Paolo De Paola, a well-known journalist, wrote an editorial this morning for 'Sportitalia', focusing on AC Milan's struggles under Stefano Pioli and the significance of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's arrival. Here's his perspective:
"The championship is now a two-horse race between Inter and Juve; behind them, a void has already emerged, courtesy of a distracted Milan losing against the weakest Gasperini's Atalanta. It's hardly news anymore. What's more newsworthy is Pioli adapting to play like any run-of-the-mill Allegri (with useless ball circulation in defense), while Allegri, on the contrary, is finally offering a more proactive offensive style. It's like the world is turning upside down."
"Juventus' mission has now engaged the players: all, absolutely all of them, are aiming (rightfully) for the title, compelling even Allegri to raise the bar and increase expectations for gameplay. The players train better and even urge their coach to dare more. This is precisely what Pioli lacks. He should hurry up with Ibra, who is desperately needed by this Milan team that has lost its fighting spirit, the desire to battle for every ball. Ibra is the only one who can truly help Pioli, setting aside trivialities like 'delegitimizations' or 'pitch invasions.' Do you really expect someone like the Swede to sit behind a desk discussing business? No, Milan urgently needs a shake-up, and only Ibra can provide it by looking each player in the eye, one by one."
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