AC Milan general spiel 2.0

[San Paolo]

Milan veterans Gennaro Gattuso and Gianluca Zambrotta have been ruled out of Saturday's high-profile clash against Roma.

The duo both played in the 3-0 win over Bologna on Sunday at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, but did not make it through the action unscathed.

"The official in charge of health at AC Milan, doctor Gianluca Melegati, announces that Gennaro Gattuso submitted to imaging scans today that showed a mild strain of the satorius muscle of the right thigh. His recovery time is estimated to be 7-10 days," read a statement on the club's official website.

"Gianluca Zambrotta, during the match yesterday, suffered a lateral stretch to the posterior capsule in his left knee. Tests have ruled out ligament and meniscus tears and the expected recovery is around 10-15 days."

Therefore the two Italians should be ready for action when the Rossoneri face Cagliari on January 6 after the winter break.

[RomaShield27]

Milan rule themselves out of race to sign Carlos Tevez
• Milan need a replacement for injured Filippo Inzaghi
• Chief executive says Tevez would be too expensive

www.guardian.co.uk – Monday 13 December 2010 13.12 GMT

The leaders of Italy's Serie A, Milan, cannot afford Manchester City's unsettled striker Carlos Tevez, their chief executive has said. Tevez has had a transfer request turned down by the Premiershit club, while Milan are on the lookout for a new forward in January after the injured Filippo Inzaghi was ruled out for the season.

"Tevez is great but Milan can't make an investment like that," Adriano Galliani told reporters. The Italian club have reined in spending in recent years and Tevez could cost in excess of £25m. "If we find a forward who looks like a Milan player we will take him, otherwise we'll stay like this."

Galliani added that City's Mario Balotelli, a confessed Milan fan who came through at Internazionale's youth team, was not for sale given that he only arrived in England in August, and Cagliari's Alessandro Matri was also unlikely to arrive.

Milan were similarly downbeat about the chances of Zlatan Ibrahimovic signing from Barcelona in the close season but the Swede did just that and has been in superb form since.

Ronaldinho has been forced to watch much of the action from the bench in the past two months after falling down Massimiliano Allegri's pecking order but both player and coach have said the Brazilian is staying until June at least.

Inter, the faltering Italian and European champions, have said they will look to sign at least one top player in January and the treble winners have been linked with Tevez in the media in the past.

[San Paolo]

Tevez needs to stay to his word and go back to Argentina or else he will look a real mug

[p_maldini_3]

Robinho: I was no City slacker
December 13, 2010

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By Nick Bidwell
(Archive)

Robinho has admitted he was weighed down by his record-breaking price tag and unsuited to Premiershit football as he reflects on his ill-fated move to Manchester City.

Robinho has scored five goals in Serie A since swapping Manchester for Milan
GettyImagesRobinho has scored five goals in Serie A since swapping Manchester for Milan

At £32.5 million, this Brazilian magician was the 'marquee signing' City's hierarchy needed to make when the club was transformed by the takeover of Sheikh Mansour and his Abu Dhabi investors in September 2008, but the pieces of the jigsaw would not fall into place for the player or a club whose ambitions could not be met as quickly as all concerned wanted.

In the end, Robinho's failure to settle on and off the pitch in England meant a parting of the ways was the only option last summer and he accepted the chance to join a star-studded Milan squad, but the 26-year-old is at pains to argue that his time at Eastlands was not a complete failure.

"I don't think it is fair to say I was a disaster at City," Robinho says. "It's important to remember that I scored 14 goals in my first season there and ended up as the club's top scorer. There were not too many more players in the Premiershit who scored as often as me, so it was not all bad. For my first year in the Premiershit, it went pretty well and I felt the City crowd were on my side.

"The trouble came in the second season. I had injury problems and the new coach [Roberto Mancini] went with other options in attack. I'm not going to blame Mancini for what happened because he had respect for me. He laid out what the situation was, but I did not feel as if I would be a regular part of his team and this was a problem.

"What made me want to leave was that [with] the World Cup in South Africa coming up, there was no way Dunga [the then Brazil manager] would have picked me if I was only playing occasionally for City. Being an impact player was no use to me and I had to go back to my old club Santos before finding a home here in Milan.

"Every experience in life has its good and not-so-good points. I have many warm memories of City. Certain goals, certain matches and, of course, the enthusiasm and passion of the fans. They are real people with the same sort of commitment to their club as a Brazilian supporter."

Robinho believes his countrymen are not suited to the hustle and bustle of the Premiershit, with his dislike for the notoriously damp Manchester climate hardly helping this sun-loving samba star win his doomed mission to bring success to the world's richest club.

"England is a hard place for a Brazilian to perform," he believes. "I'm an expressive and instinctive player, while the Premiershit puts a lot of emphasis on systems and fitting into a certain mould.

"I wasn't helped either by the price on my head. City paid a lot of money and went to a lot of trouble bringing me in. The expectations on me were huge and in a way you become a target and it is also true that I had great difficulty adapting to life in England. It was a culture shock for me, the weather was very different, and I became unhappy. I live and play through my emotions and when they aren't right, I'm not right."

Barcelona were rumoured to be interested in signing Robinho last summer, but he opted not to join the ranks of players who have played for both of Spain's top two clubs as he plumped to join a an Italian giant that has sparked back into life this season.

"As soon as AC Milan came on the scene, my instincts told me I had to sign on," he continues. "This club is as big as any in the whole world and like me, they have a point to prove. They have not been as successful as they would have liked recently, but they are hungry to get back to a dominant position in Italy and the Champions League and this is why I think we are a good fit.

"The club owner [Silvio Berlusconi] has spent his life encouraging spectacular attacking football and this is my philosophy too. With fellow countrymen like Ronaldinho, Pato and Thiago Silva already here, I knew for sure this would be a home from home for me.

"It was clear from the start that I may not play every week in a squad filled with so much attacking talent, but this was part of the challenge for me. At an incredibly ambitious club like this, you cannot have it any other way. If we are to take Milan back to the top, we need strength in depth in all positions and I don't have a problem with it. We all know the rules of the game. We have to convince the coach we deserve to be selected for any given game. Meeting up with old friends is always good."

With his fellow Brazilian Ronaldinho growing increasingly frustrated by his bench-warming duties this season, Robinho accepts he may have to wave farewell to one of those "old friends" when the transfer window opens next month, though he believes leaving AC Milan right now would be a mistake.

Is Robinho the future of Milan, and Ronaldinho the past?
GettyImagesIs Robinho the future of Milan, and Ronaldinho the past?

"Dinho isn't playing here as much as he would want and I would understand if he chose to move on, but from a selfish point of view I hope he stays," adds Robinho. "He is someone I feel close to and I can't get enough of his genius on the ball. He's back in the Brazil team and far from finished, so maybe he can find a way back at Milan.

"It would be a bad moment for anyone to leave this team as I feel we are moving in the right direction very quickly. Looking at the quality of the individuals in the squad, our winning mentality and the results so far this season, we have to be in with a good chance of winning Serie A and the Champions League. The days when Milan played second fiddle to Inter are behind us, I'm sure of that."

They are words to warm the hearts of all Rossoneri followers and it seems as if the little man who was the subject of so much criticism during his final months at Manchester City is ready to reclaim his place at the top table of the world game.

[San Paolo]

awesome article that PM, i hope Robbie can carry on like he is doing and go from strength to stength, last season we would be screwed with no Pato but Robbie has stepped up and made the plae his own, respect to him for that.

[The MAN]

It sucks we're losing 2 more players for the Roma game...I suppose Zambro can be replaced by Antonini on the left, but Rino's absence will be more of a blow as we're already without Flamini..I hope Allegri doesn't use Seedorf, not that I don't want us to use him but I don't want to see Pirlo+Seedorf both starting, it will not be the dynamic, solid midfield of Allegri's Milan, I very much rather see us starting with Strasser as this will provide us with more balance

[San Paolo]

Thiago Silva and Alexandre Pato could be back for Milan by December 27, claims MilanLab medical chief Daniele Tognaccini.

There were widespread fears last week that Silva would be out for six months after he suffered a meniscus lesion against Ajax in the Champions League, but the Rossoneri have confirmed the injury is not as serious as previously thought.

"Pato will be available on the 27th with the rest of the group, as will Thiago Silva. One of our people is with the player in Brazil and he said he is fine and on the road to recovery," Tognaccini told Sky Sport Italia.

The Milan man is also impressed with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's physique.

"He is the Ballon D'Or for his physique. Top of the world for real," he said.

[The MAN]

http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/milan/?a ... l0LTQwOTU5

Silvio wants to give a gift...that would be awesome but I hope it's not Cassano...getting Ganso would be nice if we can get rid of Dinho

[San Paolo]

Gift he says, i hope its David Luiz or Fábio Coentrão, or both of them even! is that greedy?

[San Paolo]

lol Silvio sure knows how to stir shit up!

"When people think of Italy, after they think of the mafia and pizza, they think about AC Milan." AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi.

[vtec]

cointreau would be a gift indeed. another defender would be awesome as well. i really don't see a great need for another striker, though, provided ronaldinho can keep contributing from the bench, but assuming he does leave, then i guess we will need reinforcement.

[p_maldini_3]

Dinho is too expensive to keep on the bench. I hope he bounces so ganso can come. My dream is pastore, but I know that won't happen.

What do you guys think of cassano? All the rumors are pointing him towards us.

[San Paolo]

Milan striker Alexandre Pato has arrived in North Carolina, America today to undergo a series of tests by doctors at Duke University in Durham, according to Milannews.

The Rossoneri hope the consultation will help identify the cause of numerous problems for the Brazilian before he returns to training with the Italian league leaders.

Pato will meet up with his team-mates to resume training on December 27 in Dubai. Milan are eagerly anticipating the return to full fitness of their forward to add more quality in depth to push them closer to the Serie A crown.

[vtec]

[San Paolo]

how do you feel about Robinho now 'Tec?

[vtec]

i still think he's a little punk

[p_maldini_3]

republicca is saying that we've come to an agreement with cassano's agent. this should be very interesting for allegri.

with a full squad, i think pato should be our prima punta with ibra playing behind him, dropping into space etc. pato is deadly in the box, he's a natural scorer if you ask me. but because of his other characteristics, coaches tend to play him outside the area. i'm not sure where cassano will fit into all of this, but at least inter won't get him.

[San Paolo]

Here is the Article in question

LONDON - This is a war of Cassano with President Garrone that seems to want to end. Yesterday, the long-awaited decision is not reached, the arbitration of the League, called to settle the issue, met very early in a law firm in Milan, but hours of debate were not enough to pronounce a verdict, which could come today or even tomorrow. Cassano much more certain is the future, it will not be Sampdoria, whatever the verdict of the judges (unilateral termination of the contract, as dictated by Samp, suspension-time fine or simple), but red and black colors, with AC Milan topped the charts, near as samples or Robinho Ibrahimovic. That fantasy of Bari in January he moved to Milanello is safe now, the player with the economic agreement already exists, it is only to define the terms of the transfer and may have a decisive role here the decision of the Arbitration Panel. If in fact the three judges (the President and the arbitrators Giuggioli Fazzo and macro) should give reason to Sampdoria, with the forced interruption of the relationship with the player, would be free and could marry Cassano to Milan on a free transfer.

The hypothesis, however, remains difficult, so Galliani, Milan's chief executive, has already devised a plan B, which provides for a loan the player until June, then transformed into outright purchase in the summer. This is because the background of the story, there is Real Madrid, that in case of sale of Cassano claims 5 million in compensation. Were placed as a clause at the time of his transfer to Genoa and the Spanish club in recent weeks (by breaking the playmaker with Garrone was on 26 October) that it was not always take to give up. The money that have held the Inter (the first to move up the case, with an agreement quiquennale to 3 and a half million net per season) and have in fact established the passing of Milan. Galliani with Real Madrid and has excellent relations in many business discussion, beginning with the rate that the Spaniards still have to pay for the purchase of Kaka. To agree with Florentino Perez, the president of the Real, has never been a problem, at most it can do a discount on the money yet to arrive in Milan.

Galliani has reasoned and in a few hours AC Milan jumped to pole position, with the possibility of strengthening the attack (even with Ronaldinho and Pato orphan outcast) at no cost. Yesterday, also, Roberto de Assis, the brother of the Brazilian prosecutor, acknowledged the divorce at the end of the season: "The contract with Milan expires in June. Brazil? E 'possible, but must be a club that points to the championship and Libertadores the only trophy missing from my brother. "

Cassano to Milan also solves the problems of Prandelli, who is eager to retrieve it in blue. Remains to be seen as an area able to find a cash-strong team from the competition. But for this moment in Bari had just start again and for that reason did not think too much, he says yes, more or less the same economic conditions that had to Samp. Is uncertain but its epilogue with the club Sampdoria. The money involved behind the decision are many. Sampdoria (expected today for the resignation of general manager Gasparin, independent of the case Cassano) hopes to have full right, then maybe sue for damages image. Cassano expects the other truth. What would take its revenge, with a claim equal to one million euro. A shower of money. With that happy to emigrate Milanello.

[The MAN]

Oh god, Cassano will never grow up, he's a bomb waiting to explode, I say we pass on him

By the way, from a technical point of view, we have several players in our roster with similar characteristics, and his goal-scoring record is not that great, we need somebody who can lead the line on his own as a target man, but at the same time be versatile enough to fit in Allegri's scheme...talented he is, but the cons outweigh the pros for Cassano.I don't have a problem with Dinho but, like shinpin indicated, he's way too expensive for Milan...he's definitely gone by June but there's a chance we ship him out even earlier

I don't see us getting a defender till June though I hope I'm wrong. We do need a striker though, we absolutely cannot go the whole season like this, Pato is made of glass, Pippo is done, and Dinho is frozen out

[The MAN]