There is a great deal of curiosity to understand what the reaction of the Curva Sud and, in general, the San Siro crowd will be tonight before, during, and after Milan - Cagliari.
The Rossoneri’s last match at the San Siro was on December 29th versus Roma, an evening marked by Paulo Fonseca’s dismissal and overall protests.
The organized supporters are distributing their 'fanzine' ahead of tonight’s match, featuring various reflections: on the team, Conceição, the club, and the fanbase.
Part I: The Italian Super Cup
"Thank you, guys…"
The new year, barely underway, and especially the Epiphany, brought the 50th trophy in the history of the Rossoneri, the Italian Super Cup, to Milan's cabinet.
This victory came after eliminating the 'gobbi' (a mocking nickname for Juventus) in the semifinals and defeating Inter in the final.
Before discussing how these two victories in Saudi Arabia were achieved, we want to emphasize the importance of winning a cup.
While it doesn’t hold the same prestige as the Champions League, lifting it in the face of the most hyped and strongest team in the universe gives it an entirely different value.
First, because it’s a derby, even if played far from Milan, and second, for the manner in which we won. The team reacted, seizing a victory that thrilled us, overturning both the match and the predictions that had written us off. Instead, with grit, heart, anger, pride, courage, and the will to act as a team, the Rossoneri won a game that seemed lost.
The Rossoneri triumphed by leveraging the qualities embedded in their DNA, which had too often remained dormant this erratic season.
It took a match like this to rekindle the spirit that had long been subdued among insiders. Nothing could be better or more beautiful than for this to happen in a derby where a trophy was also at stake.
It required a game that went beyond the result and the final victory because this win could become one of those on which to build something significant. Could this victory ignite the season? We’ll see in the coming months if something extraordinary happens or if the Super Cup comeback remains just a magnificent evening. Otherwise, it’s all as per Milanese tradition, true "crying" Interista style.
Part II: The New Coach
"Welcome, Mister…"
It’s evident that our protests against the Milan club and ownership, with inevitable echoes even in the United States, triggered or at least accelerated the decision to sack Fonseca. With the arrival of the new coach, the team’s attitude on the field has changed in both games, delivering what we’ve long demanded and enabling us to win the Super Cup against the "merde" (referring to Inter). As ultras and the Rossoneri fans, we can only be pleased about this.
Regarding the coaching change, we unfortunately witnessed something surreal and unprecedented in Milan’s 125-year history. We were astonished and embarrassed by a coach announcing his dismissal at a press conference, without the club issuing an official statement or any representative communicating such an important decision to the media. This absurd handling of Fonseca’s dismissal—legitimate in substance but appalling in method—was truly an amateurish blunder.
It was gratifying, though, that someone at Milan felt compelled (albeit belatedly) to publicly apologize to Rossoneri fans, something quite rare. We therefore welcome Mister Conceição, wishing him to continue the excellent work he began in the Super Cup. The management must support and sustain him consistently, ensuring he’s not left isolated, as was the case with Fonseca from August onward.
Part III: The AC Milan Fanbase
"Our support…"
On the fan front, the ongoing harassment of the Curva and fan clubs continues. As if the absurd bans imposed by prosecutors/club/authorities/who-knows-who weren’t enough, it has emerged just hours ago that members of the Italian Milan Club Association, and consequently all clubs affiliated with it, have been downgraded to second-class fans. Their priority phase for ticket purchases is distinct and postponed compared to other season ticket holders, as though they were outcasts. This decision, made without logical justification, penalizes a fanbase that organizes dozens of buses for every match and follows the team everywhere.
From now on, every decision we make will aim to protect and safeguard a community that has existed for almost 60 years. We will persevere until we see a significant and explicit change in the treatment of the Rossoneri fanbase, especially the organized supporters.
We are witnessing the Americanization of Italy’s most glorious football club. Loyal Milan supporters are being treated like mere customers or tourists to be exploited. For years, we’ve endured commercial choices made by incompetent individuals (e.g., the Champions League Mini Pack), often copied from the clowns on the other side of the Naviglio (Inter), increasingly taken as an example to imitate. Perhaps this is because there are too many people in the Milan office who don’t know a tenth of the club's history or that of the city itself.
We’ve never sought favors from anyone, nor do we seek them now. We simply want to continue being what we’ve always been, for better or worse... US!"
This was relayed via MilanPress.it.
