MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI has confirmed he’ll walk out at the end of the season but wants to keep Milan in Europe.
Milan had some good moments in 2013, which ends in a few hours, but also some bad ones: The Rossoneri did get the third place last season after a great run in the first few months of the year, but August-December has been hell for them.
il Diavolo are currently in 13th place and have virtually no chance of qualifying to next year’s CL (unless they win it) and the 2013/2014 is pretty much over them as far as Serie A is concerned. In 14/15, Milan will be led by a different coach.
Video: Milan’s YouTube moments in 2013
El Shaarawy goes under the knife, out for 10 weeks
“I did things that had to be done in order to rejuvenate Milan,” coach Massimiliano Allegri told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I did those things in accordance with the management, and somebody sees me as hatchet man, but I have never been that type of person. We did what was required; in three seasons, the squad and I obtained the results the management asked of us.
“Unfortunately, the third place is now very far away, but we have the Coppa Italia which is a good option to make Milan qualify for Europe before I leave. I don’t know who will be the new Milan coach, and it’s not my problem. This will definitely be my last Christmas as a Milan coach, but I’ve eaten the panettone (sweet bread loaf) again this time (Italian expression that means to secure your job before the end of the calendar year), and I honestly have never had any doubts about this.
“My relationship with Clarence Seedorf (the favourite to take over next season)? He did well in the penultimate season at Milan. He is a great player, and of course I would have preferred to coach him when he was 28 instead of when he was 35.
“What kind of Milan I’m leaving to the next coach? I leave a good team that earned the love of the fans. A team that with a few adjustments will have a future. I was sure that I was going to be the coach that would bring Milan their second gold star (20th Serie A title), but my second league campaign at Milan was decided partially by a goal that wasn’t validated (Muntari’s phantom goal against Juventus). Let’s just say that we weren’t very lucky. And in the season after that, we practically had to start over from scratch, but we qualified for the Champions League, and in this current season we are in the round of 16.
“How far Milan realistically can go in the Champions League? I don’t know, but we have a good chance of making it to the quarter-finals. Atletico Madrid are a tough and strong team, but many things will have changed by February. It is very difficult for us to reach third place as we are 17 points away from it. But we have to get back on track and improve our position in the league. And this can motivate us to do well in the UEFA Champions League and in the Coppa Italia.
“The real regret about this season is that I have never had all the players at my disposal: the starting full-backs (Ignazio Abate and Mattia De Sciglio) have never been ready at the same time, and Stephan El Shaarawy has barely played. Giampaolo Pazzini just returned, and the young players are good, but they’ve to be accompanied and supported during their growth. A player like Cristante has qualities but he needs time. El Shaarawy’s injury? We didn’t make any mistakes.
“We consulted one of the best specialists in the world, and he told us that 75% of the microfractures heal themselves, but unfortunately, we were in the 25% when it came to El Shaarawy’s microfracture. Many things have gone badly in the last part of 2013, but I’m sorry that our medical staff and athletic coaches are being blamed. That really makes me angry.
“If the results are lacking then it’s always the coach’s fault. The last four months of 2013 have been disastrous, but I have always worked with enthusiasm and I will do that until the end. Why I have decided to leave Milan? I decided that it would be my last season at Milan when it was decided that I would stay here for another season (in the meeting between Allegri, Galliani and Berlusconi in June). I liked the idea of staying and finishing a job, but four years at the same club is a lot.
“The compliments from Fabio Capello and Marcello Lippi? I can offer Lippi a nice dinner, but it is more difficult with Capello as he is in Russia. All jokes aside, I can only thank both of them for their nice words about me. The management kept me because they didn’t have any alternatives? If the management didn’t have any alternatives then it means that I’m really good and that they couldn’t find a better coach,” Allegri joked. “People say that I don’t have any control over the players?
“It is just nonsense that people say when things aren’t going well. De Boer’s comments about Milan playing anti-football against Ajax? I can understand De Boer because he was angry when he said those things after the match. But we were 10 against 11, so I don’t see what we could do more than having an organized defence. He must have regrets because we had a player less, and Ajax had two clear goal-scoring chances when we were playing 11 against 11. De Boer was unlucky.
“People say that Milan have been playing poorly? We have also been playing well. Last season, my third at Milan, I had to start over from scratch and we also had many players to insert that time. It is not easy. The 4-3-3 formation is difficult to use with the players that I have at my disposal. The Christmas tree formation is always good if you have a star player.
“This season will help Mario Balotelli to get the consistency that he has never had, seeing as nobody used him as a starter for many matches before he came to Milan. He will also be important for the World Cup. It could be his year. Pazzini? He is good in all seasons of the year. Last season, he was the only player that was capable of scoring in autumn, winter and spring. But he has been out for seven months, so he needs time to recover. If I regret signing Alessandro Matri? No, because we needed him in that moment, and he has always been scoring goals. He will also score goals for Milan.
“If Matri is for sale? Why should he be? We will be without Stephan El Shaarawy for the next three months. Robinho has to get back in shape, and M’Baye Niang has been loaned out (to Montpellier). Why the Milan fans should be excited and passionate about Milan? Because the wind can change like it happened last season. We have to take it match by match and with calmness – and we have to remember that we are the only Italian team left in the UEFA Champions League.
“If I will coach Italy in the future? I want to avoid talking about Italy. They have a great coach and could have a great World Cup. As for my future, I will have to see what opportunities I will get, and I will choose the challenge that will stimulate me the most. If I’m studying English? I was already studying English when I was at Cagliari. There is time to learn other languages.
“Football is a universal language,” Allegri added. This is Massimiliano’s fourth and final year at Milan: in his debut season he won the Scudetto, ending a seven-year Serie A title draught; the following season he finished 2nd and then in 3rd.
nice to read that you are leaving
Iiiiihaaaaaaaaaaaaa best news ever
Can’t believe such a loser coached Milan for the last 4 years. I am so disappointed with the board. I hate this guy.. he is a worthless coward
THANK YOU GOD! YOU HAVE ANSWERED MY PRAYERS! #FORZAMILAN
Its good to see getting good news in the beginning of 2014…(1)Ariedo Braida quits,(2)Allegri decides to quit FINALLY,(3)Nainggolan is very close to joining Milan,(4)we got very good reinforcements so cheap(a)honda(free),(b)rami(15mil euros in 4 years)…wish everybody Very Happy New year till you keep supporting Rossoneri…hope the next good news are coming with the likes of player sellings like matri,noce,zaccardo,amelia……Forza Rossoneri…THANKS@Allegri for(1)giving 1 league title
(2)barca matches with tactics….
(3)this news
only one wish…before leaving please give atleast one cup(my choice-Coppa Italia),and if possible take Milan to quarter finals of UCL….
People rush to chase off Alegri,let’s see how this below-average team will do with Seedorf,a “manager” that never managed in his life.
Besides if no good players arrive now and in Summer nothing will change.
At least 2 good players are arriving now…and why wouldn´t people want to see a coach leave who has failed to beat even the easiest of Serie A teams at home this season?
Why Milan will not sign a big coach like Di mateo
CEEEEEEEEELEBRATE GOOD TIMES COME ON!!!
How can you call Di Matteo great? People are delusioned, he was sacked from West Brom before the job at Chelsea and he inexplicably won the UCL, I predicted him getting the sack just a couple of months in to the next season and he was just that. Not Milan material, at least not now, maybe he’ll become better.
Foofball is one sector where mediocrity is barely tolerated so I suppose every coach that stays at a club for more than a season could be said to be doing a very good job. Allegri has been on our panchina for a few seasons now so there must be something he did right, despite all the criticism he has received. I think it is important to judge a person’s work on the tools at their disposal. Allegri was perhaps unfortunate to be in charge when the management @ Milan decided to focus on saving money and not o taining world-class… Read more »
Finally he will leave,God i thank you for answered prayers.
Yeah Alegri will leave,but do you think that Constant,Muntari,Zapata,Nocerino,Matri,Birsa will become good players overnight ? It was important for the trash in the team to leave,not only the coach !
These players shouldn’t be playing. Last season constant over De siglio n this season constant ahead of ema untill the parma game hahahaha. Ema has be Milan for past 2 years n only became a LB recently. Zapata may not be cannavaro maldini or nesta but he’s doing fine. Yea he make mistakes but he’s not disastorus. Muntari n nocerrino? Don’t you k ow we havr poli n Cristante???? Birsa???? We have saponara rotting on the bench. Lets not even talk about Honda as yet.
YEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST NEWS EVER!!!! Happy new year every body, this WILL indeed be a very happy new year! Sit back and watch Seedorf resurrect milan for you! I will support Seedorf as milan coach, i dont care if he ‘lacks experience’, as long as he has the right mentality of football everything will be great. We do have the right players to take us to the top. Seedorf, you have my support, bro!!
I thank him for these last couple of seasons, he has done a lot of mistakes, but gets too much criticism from people. At times undeserved, at times deserved. I’ll support him like I always have and hope that we will be able to do something this new year. He has his flaws, but for example, he has always managed to get us to the next round of UCL, something Conte failed to do this season, even though their squad is as good as it is. I agree with @Milan Fan, there’s too many mediocres in the team of course… Read more »
…always making excuses, espicially about that Muntari’s ghost goal. That is why you are a lousy coach Allegri. You whine too much. Would have loved it if you left with 2013!
One of the worst Milan coaches in history! Good riddance! Wish he would leave sooner! Anyway at least he is leaving!! YESSSSSS!!!! Milan will rise once again!
We already have a good squad excluding the defense, now that the likes of Honda, Rami, Naigolan and hopefully others will arrive and under either Seedorf, Prandelli or Pippo this team will be great once again!
#Respect
Best day of my life, great news, dispose Balo and get Dzeko or Lukaku, Suarez is imposible. Get a quality LB& CB.
“I don’t know who will be the new Milan coach, and it’s not my problem.” Of course that’s not his problem because he doesn’t have the Rossoneri in his blood. It’s amazing how he just openly concedes failing to make it to Europe. When was the last time Milan failed to make it to Europe??? Also he’s talking about winning the Copa Italia, When was the last time Milan won the Copa Italia??? This guy is delusional at best. He should have left with dignity end of last season after taking us to UCL spot which was a good achievement,… Read more »
Need sack january now, because I don’t want my lovely acmilan to serie B, Urgent!!!
great news!!!!!!!!! FINALY!!!!!
Allegri did fine when he had an actual squad. The squad Milan have now are nowhere near the level they need to be to succeed in Serie A let alone the UCL. Although a change was needed, simply changing the manager will not help enough. For everyone that said only Allegri was the problem and with someone else we could be in the tops of the league, you are a fool.
I am so happy that he is going to leave! I stuck by Allegri in his first 3 season in charge, and it payed off, 1 scudetto, 1 Supercoppa, and getting to the quarter-finals. But this season he has been crap! I am proud he finally stuck with a formation the 4-3-2-1 which will be good for the Honda Kaka Balotelli trio.
Thumbs up max, you did fairly ok @ milan given the quality of players at your disposal, even ancelotti couldn’t give us a top four finish when he had better players at his disposal coupled with the fact that serie.a had four slot for u’ll bak then. Good luck wherever you go, il support milan regardless of who comes in at the end of the season.
@gero3, that was 2008′ when Carlo was in charge with the likes of kaka, ronaldinho, puppy, pirlo, jankuluvski, nesta, kaladze, sheva, etc Italian serie.a had four slot in ucl back then.
Kaladze n jaku were horrible. Kalad wasn’t a Milan material. Physically weak always bullied by strikers n his headers were atrocious. Created more problems in the area. Janku couldn’t defend at all
ouch ouch ouch
Half u lot on here are plastic fans- how.can u blame Allegri for everything? Although he has made mistakes in the past, its not like hes had a good team to manage. The only season the management gave him a good team, he won the league, after that the management have taken the mick buying.players like taiwo, traore, birsa, constant etc, so tbh hes been used as a scapegoat by the coward management, its not Allegri hu shuld leave, its berlescuni and galliani
Hope Allegri all the best for the future
Forza Allegri
Forza Milan
U know….I find it hard to understand those who still defend Allegri with excuses such as mediocre players,blah blah blah. Fact is he’s incapable of working with resources given to him,period. Roberto Martinez won the FA cup with Wigan using a substandard squad,Klopp went to the UCL finals with virtual unknowns and Simeone is working wonders with a depleted squad without any star power. Even in Serie A we have Montella and Rudi Garcia doing great with the available resources at their disposal. And for those of you who think replacing the whole squad is a good idea,ask Tottenham. Filled… Read more »
“I did things that had to be done in order to rejuvenate Milan. I did those things in accordance with the management, and somebody sees me as hatchet man, but I have never been that type of person.”
Yes, letting Pirlo rot on the bench and then leave, buying Matri, playing 3 DMs in one team etc etc etc really rejuvenated us…
Good riddance Max. I’m just happy that each game from now on is one step closer to seeing the back of you.
You need to win 5 games in a row in the first 5 games in 2014, Max. Otherwise, why should we wait until the end of the season?
Whaooo what a great news and guess what??? Seedorf will suprise you all…plus every young talented in europe will like to play under a great legend..tho prandelli will be great but he s not a milanista.. forzaaa seedorf…. Forza milan eterno amore