2013 Wrap-Up/2014 Preview

2013 Wrap-Up: Milan v Inter, December 22nd

The final match of the calendar year for Milan was a critical one as they faced off against their hated rival, Inter. After a disappointing draw v Roma earlier in the week, it was Milan's last chance to salvage something from such a poor season.

The Derby della Madoninna between Milan and Inter was neck and neck for nearly the entire match. Each side had chances to take control of the 3 points at stake but failed to do so until Chelsea target Fredy Guarin assisted an 86th minute Rodrigo Palacio back-heel goal to give Inter the lead late, leaving Allegri's side scrambling to grab a point.

In the 90 +3 minute, Sulley Muntari was dealt a red card after knocking down Inter's Kuzmanovic in support of teammate Kaka. A few chances late but nothing to show for it as Inter took 3 points away from the first of two meetings between the sides. Milan go into the break with a big loss to Inter, 19 pts from 17 matches and a 13th place spot in the league.

2014 Preview

Milan go into the break in 13th place. Disappointment isn't enough to describe this Milan side, a side former Milan midfielder Zvonimir Boban stated "used to be a serious club." Former players coming out and publicly bashing the club once feared by everyone is not a good sign. Milan open up 2014 v Atalanta on January 6th.

As for the January transfer window, there are a few players that have already been announced as official transfers: Adil Rami and Keisuke Honda. Milan hopes these two players can help propel them back to the top of the table. One player already loaned out as of this past week is M'Baye Niang, who will finish the season with French side Montpellier. The teenager hasn't quite lived up to the hype placed upon him but you can say he hasn't received the proper minutes to showcase his ability. A loan move abroad should help him develop and regain his confidence.

Two players rumored to be headed to Milan are Torino's Danilo D'Ambrosio and Cagliari's Radja Nainggolan. D'Ambrosio is reportedly nearing a move to Milan in a potential player exchange, which could see Antonio Nocerino or Riccardo Saponara going to Torino. Nainggolan could be headed to Milan in a move that would give them 50% of the Belgium international while Cagliari receives 7million euros + 50% of highly-rated midfielder Bryan Cristante. Details of the negotiations are still being worked out.

January 2013 saw the arrival of Mario Balotelli from Manchester City. His arrival meant so much to Milan and their push to Champions League qualification. I don't think the Milanisti are expecting such an impact to be made by any of the incoming players. However, there is hope that the additions pull Milan out of the Serie A cellar and ignite some sort of push back to the top. At this point, it remains to be seen.-MS

1,000 Strong. Grazie

In November of 2012, two brothers from New Jersey decided to create a Twitter account dedicated to their love and passion for Milan. This page was started so that we would have a place to discuss the red and black with other fellow Milanisti and provide some of those around the world with news and information on Milan, news that perhaps was unavailable to them. We wanted to bring our love for Milan to social networks and make some friends along the way.

Once we started this page, we made it our goal to reach at least 1000 followers from all over the world and share some great times with them along the way. We understood that it would take time to reach this goal and we really needed to be on top of this account when major news broke about Milan. We have live tweeted during matches and have really enjoyed sharing the excitement with the other Milan fans, whether it was a win, loss or draw. We first met a large group of our followers this past summer at Metlife Stadium for the ICC Cup featuring Milan. They welcomed us with open arms to the Milan family and we couldn't have been more appreciative. This is what the page was all about. A family of loyal, diverse Milan fans from all ethnicity, races and ages united on one network.

On December 10th 2013, we finally accomplished our goal. 1000 followers strong. We set a goal, at times, questioned if it was attainable but with help of everyone on Twitter supporting us and spreading the word about our page, we were successful. On behalf of the AC Milan Bros, we thank each and every one of you who have made this possible. From some of our very first followers (you know who you are) to those who joined the party late, we appreciate your continuous support for what we do. A special shoutout to our Northeast friends, AC Milan Club NY/NJ and Milan Club Philly for really helping us get our foot in the door and gain some recognition. Not only are they great  Milan fans but also great people. Grazie to everyone and here is to more good times in the future! FORZA MILAN!!!!!-MS

Milan: A Serie A Circus Act

Stemming from this past summer, the once mighty Milan have become not so mighty. What exists are a plethora of words to describe the club's painfully frustrating start to the season. I'll allow our fellow Milanisti to be creative with such words of disappointment. At times, many of the supporters feel that eventually, something has to give. Something has to go in favor of the Rossoneri. However, with the injuries sustained to the likes of Stephan El Shaarawy, Mattia De Sciglio and the most recent one being Matias Silvestre, it's only fair to point fingers at the highly ridiculed manager, Mr. Allegri, right? The question the Milan faithful want answers to is "How can one club sustain this many injuries? It's one thing to have injuries occur late in the season as the players have gone through a ton of minutes in the Champions League, Coppa Italia and the Serie A campaign. It's another to have virtually every player miss some time just two months into the campaign.

Milan's woes don't end there. The continuous concerns in the defense have cost Milan points on several occasions. Place blame on injuries all you want but Galliani and Berlusconi failed to address Milan's biggest hole this past summer. As a result, the lackluster defending has contributed to Milan's current position in Serie A, 10th. Milan is no stranger to this type of start as just a year ago, they spent quite some time in the cellar of Serie A only to have Stephan El Shaarawy save Milan from one of the worse campaigns in the club historic history. Just a few weeks ago, Galliani finally addressed the defending concerns by inking a deal with the want away French international from Valencia, Adil Rami. Additionally, Galliani and Allegri confirmed the transfer of Keisuke Honda from CSKA Moscow, a move that has been expected since the summer.

Logically, when a club is suffering this badly, it's only fitting that speculation occurs regarding the future of two of the club's elite talents, Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli. Rumors spread across social media yesterday about El Shaarawy and Balotelli. Not going too much into this but to keep it short, its just smoke.

Injuries, defending that makes you cringe, social media rumors and perhaps a manager sacking? Come one, come all to the circus act in Milan- MS

Recap: Champions League Group Stage: Milan v Ajax

Milan managed to draw Ajax in Amsterdam in the first of two meetings in the group stage between the clubs. The first half belonged to Ajax who controlled possession and seemingly brought the match to Milan without fear. However, they were unable to get on the scoresheet despite the better half.

In the second half, Milan started to gain back a bit of confidence and created a few chances to score. Even though the momentum started to perhaps even out between the two sides, Milan seemingly looked more than content to walk away from the match with just the one point. However, Ajax had other ideas as they began to apply pressure to Allegri's back line by forcing Abbiati to make a few crucial saves. One of these saves resulted in a corner for Ajax just before injury time was applied. Milan's set piece defending issues are well documented. It showed as Muntari and company failed to mark on the corner and Stefano Denswil headed home the first goal. This goal appeared to be the decisive goal to give the Dutch side a big 3 points after losing 4-0 to Barcelona in their first CL match.

Throughout the match, Mario Balotelli appeared to be fouled quite a bit whether he exaggerated at times or not. In the 90 +3 minute, Balotelli and Milan received a gift from the official as the forward was given a penalty on a poor call. Balotelli quieted the Amsterdam crowd and put it past the keeper to give Milan a point they did not deserve.

Thoughts: The starting squad Allegri appeared to have settled on included Valter Birsa along with Robinho behind Balotelli. However, Birsa was a late scratch which resulted in captain Riccardo Montolivo moving out of position into Birsa's spot and Andrea Poli starting in the midfield alongside Nigel De Jong and Sulley Muntari. Montolivo is not a winger and to play him out of position in his first match back since the injury has left many confused especially when Allegri's hand-picked forward Alessandro Matri started on the bench. Milan surely missed Birsa today as he could have allowed Allegri to keep Montolivo in the midfield where he belongs and he would have given Balotelli a player to link up with.

Milan did not deserve anything from this match. Period. The referee spoon fed Milan an opportunity to salvage a result and if it wasn't for Balotelli's penalty-taking ability, Milan would have been sent home with a very sour taste in their mouths ahead of a huge clash with Juventus. This club needs to find an identity and make it work. Fast-MS

Balotelli starts suspension, Milan draws Bologna & 5 pts in 5 matches. Too early to panic?

Earlier this week, Mario Balotelli was handed down a 3 match ban after the incident in this past weekend's loss to Napoli. Many feel this punishment is a bit harsh but perhaps its the issue of racism that has become more of the headline grabber. Images of Balotelli pleading with the official (left) while he throws the Italian striker a rather snotty smirk has enraged Milan supporters worldwide. Balotelli must know that he is a targeted man in Serie A and he must be able to harness his rage for the sake of his club. As a result of the incident, Balotelli missed the 3-3 draw v Bologna and will be ineligible v Sampdoria and Juventus.

Yesterday, Milan avoided more embarrassment by staging a 2 goal comeback v Bologna to draw 3-3 and salvage their 5th point in as many matches. Many supporters took their reaction to social networks where a portion of the fans felt that for what turmoil the club currently sits in, they will take the result. Others reacted by stating that a 3-3 draw to Bologna isn't something to be proud of as this isn't Milan's nature and way of going about business. The idea that many fans took something positive out of the result is absolutely disheartening and the continuous controversy over Allegri's head still leaves many wondering just what is going on with this club.

A comeback draw v Bologna isn't pleasing. Plain and simple. 5 points in 5 matches is poor any way you slice it despite the laundry list of players sidelined with injuries and Balotelli's 3 match ban. There is enough quality still active to have earned more than 5 points at this point and when is it too early to enter panic mode? After last seasons miserable first half that was heroically saved thanks in large part to Allegri's under utilized forward Stephan El Shaarawy, their is no room for another abysmal start. It's a domino effect that stems from upper management who, despite bringing in Kaká and company, failed to bring in the amount of quality needed for a title run. Factor in Allegri's tactical and formation choices and you have whipped up a recipe for a sub par campaign.

Panicking? Perhaps many are but I stand firm on the assumption that things at Milan cant seemingly get worse. Hang tight and continue to support this beloved club because Milan is a club like none other-MS

OFFICIAL: Kaká returns to Milan

According to many sources close to the situation, Real Madrid midfielder Ricardo Kaká has agreed to a 2 year-deal with his former club Milan on a reported free transfer. The Brazilian has reportedly cut his wages from 10mil euros to somewhere in the range of 4-5mil euros per year with bonuses included. Kaká will fly to Milano to undergo his medicals where he will officially be welcomed back to his loving club.

In the winter transfer window this past January, Milan and Real Madrid reportedly agreed on a deal to bring Kaká back to Milan but it fell apart, ending the dreams of a Milan comeback. It appears that the sale of Kevin Prince Boateng to German side Schalke for 10mil euros gave Milan fans the indication that longtime CSKA Moscow playmaker Keisuke Honda was the primary target to fill Boateng's spot at Milan. However, CSKA and Milan have stalled on negotiations, making a free January transfer more likely. Once this became the case, the Kaká rumors began to stir across the Twitter-verse creating speculation that perhaps the Brazilian will arrive ahead of the summer transfer deadline on September 2nd. 

Milan confirmed their interest in bringing Kaká back to Milan this summer and went ahead to meet with Real Madrid's Florentino Pérez and the club officials to work on a deal. After a weekend of meetings and negotiations, the two clubs agreed to let him leave Madrid and return to Milan on what appears to be a free transfer. 

The formation Max Allegri deems fitting for Kaká could potentially be a (4-3-1-2): Abbiati; Abate, Zapata, Mexes/Astori?, De Sciglio; De Jong, Montolivo, Poli; Kaká; Balotelli, El Shaarawy.-MS 

Closing Time: Summer Transfer Market is nearing a close

With the Serie A Transfer Window closing on September 2nd, several teams have already greatly improved their squads, ready to mold themselves into serious title contenders. Clubs like Napoli, Roma, Fiorentina and Juventus have been among the most active clubs. Napoli sold their best player, Edinson Cavani, to French giant PSG but have quickly invested their return on that sale for Gonzalo Higuain, Raul Albiol, Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and Pepe Reina. Roma sold Marquinhos and Pablo Osvaldo and have brought in PSV midfielder Kevin Strootman, Brazilian Maicon, Gervinho, Tim Jedvaj and Mehdi Benatia. 

Fiorentina sold Stefan Jovetic to Manchester City but have significantly upgraded their near CL squad from last season. Players like Joaquin, Juan Cuadrado, former Milan captain Massimo Ambrosini, Josep Ilicic and Mario Gomez have all made the move to the Viola. Juventus have brought in Milan target Angelo Ogbonna, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente among other players. 

Serie A has been arguably the most active this mercato with several big name players packing their bags for England and France while others have moved to Italy. Milan, expected to be very active after crawling their way into the top 3, have made a few moves, most notably for Riccardo Saponara, Andrea Poli and Cristian Zapata. However, many Milanisti patiently wait for Galliani to make his famous "buzzer-beater" splashes that seem to surprise everybody except Milan fans. Keisuke Honda and Adem Ljajic sit atop Milan's wish list but in recent weeks, PSG defender Mamadou Sakho has emerged as a possible defensive target that Milan sure could use as defending continues to be a huge concern despite Matias Silvestre's arrival. With one week remaining in the transfer window, it remains to be seen whether Milan will sit tight with the squad they have or make a few moves before time expires this mercato-MS

Stephan and Mario: A Better Love Story Than Twilight?

During the first half of last season, many Milan fans immediately fell in love with the young phenom, Stephan El Shaarawy. His ability to become a vital part of bringing this team out from the lower part of the Serie A table to a European contender was nothing short of impressive. In fact, he received high praise from several young superstars like himself for his performance on the pitch. Players like Mario Goetze had nothing but great things to say about the Italian international. Milan and the loyal fans of the club knew what they had in El Shaarawy. What excited us most was that he just entered his 20s and his potential was sky high. 

The second half of last season, which saw Milan jump as high as the 2nd slot in the Serie A table, was completely different from the earlier half. The team appeared to be playing with a little more resiliency and recognizing a chance to salvage a spot in the next Champions League tournament. The departure of Alexandre Pato fueled the arrival of Mario Balotelli, one of Europe's most prolific talents. Mario Balotelli arrived at Milan in January for peanuts, energizing Milanisti across the globe. Its no surprise as to what Mario Balotelli can do on the pitch aside from his questionable antics. When in form, he is one of Europe's most gifted footballers. A duo that would consist of Mario Balotelli and first half hero Stephan El Shaarawy surely left Rossoneri fans watering out the mouth as this would only build a chemistry for the future Azzurri attack. 

Mario Balotelli went on to score 12 goals in just 13 caps for Milan. However, the other half of the attacking threat, El Shaarawy, tailed off from his superb first half. Many times, El Shaarawy looked exhausted from a heavy workload on the pitch. Tracking back to defend on many occasions or perhaps being asked to carry the heavy goal burden that he felt responsible for? Not quite sure what the definitive reasoning is behind his disappointing second half but the bottom line was that Milan did qualify for the third and final CL spot, fending off Fiorentina on the final day of the season.

The big question is: What can we expect from Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli as we approach their first full season together? There is no disputing the talent that Milan has with these two stars. Mario Balotelli can generate space and opportunity for himself to score, a skill that El Shaarawy, in time, will obtain at Milan. El Shaarawy played a more central role while on loan at Padova. Comparing Serie B to playing in Serie A particularly at Milan is two different monsters but you have to take into consideration that he is a young 20 years old and still has plenty of room for growth. With Balotelli in red and black, El Shaarawy knows that he has a great partner up front that will help take some of the pressure off himself,  which will allow El Shaarawy to flourish in whatever attacking role Allegri places him in. 

These two attackers have built a great relationship through their short time last year and with the international squad. With a full, clean slate going into the 2013-2014 season, the expectations are high but at Milan, that has and always will be the case. Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli have developed such a connection that we expect nothing shy of excellence between the two of them as well as Milan. With Balotelli at Milan, you can count on El Shaarawy not to disappoint this time around. Expect the duo to fulfill expectations and lead Milan as serious Scudetto contenders.- MS

ICC 2013: Milan v Chelsea: Tailgates, Milanisti, The Match, Good Times

After roughly 9 months of tweeting to hundreds of Milan fans through our Twitter account (@ACMilanBros), we finally met some of the passionate Milanisti at the widely anticipated event, Milan v Chelsea International Champions Cup 2013 tailgate at Metlife Stadium last Sunday, August 4th. The hosts of the tailgating festivities were our brothers from Milan Club Philly (@MilanClubPhilly) and AC Milan Club NY/NJ (@ACMilanNYC), who provided everyone in attendance with great food, drinks, fun, discussions, parking lot calcio and some megaphone antics that created a welcoming atmosphere that set the tone for the match to begin later that night. 

Although the outcome of the match was disappointing, the entire day was incredibly fun and enjoyable as a whole. We had a great experience talking with the people we spent months tweeting to and we just wanted to give a big thank you to those who made the day possible. As the 2013-2014 Serie A campaign looms, we hope to see many of you at the match viewings in New York. Looking forward to an exciting season that will hopefully end in a Scudetto title!-MS

Choosing The Right Rossoneri Kit

Last week, Milan revealed the kit numbers for each player on the squad for the upcoming 2013-2014 Serie A campaign. A few notable numbers were boldly selected by a few youngsters. Colombian teenager Jherson Vergara Amu took the almighty #33 kit which was worn by one of Milan's former superstar defender's, Thiago Silva. Some thought it was quite ballsy to take on such a number, one that was worn by a fan favorite of many Milanisti across the Europe. However, with tons of potential and promise, Vergara Amu is rated as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe which brings quite a bit of excitement to Milan and all of the fans.
Another number that was taken, a number that was worn gracefully and passionately by a renegade midfielder, was the #8 kit worn by Rino Gattuso. Gattuso wore the #8 Milan kit as proud as any player could wear such colors. This number will be worn by Italian U-21 youngster Riccardo Saponara. Saponara is one of the newcomer's at Milan and he carries a ton of talent that Count Max will need to compete for a Scudetto.

As the new kits became available for purchase at the Milan store and across several football merchandise outlets, many of the Milanisti looked to grab the new threads particularly the new home kit. Many have asked us which player they should go with? Logically, most of the fans chose Balotelli, El Shaarawy and Montolivo. All are very good choices. However, some are contemplating the purchase of players like Saponara, Cristante's #24 kit and Nigel De Jong. Want to know the secret to choosing the appropriate player for the upcoming campaign? Simple. Go with your gut. Dont make this out to be a decision on whether to go with the new model of the Mercedez-Benz or an Audi. Kits are roughly $110 US not $75k or Bakaye Traore's deserved wages. Personally, we have two home Pato kits, one Ronaldinho, one Kaka, one Boateng, two El Shaarawy, one De Sciglio and one Balotelli (could be missing one or two). Now, if your heart oddly tells you to go with Antonini or Bonera in hopes of a breakout year, please go and get checked out at MilanLab because thats an issue.

Bottom line: Go with the player you love and the player you feel wont change their number. Youngster's tend to change their kit the following year as new big names arrive and demand a number they wore at their previous club. A few recommendations would be De Sciglio, Balotelli, El Shaarawy, Montolivo, De Jong and Robinho.....just kidding.-MS

Quantity & Quality: What Italian Soccer Provides That Other Leagues Don't

The casual football(soccer) nut hears the often used phrase "best soccer nation in the world" and immediately thinks "Well, that's quite simple. It's England or Spain. Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid to name a few." Surely those clubs remain among the top clubs in Europe. Nobody is disputing that. However, looking at a much wider spectrum in world football, do those two nations provide the best, most competitive soccer? Well, I am here to say that for over the past few years, one league has made its way all the way to the top and that is Serie A.

Serie A, over the past few years, has become not just a "Milan/Juventus/Inter" Scudetto race but a league where Milan, Juventus, Inter, Napoli, Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and even little ol' Catania compete for a spot in a major European tournament. The exciting and perhaps more frightening aspect of it all is that fewer clubs remain labeled "an easy 3 points opponent." Serie A is different from any other league in Europe (alright, South America as well) in that each match day provides fans with a potential upset. How often did we see a "Manchester United v QPR" or "Barcelona v Getafe" type fixture and utter "Why on Earth is this game being aired on a major network?" Perhaps the same amount of times as the number spot Inter placed last campaign.

Italian soccer is suave, finesse and sometimes referred to by anti-calcio fans as "slow developing," which is simply false. Serie A truly doesn't get the credit it deserves when discussing soccer at the water cooler with that lone Norwich City fan who was just sent in from England to tell you how to construct a perfect blog. A competitive league is supposed to have depth in the amount of clubs that can compete for a place in a UEFA tournament. The aforementioned clubs (Milan, Juventus, Inter, Napoli, Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and Catania) are the blueprint for competitive Italian soccer. Want to hear something that will make you smirk? Serie A gets picked apart by PSG, Paris Saint Germain and oh, P$G, every summer and remains as competitive as ever. Serie A sits atop Europe as the most competitive league and its not going anywhere anytime soon. Get used to it folks.

Alexandre Pato: "The Rise, Fall and Exit of the Duck"

Milan went on to capture their seventh Champions League title in 2007. The Rossoneri were the world's best club at the time trailing only Real Madrid for the most CL titles in all of European football with 9. The move to follow up a new trophy would bring ultimate excitement along with the usual high expectations of Milan and the passionate Milanisti, the arrival of 17 year old Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato from Internacional. Known as "Duck" to many, Pato made the move to San Siro in the summer of 2007, providing Milan fans everywhere with excitement knowing that they may have a potential superstar in the making on their hands, one that could further expand the success of "The World's Most Successful Club" for years to come. 

Alexandre Pato would score his very first Serie A goal with Milan v Napoli, a goal that welcomed the teenager to the club with open arms. In his very first season with the club, Pato notched an impressive 9 goals in 20 appearances. Exactly one year later, Pato would eventually be the club's leading goalscorer with 18 goals, capping off an impressive sophomore campaign with the Rossoneri. 

In an injury plagued 2009-2010 season, Pato scored two second half goals in a CL win v Real Madrid at the famous Bernabeu. Due to reoccurring injuries, Pato would miss a Champions League draw v Manchester United which ultimately ended Milan's run at title number 8. The 2010-2011 season marked the arrival of several new faces that would ultimately lead to a Scudetto title. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho would join Pato in the attempt to capture glory in Italy. The most memorable performance for Pato in the injury-ridden campaign would come in the Derby della Madonnina win v Inter where he would score two goals for Milan. At this time, Rossoneri fans felt Pato was back in form and that he will solidify himself as Milan's superstar spark plug. 

In a group-stage match of the Champions League the following season, Pato would score the fifth fastest goal in tournament history, 24 seconds after the game kicked off. Despite an impressive showing v the world's top club, Pato acquired the injury bug once again, suffering yet another thigh injury that sidelined him for several weeks. As the January transfer period arrived, the youngster's future with the club was in doubt. Milan were heavily exploring bringing in want away Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez. To fund this move, Galliani and the Ligue 1 club PSG discussed a possible transfer of Alexandre Pato. Rumors continued throughout the month that Pato could be headed to Paris but ultimately, the Brazilian rejected the move, pledging his loyalty and dedication to Milan. It appeared that a can't-miss player like Pato might not remain at the club for the rest of his career.

Just weeks into training for the upcoming 2012-2013 season, Pato's injury woes continued when he sustained a thigh injury that sidelined him for the first six weeks of the season. At this point, many passionate Milan fans like myself questioned whether Pato would ever reach his ultimate potential. Fall of 2012 would mark the end of Alexandre Pato's goalscoring with Milan as he netted a goal v Anderlecht in a November Champions League win. 

One year after a near move to PSG, Alexandre Pato's stint with Milan came to a disappointing, yet sad conclusion as he was sold to Brazilian side Corinthians for 15 million euros. The big question on the minds of Milanisti wasnt "How are Pato and Barbara going to make this long-distance relationship work?" but "Will he ever stay healthy and fulfill his superstar, world class potential?"

Alexandre Pato's move abroad would eventually fund the arrival of  Mario Balotelli from Manchester City, providing Milan fans with the chance to bid farewell to one star talent and welcome the arrival of another. Pato, despite his injuries with Milan, netted over 50 goals in 100+ appearances.

Alexandre Pato was beloved by Curva Sud and Milanisti worldwide. The skill he showcased while at Milan was truly something special. We all loved his heart, passion, skill and his ex-girlfriend. We stood by him as injuries plagued his existence at Milan but ultimately, the fairytale story didn't end the way anyone imagined. With a career full of ultimate highs and disappointing lows, many fans like myself remain questioning just what went wrong and what could have been done to help Pato grow as a footballer. Did MilanLab handle his injuries correctly? Did he claim to be healthy to prove his worth even though he might not have been 100% match fit? Was Max Allegri, like other cases, to blame for forcing his rehabilitation from several leg injuries? We may never have a definitive answer for any of those questions surrounding Pato. We do wish him the best and hope he stays healthy with Corinthians and perhaps one day, returns to the club that loved him dearly, Milan. - MS