4 hours and 35 minutes. Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan day lasted a long time, made up of speeches, initiatives and that touch of humor so dear to the president. Will all this be enough to restore momentum to the team? We will know tonight around 22.30pm, when Napoli-Milan is over. Only then will we be able to understand if the patient is on the way to recovery. Meanwhile, the team has found its president again, at least according to what he declared: “Now I no longer have institutional duties, I can go back to taking care of Milan, also at the invitation of Galliani, Tassotti and Allegri who want me close to the team. I'll go back to the stadium." Having landed from the inevitable helicopter at 12.10, Berlusconi interrupted the training session which had already been underway for about 50 minutes. After a handshake with El Shaarawy, the former Premier gathered the group (including the coach) in the middle of the pitch for the awaited speech. Which lasted about ten minutes, just long enough to "invite" the Pharaoh, Boateng and Mexes to a haircut more in keeping with the parent company. At the end of training then, Berlusconi had lunch with Allegri, reserving nice words for him. “If I didn't have the confidence I would have already sent him away – explained the president. – In 26 years we have changed to racing only twice, it is not our tradition, we are serious. I have an excellent relationship with the coach, he is a nice person even before being a good coach. And with him we won a Scudetto before the impressive series of injuries”.
But since the president is always the president, after the praise came the usual tactical dictates, decidedly less flattering: “What did the coach say when I spoke to the team? Nothing, he listened, on the other hand I also came here to set up the form – he said jokingly (but not too much…). – In any case, I never want the three-man defense again: we won a Scudetto when we eliminated it in the last few days”. And again, praising Montolivo: "He reminds me of Pirlo, he has to play more in the center of the field". Between praise for Pato ("He's a champion, the most unsellable of all") and witticisms ("El Shaarawy is a good boy. If only he would change his hairstyle..."), Berlusconi then came to touch on the most eagerly awaited topics fans: the market and the possible entry into society of the Chinese. “I have to make up for lost time and we are also here to act on the market. Balotelli? I really like. No negotiations have been made with anyone, the Chinese could enter as sponsors. Then it wouldn't make sense to sell a company at a time like this. First we have to get back to the top, then eventually we could consider the hypothesis”. A real tornado, which at 16.45 left Milanello aboard the usual helicopter. The sports center in the province of Varese has thus returned to normal, with Massimiliano Allegri's press conference: “I think the president's visit was important for all of us. He hasn't been here for a long time, it's a stimulus, he knows how to speak very well, he understands the moment and has reassured and encouraged us. I'm glad I earned his trust, but he had already given it to me on the phone during the week ”. No mention of Berlusconi's tactical "suggestions" and training, which therefore remains top secret. The only certainty is that the formation will change for the umpteenth time, and from 4-2-3-1 we will switch to 4-3-3.
POSSIBLE FORMATIONS
Naples (3-4-1-2): De Sanctis; Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Gamberini; May, Inler, Dzemaili, Zuniga; Hamsik; Insigne, Cavani.
On the bench: Rosati, Colombo, Aronica, Grava, Britos, Fernandez, Mesto, Donadel, Vargas, Dossena, El Kaddouri.
Trainer: Walter Mazzarri.
Unavailable: Pandev.
Disqualified: Behrami.
AC Milan (4-3-3): Have you; De Sciglio, Mexes, Acerbi, Constant; Emanuelson, Montolivo, Nocerino; Bojan, Pazzini, El Shaarawy.
On the bench: Amelia, Gabriel, Zapata, Yepes, De Jong, Boateng, Flamini, Niang, Robinho, Pato.
Trainer: Massimiliano Allegri.
Unavailable: Mesbah, Strasser, Didac Vila, Muntari, Antonini, Abate, Bonera.
Disqualified: Ambrosini.
Referee: Mauro Bergonzi (Genoa).
Line Assistants: Marzaloni - Giordano.
Port Assistants: Damato – Tommasi.
Fourth official: Empty.
