Some players play for the shirt, and we have those here, but if Maicon has repeatedly stated that he wants to move on, I would be foolish to think that he would do otherwise when given a chance. So, if it’s to be farewell, then see ya.

Mario is kinda the same story. His brother used to be his agent, but either they felt out of their league or they felt that he deserved more money/consideration/playing time. It really doesn’t make any difference. As it stands right now, on this team, Mario isn’t a starter. If he had patience he could wait and learn for a year or two and then at the ripe old age of 22 he could be the main man at a team like Inter, which will hopefully challenge at the highest level for a long time and a god to its fans and a whole city. He could have written his own ticket for the rest of his life.

Instead he wants to cash out and go to a currently second tier club competing in the Europa League next season. He’ll get a raise from the 1 – 2 million per year that he’d earn from Inter. I don’t know if he’ll get the playing time that he desires but I can’t see the likes of Adebyor, Jo, Tevez or Bellamy starting ahead of him. On the other side, the refs in England have a long history of being finicky to non-English players and Mario is pretty far from the English ideal. It’ll be interesting to see how this works out.

His price was set at 35 million euros and I think that Manchester City will have to get pretty close to it in order to get him. Real Madrid and Inter actually have a relationship of dealing with each other – plus there were the residuals of Sneijder and Mourinho that can be cleared up with a negotiated Maicon to Real transfer. With no history to speak of with Inter, I can’t see Manchester City getting any great consideration. I wouldn’t bet that Mancini engenders too many warm fuzzies from Moratti. Besides, Mario’s rights were bought for something like 600,000 Euros. This would be a fantastic piece of business. The latest number I hear is 30 million +5 bonus.

I am assuming that this deal will be contingent on Torres not moving to City from Liverpool. Apparently there is a feeling out of around 60 million Euros by City for Torres. Liverpool are cash strapped but Torres is one half of their entire team. I say that the odds are even that Torres stays. He won’t get Champions League with either, he has a history with Liverpool but ManCity have the resources to get better next season. Besides, Liverpool have just hired a coach that is famous for getting more with less – not an encouraging sign.

On a completely unrelated note, I’ll be curious to see if Mancini quits on his current club if he loses to Liverpool again. He’ll have several chances, that’s for sure. If he never did that to us, I wouldn’t have thing to hold against the guy.

It’s been said by Moratti that we are going to sell before we buy, but we have already seen that he was being cagey. We have bought Castellazzi, paid our share of co-ownership deals and purchased the rights for eight or ten youth players. If we don’t sell either of the above then we really don’t have any need to buy anyone else.

And really, those two players aren’t the end of our sales. We have already sold Quaresma. We still have Burdisso, Muntari and Rivas to unload. Amantino Mancini needs to find a forever home off our books but I don’t think he wants to go and may force us to keep him a while. Kerlon (who’s injured and we might have to bite the bullet on), Obinna and Suazo need to be elsewhere.

The team has already made quite a bit of pocket change in co-ownerships for around 10 youth players. Add that to the 60 odd million Euros that both Maicon and Mario would bring in. Then consider the Burdisso, Muntari, Rivas, Suazo and Obinna (potential, though soon factual, I hope) sales and we are talking almost 100 million Euros just in sales for this season. Add that to the Champions League total payout of almost 100 million Euros and we are talking about a team that is a fiscal juggernaut on the eve of the UEFA Financial Fair Play directive and a persistent credit crunch. Or a down payment on a stadium worth millions in it’s own right.

The question on such a risky ploy is do we trust Branca to get us the players that we would need to continue to compete at a high level without spending all of or wasting the money that we are earning by making such deep cuts? I think it’s important for him to remember that we are cutting technical quality from the team and we would need to replace that with more technical quality. Another defensive midfielder is great, but not exactly what I think we would need to reestablish balance to an already very gritty team.

All that being said, as of right now – no one’s been sold, except of course Quaresma. And last season, if you might remember, Moratti and Branca rather danced the same dance dangling Ibra and Maicon selling one for… coincidentally enough, almost the exact amount needed to fund an offseason’s worth of buying. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Moratti and Branca might put the kibosh on a second departure. So, for example, if Maicon’s deal goes through first, then I might expect the front office to shut further Mario negotiations down until next season’s books open up again. It’s a theory and I’ll be interested to see what happens. I just hope that they don’t wait too long to do it. Not everyone can get acclimated as quickly as Wesley did last season.

NEW INTER MILESTONE

Rankings don’t mean much but this is a “it’s a first time deal” so I’ll post it. It is the first time that Inter has ever been ahead of Milan in the UEFA club rankings. Inter are 8th, behind: Barcelona, ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munchen and Sevilla. The rankings cover 2005-present. Roma and Fiorentina round out the Serie A teams in the top 25. Notables include Real Madrid at 13 are 1 spot ahead of Roma and Lyon at 10 – higher than I would have expected.

FORZA INTER

A few days ago our new Coach had a few words to say about the topics highlighted. I will admit it appeared we had another Leo like “Yes Man” or “Company Boy” in the ranks but after reading his thoughts and words I have to say I am impressed and maybe, just maybe, this is the type of progressive breath of fresh air this team need to move forward. For the record talk is cheap, very cheap, but if the results come and the players buy into what he is selling this team may be readying itself for a bright future. While I harbor no intentions of anything above fifth place, if he can get this team playing with balance and firing on all cylinders then a poor year is a blip on the radar for potential future success. I am putting my thoughts/responses directly below his:

ON HIS FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
The reception I received was excellent. The lads showed amble willingness to work yesterday and that’s what counts. I liked the relationship in terms of respect amongst the players because I believe that respect is essential to work with great calmness. It will therefore be equally important for everyone to work in this way on a daily basis.

Respect for me equals good team chemistry and with good chemistry a team can be dangerous. You want to know that when the going gets tough a teammate will have your back and then deficits don’t seem insurmountable because of the bonds formed through respect. I LIKE IT.

ON THE PRESIDENT AND OBJECTIVES:
President Silvio Berlusconi did not put any pressure on me yesterday. He decided to speak yesterday and put out his idea. I was there as well for the journalists, but only the president asked me a question.
Yesterday, the president has shown great practicality and I think this is a quality that must characterize this team. What counts are the results and we must do everything possible to get them. If there will be teams that deserve more we must be equal to them, we are not here to suffer at the hands of our rivals.

I am simply going to focus on his statement, “What counts are the results and we must do everything possible to get them.” Very nice, a win is a win is a win, and in the end when your hands on the title no when remembers if you won pretty or ugly. I admire this mentality and hope that he can follow through on that in getting results. I also liked the bit about not being here to suffer at the hands of our rivals, sounds like a guy who has a bit of edge and no intention of rolling and being embarrassed by teams like Inter and Manchester United, hope he can deliver on that talk!

ON RONALDINHO AND WHERE TO PLAY HIM:
I do not think there is any doubt about the technical quality of Ronaldinho. He is an amazing player who is world-class, but in football today skill alone is not enough . It is necessary to build a balanced group and the strength of a team is that everyone must make themselves available to the group to get a good result.

Ronaldinho is a player who can become dangerous when he is playing out wide against a marker if he can come inside and get into a deeper position. He has a lot of qualities that can make the difference. He needs support from the team but equally he must make himself available to the needs of the team. Yesterday, he was a jet-lagged and not in the best physical condition. I only spoke to him for five minutes and I told him he was a very important from whom I expect a lot. Even the top players have to be in good shape if not excellent condition. You have to be in good shape to play and just like the other players if you are fit then you can show your skills.

I won’t say a word, Allegri has said it all already…

THE GAP WITH INTER:
I have a deep squad. This group still has a lot to give even if there are players who are over thirty years. At the same time, however, there are several young players. When we have everyone available we have the quality to do well.
What about the gap woth Inter? Last year Milan were a point off Inter, but then various incidents halted this pursuit. I believe this team can do very well, and achieve important goals and at least be in the top three and go as far as possible in the Champions League.

Perhaps alluding to his planned youth integration? I have always like Coaches who blend youth into the first team as opposed to throwing a Primavera squad into the Coppa Italia and watching the old men flounder on the weekend. Why not give both teams equal opportunity for success and in turn build that confidence for the players chosen. Can’t see I agree on the quality to do well, but maybe he sees something in the youth…

ON PATO:
Pato is a lad of twenty. He is an amazing player that I think he still has a lot to improve on. He has so many qualities, both physical and skill-wise that even he realises this. A boy of twenty needs to grow as a man but also as a footballing phenomenon. Due to its characteristics Pato can play off a front man, can do everything.

Have to agree with him here as well, Pato does have a lot to improve more mentally than physically. His recognition skills seemed to get worse last season but Allegri seems to recognize his ability to “play off” a striker a trait that I think can make Pato lethal. Hopefully he is deployed that way and the success, assists and goals come in bunches!

ON THE DRESSING ROOM:
“I have to understand as quickly as possible how everything works here Milanello: from the players, staff, doctors, chefs, from the kit-room. Everything you need here at Milanello is important because if the team gets results it is the due to the merit of everyone from the kit-room to the president because it takes cooperation and respect from everyone.”

Actually like this statement too, you will never hear anything like this out of Jose Mourinho, because Jose believes that every success is his and his players. This goes back to chemistry and Allegri seems very aware of it and making sure everyone feels like they are playing a part, hope this continues.

ON HIS METHOD OF WORKING:
“It would be presumptuous of me to turn it all around and take a team that last year worked hard and was fighting for the league six games from the end of the season. Leonardo did a good job with the whole group. For my part, however, there may be different ideas. The current squad is more or less that of last year. Every season, however, is not the same and even the players themselves can change their performance from year to year. I will consider things game to game. It is a group that has won everything there was to win but has remained an ambitious group who still want to do well and know they have won a lot through skill. They won both through quality and because they have worked on it, for one and another and for the coach.”

Would have liked to hear a bit more about his “different ideas” but I guess we will wait and see for those. As for his, “considering things game to game” could we see a dynamic Milan capable of coming out in various formations/tactics to capitalize on the weaknesses of opponents!? That would be quite the turn from static XMAS Tree and 433 game in and game out. I am very interested to see how that pans out.

LEONARDO:
“I have great respect for Leonardo because besides being a good coach, he has demonstrated what he did at Milan last year that he is an educated person. I met him at the current coaches meeting and talked in general not specifically about Milan, but if another opportunity arose I would gladly talk to him.”

Not sure if I want the old coach talking to the new coach? Thoughts? On a personal basis I talk A LOT with various Coaches to get ideas, scouting, or anything else they are willing to share, but have never had the chance to speak to a predecessor, odd…

THE TEAM’S STYLE:
“Milan have players to play in different ways. Compared to the squad I had available at Cagliari, here at Milan there is a lot more technical players, more quality. Now there are still the Internationals such as Pirlo, Huntelaar, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta and others to arrive. I certainly do not intend to throw away the work of previous years, of Leonardo and even Ancelotti, but I intend to use it as a way to put forward my own.”

Not sure we can call Silva an International yet, and surely KJH’s lack of World Cup minutes will take him off that radar as well! Pirlo was injured and Zambrotta was, well, old and slow, so I wouldn’t hang my hat on our “Internationals” quite yet. No doubt Thiago has quite the future on the World’s stage, but the real question becomes is he serious when he says “others to arrive.” If so when????

ON THE TRANSFER MARKET:
“Right now I’m pleased with the squad I have available. If someone were to leave, the club will replace him with a player who can play for Milan.”

“Right now I’m pleased with the squad I have available.” First mistake, wouldn’t it be easier to honest here…oh wait the idiots in charge don’t listen anyway…

ON THE OBJECTIVES:
“What I wish is that this team plays good football, with good intensity, and is convinced of what it can do. To achieve significant results there must be other components, not just one. We need belief, technique, intensity, all these are important things. Winning is never easy, but we must start with a belief and the belief that one can and must do their best. This is the starting point.”

So I think Allegri agrees that a scudetto is a tall order. I would also like to think that with a team at this advanced stage of their careers, belief should be second nature. Hell, Oddo and Kaladze believe so much they may even think they deserve starting spots!?!?!?! Bottom line he is appearing to be realistic, and hopefully many of us are too, I just hope he has a chance to prove himself and not fired at the first sign of trouble. We need continuity not some disastrous Coaching carousel for the next few years. I do like the part about intensity though, it is not a word you hear often in Italy, there is not much Italians do with intensity (ever go to the bank or supermarket in Italy!) so it was refreshing.

This morning, as I completed my normal morning ritual checking soccernet and football italia for any new relevant Milan news, it hit me. Not the usual, “oh crap I have to go to work” or “what did I drink last night that gave me this miserable blank” it was a strange feeling of anxiety, embarrassment and loathing. Wasn’t sure what it was but then it dawned on me, the Club I have loved for 20 plus years was now causing me dread. This wasn’t just your normal day to day dread about going to class, work or the dentist, this was a whole new feeling, and as I clicked each article about the Club it got worse! I can now honestly say that I have lost all faith in management and ownership of this Club. I am fearful of their next hair brain or is it (hair less brain?) and stupid maneuver, my feelings toward Milan’s transfer window are no longer that of hopeful optimism but are now officially steeped in damage control mode. Instead of hoping for a new reinforcements I sit around biting my nails hoping we won’t sell the few valuable pieces left of our team (heavy emphasis on FEW) in favor of some bum or has been. This is summer’s transfer window has been a torture that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy and the fact that there are still a few months only makes it worse, lets recap a few of the brainless maneuvers shall we.

-We all know this team needs a RB, seriously, our starting RB at the moment is Zambrotta or Oddo. Simply put we need a RB, yet every single player linked to us is magically, NOT A RB. How does this make sense anywhere other than AC Milan? Strikers, sure come on in, more strikers you say, by all means! The single position with the highest glut of players is the position lusted after by our management. To think strikers are not vanity!? Did I mention how badly we need midfield depth as well?

-The Brass hires a new Coach, it takes something like 38 days to get finalized, and then the guy goes into hiding and doesn’t say a word about what he plans to do with the team. Playing your cards tight to your chest is OK by me, but at least come out and assert yourself. If you are guy who has coached and fine tuned a single formation for most of your career shouldn’t you make some demands instead of being a yes man on day one? Should you be given the opportunity to come in and make your mark? Instead I fear he will coach Silvio, I mean Ronaldinho’s, I mean Leo’s, I mean Fester’s formation, the 4-3-3, and then we can relive the last season all over again. What happens if our “best offensive threat” has a down year?

-The Club has made an unprecedented investment in youth talent and what do they decide to do with said talent? Send it away on Co-Ownership deals so that these promising players will have to be bought a second time around! Prudent fiscal management or dumbest thing you ever I heard, I will let you be the judge? Why not commit hard to youth movement now while the rest of the stars are fading into the sunset, they can’t possibly be harboring any serious beliefs of a Scudetto or worse a CL can they?

-Back to the new Coach for a minute, Allegri plays a 4-3-1-2, a formation dependant on a CAM. Do we even have one on our radar or shopping list? Wait we do, his name is Honda and if rumor has it correct Fly Emirates is willing to pay his salary for some advertising dollars with the player in Japan on the side. Makes a lot of sense right? Bring in Honda, break into the Japanese market and get Allegri a guy to play in the hole behind the strikers. In fact makes too much sense when you think about, so it can never happen, but last I heard they were haggling between a fee of 15 or 18M, a difference of around 3M!! Remember when Galliani was a force at the negotiating table, he used get his man for less and make you like it, now we can’t even get a bum from Real Madrid without overpaying. Who do you get when your best negotiator has lost touch with the modern game and talent? You get Adriano Galliani…

-At one point we were linked with both Robinho and Adriano. Read that again slowly. Can you imagine if those two joined forces with Ronaldinho? Don’t get any ideas, I am implying off the pitch. I remember once Arrigo Sacchi said he could no longer be a Coach when players didn’t respect their curfews, and he was seeing that at restaurants late night! Restaurants, he said nothing about night clubs and transvestites, what would Allegri have to do here? The mere fact that bringing that group of known party people together was even considered is alarming in its own right! Thankfully Adriano is Roma’s problem now…

-Oddo was extended, yes you heard me write, and while it looks like a dumb move, it was actually prudent. With the extension his wages were lowered making him more attractive to other teams, but herein lies the problem, unless his wages are FREE I can’t see how any team would want him after last season’s horrific performances! No word on Janks or Kaladze.

-At the start of the transfer window Milan was proud owner of one of Serie A’s best goalies, he was promptly sold, to Juventus! Not only was he sold, but Milan didn’t even have the simple forethought of possibly trying to get something out of the deal, anything. Instead it was a quick easy 8M gentleman’s deal, I am all for doing good business with historically friendly teams but last time I checked we have done Juve a fair amount of favors and haven’t cashed in yet. Diego? Giovinco? It’s time we cash that IOU…

-Last year the Brass let De Silvestri go to Fiorentina for a measly 6M, this year they let Motta go to Juventus for pennies. Who will be the next available 25 and under Italian player that goes slipping by without a whiff? Rossi? Poli? Lazzari? At this point I can’t blame them for not making Milan there “go to spot,” unless of course they like sitting on the bench.

My ranting and raving is done for now, but as you can see my frustrations have no boundaries at this point. Feel free to add in your rants and what you find absolutely stupefying about our Club this summer, it helps, at least until tomorrow when I start the whole process all over again.

Another season is closing in upon us and as with every new training camp my mind is always cast backward to those who are not going to be starting the new season with us. In this case, we are moving on without Francesco Toldo.

Just, as I was told in the Eighties, every rose has its thorn, so too does every new beginning start with an ending. Toldo decided sometime in March that this was going to be his last season in harness which is why the club acted so fast at the very start of the transfer season to secure the services of Castellazzi from Sampdoria.

First some background. Toldo was a Milan youth product by way of Montebelluna. After finishing his stint in the Milan academy, Milan loaned him out to Verona, Trento and Ravenna before they – incredibly – gave him his outright release in the summer of 1993.

He hooked up with Fiorentina and became their man between the sticks for eight seasons where he won 2 Coppa Italia, a SuperCoppa and popped his Champions League cherry.

In 2001, one season before the dark days of bankruptcy for Purple Tough Guys, he transferred to our few, our happy few, our band of brothers. In the nine seasons that he spent here in Black and Blue (or rather in Silver and Black since he was the keeper) he managed quite a loverly trophy cabinet: 5 Serie A titles, 3 Coppa Italia trophies, 3 SuperCoppa trophies and of course the Champions League’s Big Eared Cup. Toldo was the starter upon arrival until 2005 when Julio Cesar took over netting at least one very important goal in the process. However, since Cesar held Toldo in such high esteem Cesar refused to take his #1 jersey from him. Now that Toldo has officially hung them up, Cesar for the first time will wear #1 in an Inter jersey.

Even relegated to the bench Toldo has made his presence felt. He’s the first one that Zanetti runs to, to celebrate a big win or a goal. Not only do these long time colleagues have great respect for each other but they also know that it’s a way to link the players on the field to the players on the bench. Since gaining time on the field is hard when the squad is so packed with talent, both Zanetti and Toldo wanted to make sure that the whole team was celebrating their successes. Toldo, who spent whole seasons on the bench since losing his spot to Cesar, would always be the first up to celebrate – if he wasn’t resentful then no one had the right to be.

Toldo capped 8 times in the U21s starting in 1993 and 28 times for his country in the Azzurri, his first coming a mere 2 seasons after Milan booted him to the curb in 1995. Toldo’s journey in the Azzurri wasn’t smooth, however. The mid to late 90s through the
‘oughts saw a glut of goalkeepers make it to the International stage in Italy. Toldo hit the International scene when Pagliuca was at the height of his powers in the mid 90s and when Peruzzi was making waves toward that direction. After Pagliuca and Peruzzi left the International scene there was a brief Toldo or Buffon tug of war before Buffon became the undisputed starter for the National Team while still at Parma.

After all that, despite not being the first or even the second choice keeper for Euro 2000, his performance was a major reason that he was a whisker away from being the 2nd Italian Keeper celebrate winning the Euros, saving several penalties during the tournament.

In the video below, notice how Toldo bailed out Mr. Nesta who didn’t make life easier for his keeper despite it being his job, sorta.

Now that he’s a free man, Toldo has, like Luis Figo before him, has found a way to still be instrumental to the club having been brought on in an ambassadorial role for Inter Campus, the incredible charitable juggernaut that Moratti has brought to Inter during his time as President. Like so many before him, Toldo found a second family at Inter and is eager to stay on with the club.

Some excerpts from an interview just after he announced his retirement

“For now, I’ll limit myself to the fans who were close to me even in the difficult moments, to my sons Alessandro and Andrea. And above all to my wife Manuela. If it’s difficult to be a footballer’s wife, it’s almost impossible to be that of a goalkeeper.

“I decided to stop two months before the end of the season. I said to myself that if everything went how it was supposed to, I would like to start a new life. I told Marco Branca that night in Madrid.

“I would have seen out the final year of my contract. I also received offers this summer, but I no longer had the desire to pull on any shirts that weren’t Inter’s and Fiorentina’s. Now I will start again working for the Inter Campus.”

Despite this decision, I will keep working with Inter for the grassroots project Inter Campus, and I will try to improve the club’s corporate image. I didn’t expect Inter to become a second home for me but that’s what happened. As soon as I arrived here I had a positive feeling.”

His best matches, “Holland-Italy, Arsenal and Fiorentina, Valencia (was this Benitez’s team?) and Inter. Apart from one where I made a goal against Juventus.

The strongest defender with whom he played: “Cordoba. A phenomenon. Physical strength, elevation and anger. ”

“I had two periods. Before and after Calciopoli. Facchetti and Moratti had led us out of trouble, building a winning team that could win, but the external factors did not allow that to happen.”

Harder to digest the defeat at the European 2000 or May 5: “The latter. Not worth it to dwell on it because it was shown that this championship was distorted.

Finally Toldo was asked to reveal the names of the most lethal strikers he had faced in his career. “Batistuta, Ibra, Del Piero and Montella.”

FORZA INTER

For the first time that I can remember in my time as a Milan fan, close to 20 years, the Club has made an unprecedented investment in the Primavera in an effort to return the youth sector to the glory of the 1980’s when AC Milan was producing the premier youth talent on the boot and populating places on the National Team’s roster for European Championships and World Cups.

A quick look at the history of AC Milan and it is not hard to see the value of the Primavera. The greatest Milan sides of our generation, considered one of the greatest Club teams of all time, if not the best, was populated not only by Primavera talent but from regional Primavera talent. Players like Baresi, Costacurta, Albertini, Tassotti, Stroppa, Galli, and Maldini were scouted and lured into the Milan system as youth players and nurtured into some of the best talent Italy has ever seen. The great historic team’s of Milan were not bought, but built and then supplemented with great foreign talent that did not disrupt the dynamic team chemistry but instead integrated and complimented, to create the World Beaters and Invincibles of AC Milan.

For the first time in a long time it appears that Milan is looking to return to the roots of their success, bucking the trend of team buying in the vein of Manchester City and Real Madrid, choosing instead to strengthen the youth sector for a better future. Sure this move is to save money and born out of the need to do things on the cheap, but to think it is a “cop out” or the “easy way out” is the wrong way to look at it. This type of building should yield results but it is imperative that it is instituted and utilized properly to benefit from the results. One needs to look no further then another historic Club, Barcelona, who has proved that the youth sector can lead you to glory with a little patience, confidence, and the ability of your youth players to earn places over their aging teammates.

It is ironic however that the immediate future and recent past of the Club seems to make no bones about choosing experience over youth time and time again. With a GLARING example being a poor loss to Palermo in which Leonardo chose to play a RB, Massimo Oddo, out of position at CB, instead of giving a chance to any of the youth sector CB’s. Leo burned for his choice, as Oddo played a part in each of the three goals against on that day, and one can only wonder if any of those youngsters could have proved more useful. If anything at least a learning experience would have been under the belt of the chosen player and the Club to get a firsthand look at the mental makeup of the player.

The key to youth, as has been shown in recent times by teams like Barcelona, Manchester United, and even Bayern Munich is to give youth players the chance to play in positions in which they can prove successful. Throwing them to the wolves in a big Champions League may not be the best move; but rewarding their efforts in spot starts in the league instead of junk minutes in the Coppa Italia can prove as a confidence booster to the player and more importantly foster a sense of pride for the player and the Club. The end goal is to foster a mentality of gratitude from the player and create the hunger to continue to succeed.

With the following restructure and investment in the youth team as shown by ACMilan.com, it looks as though this move for the future is being taken seriously by the Club:

YOUTH TEAM: Coach Giovanni Stroppa. Vice-coaches Francesco Sità and Lodovico Costacurta. Goalkeeping coach Beniamino Abate.
JUNIORES BERRETTI: Coach Carmine Nunziata. Vice-coach Marco Merlo. Goalkeeping coach Luigi Romano.
ALLIEVI NATIONAL: Coach Cesare Beggi. Vice-coach Nicola Matteucci. Goalkeeping coach Luigi Romano.
ALLIEVI REGIONAL B: Coach Omar Danesi. Vice-coach Emanuele Pischetola. Goalkeeping coach Davide Pinato.
REALLY YOUNG NATIONAL: Coach Roberto Bertuzzo. Vice-coach Stefano Nava. Goalkeeping coach Davide Pinato.
REALLY YOUNG REGIONAL: Coach Riccardo Tumiatti. Vice-coach Simone Baldo. Goalkeeping coach Francesco Navazzotti.
REALLY YOUNG REGIONAL B: Coach Walter De Vecchi. Vice-coach Riccardo Galbiati. Goalkeeping coach Francesco Navazzotti.
ESORDIENTI 1999: Coach Luca Morin. Vice-coach Valter Biffi. Goalkeeping coach Maurizio Ragno.
ESORDIENTI 2000: Coach Davide Bianchessi. Vice-coach Alessandro Lupi. Goalkeeping coach Maurizio Ragno.
PULCINI 2001: Coach Giovanni Valenti. Vice-coach Giuseppe Misso. Goalkeeping coach Maurizio Ragno.
PULCINI 2002: Coach Andrea Biffi. Vice-coach Massimiliano Sorgato. Goalkeeping coach Maurizio Ragno.

This list covers the youth teams from the ages of ten up through the Primavera. What you notice from the list of coaches is that the staff is actually being deployed throughout the system; from a coaching standpoint this is an excellent choice giving the players familiarity to the system and allows the Coaches to institute a consistent tactical system and style of play up to the first team. The notable name not found on the list is Baresi who will join Galli as an overseer of the sector and hopefully develop a keen eye for talent as the players move through the ranks.

As Milan continues to buy young players and place them into the system the pressing point and question becomes will this investment be used and reflected in the first team. We are all familiar with names like Zigoni, Albertazzi, Verdi, De Vito, Astori, Romagnoli, Strasser, and Oduamadi, but until these players are given a chance to prove their value to the first team the question will remain about this investment and the value that it will bring in the short term versus the long term. I would hope that the curiosity of at least of few you would be peaked about what these players can do after their most recent successes in the last season. Surely as we watch our first team players flounder around the pitch with little heart and intensity a bit of youthful exuberance would be hard to argue against, but the idea of playing youth over experience continues to polarize the entirety of the tifosi.

The ability to actually watch the youth team in action or even see these young players play is difficult; instead we rely mainly on the Club’s statistics and recaps of their performances but this idea that festers about these players not being good enough is immensely frustrating. Shouldn’t they be afforded an opportunity to prove that talent? Until they do we will never know and this investment will be all for naught! Just imagine if those highly esteemed names from above were questioned to the extent that this group is? Imagine the confidence lost by players like Galli or Maldini if they worked hard and were still not chosen in favor of a player whose was played out of position! What does that do for the psyche of younger player and is it any worse than being shell shocked in a match? Youth needs nurturing, chances to succeed, and the support of those around them to be rewarded with playing time for the hard work and effort, and if all goes well that show of support will be rewarded back to the Club with a player who plays for the colors and as a thank you for the opportunity. We can continue to flounder with an aging roster playing game to game, season to season or we can make the turn for a successful future, the choice seems easy, but it is not made by me.

Here as some compilations featuring the youth team talent:

All this Ibra to Milan talk got me thinking, and I want to present the pros and cons of such a move, despite that fact that I personally believe adding any form of striker is the wrong move for a team with eight of them on roster and still no legitimate RB outside of Zambro, who is 33, and actually losing pace as we speak!

There is little argument against the point that Zlatan is one of the most technically gifted players of this generation. His touch, footskill, and simple audacity to do some of the things he does on the pitch has no real equal. Yes CRON and Messi can make magic when attacking a defender with the ball at their feet, but Zlatan’s ability to “stand up” on the ball and make a deft touch or pass is spectacular, and if deployed behind two strikers may be just the player Allegri’s is craving for his number 10. His ability to receive the ball in various spots both wide and central between 25 and 30 meters from goal makes him very dangerous and while his goal scoring would certainly decline, his ability to create space would be an ideal trade-off. Using him in this position does little for balance, but unlike some other players on roster his use in the middle would not be as catastrophic. His size makes him a formidable opponent in the center of the park and as long as his work ethic allowed him to get behind the ball he may actually find some success in the hole.

(FYI: I hate YouTube videos because they often show the same stupid move or trick from fifteen different angles and fanboys then rejoice at how awesome said player is. I chose this video because it showed a good mix of technical skill, some tackling(!) and more importantly Zlatan’s ability to receive the ball in numerous places on the pitch.)

His presence would also benefit players like Pato or KJH who would no longer have to be deployed in a wide right channel. His presence would actually allow both players a bit more freedom, along with Borri, to rotate Zlatan and present much more danger and pressure to opposing defenses in a more conventional two striker partnership. Picture for a moment Zlatan getting the ball at about 30 meters and Borri and Pato both beginning runs from the left, defenders would be forced to shift, opening space on the attacking right flank, and forcing midfielders and CB to come out to cover Zlatan. This would in turn open space for Pirlo while allowing Pato to make a darting run on his strong foot, and Borri to support, move forward, or create space by holding a defender with him, all strong points to Borri’s game. Utilizing players in positions to succeed is the mark of a good team, and while any #10 can provide this to some extent, having one with the technical ability and prowess of Zlatan makes it all the more inviting.

This actually suits Allegri’s narrow 4-3-1-2 formation because he can deploy two DM’s around Pirlo, be it Flamini/Ambro/Rino or Abate, again using players available and putting them into comfortable positions. Width would then have to come from the RB and LB but their necessity in the attack could be on an as needed basis as opposed to required as it has been in the past under Carletto and Leo, which obviously exposes the defense. By using less width in the attack it keeps the defense covering well east to west on the pitch and the congestion in the middle will force opponents wide where they are less dangerous and Milan can then create double teams with the DM’s and Backs. This will probably be pivotal to the success of Allegri’s formation as it was with Cagliari and can become a reality at Milan with the right personnel.

The positives on the attack and formation, as you can see, are very intriguing, but the price of Zlatan is an immediate con. His wages are worse than Ronaldinho, and while his purchase would rid of us of the dependence on Ronaldinho, whose lack of pace and motivation are always up for debate, it will do little for the rest of the depth issues the team suffers. There are few people who can argue that this team does not needs a RB and midfield depth in a bad way, and spending the entire transfer war chest on Zlatan would then force money from sales to fund the rest of the needs. A starting RB should be priority, and again I hopethat is one thing many of us can agree on.

A personal issue I have with Zlatan is the 2006 failed move to Milan, he didn’t have the patience to see the final resting place of AC Milan following the Calciopoli scandal, and while part of me understands his point, the rest can’t help but view this as greed and a disregard for the shirt he wears. Inter or Milan, as long as I get paid is the way that plays out to me. I also have a bit of discontent for a player like Zlatan who is an owner’s pet, a signing to satisfy the ego of the man in charge. It happened with Moggi, Moratti, and La Porta, it was only Old Silvio who let this one slip away, think he wants to fix that? Thankfully a guy like Zlatan brings it on the pitch, but owner’s pets are never a good signing for the Club, Coach, or Fans! Haven’t we learned enough lessons with the laundry list of Silvio’s pet Brazilians Rivaldo, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho?? One mistake is enough for me…

Finally, for all the accolades that Zlatan has had heaped on him for the past 5-6 years, he has yet to experience any real Continental success. His trophy cabinet is full of Scudetto titles and individual Serie A awards but his play in the Champions League has left a gaping hole in his career accolades. With Milan actually playing in the CL next year, at least for six group stage matches, it would be good to have a player who didn’t cower under the pressure of Europe’s most prestigious trophy. Maybe he “breaks the duck” with Milan, but do we really want to wait and see with our entire transfer budget? Let’s just say we don’t make it out of the Cl group, or even qualify again next season where does that leave us and a player like Zlatan, happy or unhappy?

I will be honest I hate the silly season rumors, most of them are usually a complete waste of time anyway, and are often drummed up by agents and media outlets to make up for slow news days. Fester has already come out with a few statements to claim that the price tag for Zlatan was too much, and that if he was going to move to Milan transfers would need to be made. Either way I wouldn’t get overly excited one way or another, and even if rumors pick up I wouldn’t be 99.9% sure of anything until it shows up on acmilan.com as official!

Just because Zlatan does not make his way over to the right side of Milan there is absolutely no reason Fester can’t continue to make smart pursuits like Honda, Caceres, Lazzari, Galloppa, Cigarini, and a host of other versatile players that can help make Allegri’s 4-3-1-2 a reality, while strengthening the team for the future as well. Yes it means parting ways with deadweight, all of it, and it may mean a rough season or two, but at this point this rebuilding process is two to three years late and if we put it off again it will only continue to prolong the inevitable collapse of an aging roster and the lack of youth available to fill their spaces.