First place in the Serie A standings, that openly declared dream called the Scudetto, is still a long way off. However, Milan, who tomorrow will have to try to get their Europa League campaign back on track by hosting the Hungarians of Ferencvaros at home, have rediscovered, thanks to their fine derby victory, the enthusiasm that the defeat against Bologna had somewhat dampened.
Because Ruben Amorim’s Milan, beyond the seven-point gap to Lazio, have lost only one match in the league and shown glimpses of what the Portuguese coach has in mind. An aggressive, attacking, fluid team; one that might concede something to opponents, but knows how to hurt them.
A Milan that also reflects the wishes of Gerry Cardinale, who in the summer, after four seasons "behind the chair," decided to take the field personally. He chose Amorim, led the transfer campaign and, since August, has often been alongside the team.
Apart from a few matches that disappointed him, Cardinale has smiled while watching the fruits of his investments, such as Diego Moreira, the absolute protagonist of the derby. Against Inter, the young Diawara also took centre stage; in Udine, Hutchinson found the net, while the big signing, Gonçalo Ramos, is still struggling to make an impact.
Maignan was signed by Maldini, Pulisic and Pavlovic were Furlani’s signings. Modric and Rabiot said yes to Tare and Allegri.
If Milan look to tomorrow with optimism, they owe it to the new signings. But not only them.
In fact, of the 21 goals scored in Serie A, eight have been scored by players signed last summer, and 12 by those brought in under previous management teams (there is also an own goal, against Venezia).
And perhaps the numbers could be changed to seven and 13, because the second player bought by RedBird’s number one in the latest transfer window (Gila, who scored against Atalanta) had actually already been targeted by the previous sporting director, Tare, as the Spanish defender himself recounted in some of his interviews at the beginning of the season.
At the end of May, however, the Albanian executive had been dismissed by Cardinale, as had Furlani, Moncada and Allegri. And Maldini (and Massara) in June 2023, writes Tuttosport in this morning's print edition.
In Milan’s recent transfer windows, there has always been a strange feeling of wanting to erase what had been done previously. Furlani had sold many players signed by Maldini; Cardinale did the same in July and August with those brought in by the former CEO and Tare. Some players, however, have remained and today are the leaders of the team, starting with captain Maignan.
"Magic Mike" was signed by the Maldini-Massara duo in the spring of 2021. Maignan was a negative protagonist on the night in Bournemouth, but in the derby he was fundamental with his miraculous save from Spence at 2-1. And he had already been fundamental against Atalanta (preserving the 3-3 against Zappacosta).
One of Cardinale’s favourite players is Christian Pulisic, one of Furlani’s first signings as the man responsible for the transfer market in July 2023. Meanwhile, Pavlovic, 12 months later, was an intuition of Moncada: both have renewed their contracts in recent weeks. The summer of 2025 belonged to Tare and, if you like, Allegri: first came the sporting director’s coup, when he went to Rijeka to convince Modric, then, at the end of August, Allegri’s phone call to his favourite player, who had fallen out with Marseille.
Modric returned to the classroom against Inter, while Rabiot has numbers worthy of the league’s MVP, with five goals and three assists.
The final gift from the old management (Furlani) is then the diamond Alpha Cisse, signed in January after beating PSV to him.
The newcomers, therefore, make people dream, but the "old" players have brought points and leadership, and those who signed them deserve a thank you, even from... Cardinale, concludes the Tuttosport news article.
