On Sunday a spirited AC Milan will face Inter Milan at San Siro following their heroics against Barcelona on Wednesday. Both the clubs have enjoyed great success in the past but have experienced a sudden decline.
Inter Milan sit fifth on the table while their counterparts have climbed up to the third spot, however it is unlikely that either side will be able to challenge Juventus for the title. The Milan outfits which had been previously referred to as the Italian giants are slowly being overhauled by other teams including Lazio and Napoli.
Both the sides have lost a great deal of players in the recent few years, especially AC Milan who had to bid farewell to all their veteran players including Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta, Massimo Oddo and Filippo Inzaghi. Their biggest mistake was to let go off their midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo, Milan were of the belief that the player was past his best and are now left to curse their luck. Apart from their veteran players Milan were also forced to sell two of their biggest players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to French side PSG in order to reduce their wage bill. All the departed players were replaced but not with players of equal quality and thus Milan suffered as predicted.
Milan have since managed to resurrect their season to some extent. They are now building their team around young talented players, having bought the likes of M’ Baye Niang, Balotelli and Bojan, with the emergence of El Shaarawy and Kevin Prince Boateng contributing towards their recent success. Things do not seem as bleak for Milan as they did at the beginning of the season, their win against Barcelona in the Champions League is a clear reflection of the fact that the team has started to develop confidence.
Inter Milan’s decline has been very shocking and unpredictable, from European Champions they have slumped down to a mediocre Italian side. Inter Milan have enjoyed great success in the last eight to nine years. They remarkably one five consecutive titles from 2005-2010, in 2010 they became the first Italian side to win a treble by winning the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in a single season. After Jose Mourinho left Inter Milan, the Italian side faced a tough task of replacing the special one, the club was unable to replace him with the right men and Inter fell into shambles. All of Rafael Benitez, Leonardo Gian Piero Gasperini and Ranieri failed miserably, tactically as well as in terms of the players they bought. Andrea Stramaccioni has now taken over the post but has been less than impressive. Inter Milan have made strides in the Europa League qualifying to the Round of 16, but for a team of Inter’s stature and reputation, winning the Europa League is hardly an achievement.
The Milan sides will enter San Siro having experienced European success in the past week, thus they are expected to be in high spirits. Both the sides can do with a win on Sunday which will give a huge boost to their confidence. Milan are seeking an outside chance of challenging Juventus for the title, while Inter are looking to finish in the top four in order to qualify for next season’s Champions League. It is important that both the Italian powerhouses return to their former glories and challenge for titles like they used to for the sake of their fans as well as that of Italian Football.
Both the sides have lost a great deal of players in the recent few years, especially AC Milan who had to bid farewell to all their veteran players including Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta, Massimo Oddo and Filippo Inzaghi. Their biggest mistake was to let go off their midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo, Milan were of the belief that the player was past his best and are now left to curse their luck. Apart from their veteran players Milan were also forced to sell two of their biggest players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to French side PSG in order to reduce their wage bill. All the departed players were replaced but not with players of equal quality and thus Milan suffered as predicted.
Milan have since managed to resurrect their season to some extent. They are now building their team around young talented players, having bought the likes of M’ Baye Niang, Balotelli and Bojan, with the emergence of El Shaarawy and Kevin Prince Boateng contributing towards their recent success. Things do not seem as bleak for Milan as they did at the beginning of the season, their win against Barcelona in the Champions League is a clear reflection of the fact that the team has started to develop confidence.
Inter Milan’s decline has been very shocking and unpredictable, from European Champions they have slumped down to a mediocre Italian side. Inter Milan have enjoyed great success in the last eight to nine years. They remarkably one five consecutive titles from 2005-2010, in 2010 they became the first Italian side to win a treble by winning the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in a single season. After Jose Mourinho left Inter Milan, the Italian side faced a tough task of replacing the special one, the club was unable to replace him with the right men and Inter fell into shambles. All of Rafael Benitez, Leonardo Gian Piero Gasperini and Ranieri failed miserably, tactically as well as in terms of the players they bought. Andrea Stramaccioni has now taken over the post but has been less than impressive. Inter Milan have made strides in the Europa League qualifying to the Round of 16, but for a team of Inter’s stature and reputation, winning the Europa League is hardly an achievement.
The Milan sides will enter San Siro having experienced European success in the past week, thus they are expected to be in high spirits. Both the sides can do with a win on Sunday which will give a huge boost to their confidence. Milan are seeking an outside chance of challenging Juventus for the title, while Inter are looking to finish in the top four in order to qualify for next season’s Champions League. It is important that both the Italian powerhouses return to their former glories and challenge for titles like they used to for the sake of their fans as well as that of Italian Football.
