what team is being born – Corriere.it

New Devil, old ambitions. The AC Milan season kicks off today in Milanello for the first day of what looks a lot like year zero after the June revolution. Programme: meeting, training and (above all) first official words from Pioli, who after Maldini’s thunderous farewell now has an enhanced, decisive, central role as never before, a cross between the classic Italian coach and an all-round manager ‘English. The team still incomplete but is taking shape, under ticket management Furlani-Moncada. In July and August they will have to work overtime, rather than holidays. Judgment on their work must be suspended until the end of the market, then the sums will be drawn: until then, it is right to trust. The crux is in midfield, where the sale of Tonali for 80 million combined with the serious injury of Bennacer which will keep him out until January has created a chasm. Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea is a nice coup, which helps to finally fill (and with a year delay) the void left by Kessie, but numerically there is still work to be done. Az’s Reijnders is a convincing profile, as is Chelsea’s jolly attacking midfielder Pulisic, who will cover the loss of Diaz, who has returned to parent company Real.

Lots of spare parts

In the plans, a more physical, more European Milan is being born, with more kilos, more centimeters and above all more turnover, to avoid falling back into one of the many mistakes made last season, when the same 12-13 players always played due to the disastrous summer transfer market. . now there to focus on the attackwhere a ready-to-use centre-forward to work alongside the 37-year-old Giroud is missing (and not from now on): the goals include Taremis of the Port and Chess from West Ham, while Morata of Atletico it seems a costly operation. Several identikits under examination. One thing is certain: without Ibra and Tonali, it will be necessary to recover the quick leadership and personality, which is why the rapid growth of the younger players as well as the new ones will be fundamental.

Uphill start

The calendar has not been kind

the uphill start, with 5 direct clashes in the first 10 days: not the best for a team that has yet to structure itself in the central sector. The derby of 16 September, fourth day, it will already be a crash test. Also because, beyond any consideration on absolute values, with Milan starting objectively behind several opponents in the classic early season grid, the objectives remain unchanged: 1) try to win the Scudetto with the second star, doing better than 5 2022-23 field spot; 2) go as far forward as possible in the Champions League, perhaps repeating the amazing journey of last year. Put like this, and with many supporters still lost after the June revolution, it seems difficult. But Milan Milan: changes or not, the ambitions remain the same, high.

The gatherings of the big names

And the same goes for the other big names who return to training these days: Lazio started yesterday, today it’s also the turn of Allegri’s Juventus, Mourinho’s Roma and Juric’s Turin, tomorrow at Atalanta, Wednesday at Napoli new coach Rudi Garcia, Thursday at Inter who, like Milan, have the second star in mind. Six weeks of work on and off the pitch, between training and the market. Then it will already be championship. The countdown started.