And finally cometh the day, cometh the hour. Paolo's last match. And it's fitting that this will be the last match thread that I will open (dst fittingly opened the last home game thread). I just can't seem to get myself top open them when Maldini's not around anymore (nor will I change my signature from now on). Speaking of which I also opened the last match thread for the 19th match in first round against Fiorentina - which we won 1-0. Paolo was special there, and marked Gilardino out of the game. All I ask for is a repeat of some sorts, and one final win that will at least see us at 3rd, in a weird little season. Almost twenty five years back. I was born on the day Paolo player his first match for Milan - it feels like I'll die the day he plays his last.

For all I want to, I just can't seem to get myself to writing anything about probably the most important and historically significant match I'll ever watch. I'm just too numb. All my heroes are gone, the Fantastic Five (Paolo, Ronaldo R99, Rui Costa, Baggio and Dida) have almost set in the west. It just feels like a room in my house has fallen, the bricks lying all around. Such is life, I guess. Such is football. Regrets, there have been a few. But whoever wrote the script of Paolo's career, did a pretty darn good job of it. Anyway, as I stand here in the twilight of Paolo's career, there are no tears in my eyes - I'm just glad to have witnessed the greatest player ever, play live. Years from now, I too, could say that I lived in the times of great defenders, the age of great champions, the Age of Maldini. All hail the King. The King of Kings! Goodbye My Captain, Grazie Mio Capitano! His final marching ground:



Stats will be posted as soon as they come out of the oven, popping hot. Wait for them.

Date: Sunday, 31 May, 2009
Time: 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm GMT
Place: Stadio Artemio Franchi (Florence)
Capacity: 47,282

Forza Milan! As usual. And Forza Maldini! As special. You'll live forever Paolo. All hail the Age of Maldini!

acid!!!

You're back!!

acid? what is wrong with you can't you come here more?

Welcome back btw!!

Thanks for the welcome guys!

What? You thought I'd miss the chance to create the thread for Paolo's last match? Not on my deathbed. . Even though I've been pretty busy with life in general (as well as we're moving back to the Middle East in a couple of months), there's no way I'd lose a chance like this. And also I'll try to chime in more often, ZD, I promise. To my dismay I haven't been able to follow football or Milan as much as I'd like to for at least half an year. So did I miss anything big? LOL.

And congrats on the Mod thingy Han (you beat me to it, you little back-stabbing vermin). Should I be more scared of you now that you have your little badge? You think you can go on making English-language mistakes without no one noticing? Hehe. Just kidding. A privilege to be back with fine folks like you. Carry on!

This match has to be won. No matter what formation, no matter which players play or score. Everyone just has to be motivated above 100%...

I expect a win here and the sacking of carlo announced the next day.

Same here, but i expect a draw or 2-1 win for Fiorentina. But we'll see.

I have heard that the Fiorentina tifosi have been organising a tribute to Paolo, apparently they have been working on it for 20 days. and I thought we had great tifosi...

Tbh it's a shame hearing that. Other fans are all organising a tribute for Paolo, while ours... meh, it's a disgrace. He is retiring with a feeling that all the other people like him more, than his own club fans. Like i said, disgrace. And i feel ashamed.

I don't think that Paolo will think that all the other fans like him more than Milan's fans.
It's not only about what they did on his last day in San Siro, but what they did before...I know that it was a really bad of the Curva Sud to do something like that to Maldini, really disrespectful and what other.
And it's a bad last memory, but that won't make Maldini to like his fans, his true fans, less.
But I'm really happy about seeing that he'll get a great send off in Fiorentina, and hopefully there won't be any "disturbance" from other fans.

No we don't. some of them are not worth a damn as it was proved on Sunday. even Inter fans are better than them

The Roma players were wearing t-shirts in honor of Maldini before the game... but surely the Curva Sud shitholes know better!!


From OUR fans you mean...


I always felt proud for us being classier than everything related to inter... I'd take anything from an inter fan right now, after what happened I don't think I can say a word.

Damn, u almost made me cry . This is a very sad week. if only all of Milanfans were anything similar to like u we wouldnt have seen that shameful day of the Curva Sud. Hope Maldini gets the goodbye he deserves on the final day. King Maldini

We have to win , we just have to win this match , no matter what , we have to win for God . I'm almost in tears after reading that post , class post acid , class post .

I just hope the Milan players will show the Curva Sud what they think of them booing Paolo! It would be fantastic if the whole stadium, fans and players together booed our fans. It would ease my pain a bit.

i would'nt be suprised if our players don't celabrate a goal under the curva again for some time......

I think 25 years is enough.

+1000

I love you! took the words right out of my mouth

...The Who?

[and no not the band]

Hello again. My previous nickname was Il Diavolo, but I can't seem to log on. That's my new account /obviously/. Anyway, I hope we win. Very few points against "big teams" this season. Avenging for last season's final match would be a decent way to end a dry campaign. And of course, there's Paolo. He deserves a win for his last game.

You won't believe this, but there is some sort of a Milan-Gila fan-club that predicts he'll score 2 goals this sunday. These are probably the same people who waved the Gila Mania posters at San Siro if you remember. Quite embarassing.

Fiorentina is a must win.

I don't understand what happened to Maldini. Not sure he does himself either. What was expected of him? To rise against the big heads of Milan and bring them down by forming a militia? And the Baresi chants... How inappropriate and out of place. Personally I have always been a bigger fan of Costacurta than any other Milan defender, but I never thought about chanting his name at Maldini's farewell game. How confusing.

Sorry to douse the moment with ice water, but Rizzoli (Firenze native) is reffing the match. We can probably kiss this one goodbye.

Stupid decision to appoint such a referee, but the last one costed us at least 1 point, so I hope this won't be reprized.

As for the Maldini happenings. I don't know what to say. Baresi always was and stays the first footballer I truly admired and adored. But such comparison...just like Max said...very confusing.

Maybe it's just me but if it wasn't for Paolo, I wouldn't have minded a 1-0 or 2-1 loss for us...

No, we won't loose this match. If it's really Carletto's last Milan game, we won't loose that's for sure.

We said the same things about last game too... I think there are two likely scenarios: it's gonna be either a bad performance or a very good one.

Actually, Rizzoli is from the Mirandola in Emilia-Romagna, so he is mirandolese and not fiorentino

I just hope Milan get a fair chance to play their game because referees have cost us too much this season (from the Seedorf goal wrongly disallowed for handball, to the Adriano fiasco, to last week's foul on Zambrotta in the box )

Channel Four Football Italia News

Link: http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/may29u.html



Florence pays tribute to Maldini Friday 29 May, 2009

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fiorentina have planned a tribute to Paolo Maldini as he plays his final game at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

“Maldini deserves great recognition and so we thought of a small initiative in his honour,” revealed President Andrea Della Valle on Radio Blu.

Coach Cesare Prandelli also commented on the plans to celebrate Maldini’s career.

“He is one of the last great ‘bandiera’ figures of football, having dedicated 25 years to Milan. He set an extraordinary example as a great man and player.

“I have wonderful memories of him, as when he was young he already had real character. Maldini always respected the opponents and is an example to be followed,” continued Prandelli.

“On Sunday we will stand up and applaud Maldini, I thank Florence for giving him the right welcome.”

This is a kinder way of ending his career, as the final game at San Siro was marred by a protest from a section of the Rossoneri supporters.

They unfurled banners calling him a ‘mercenary’ and declaring ‘there is only one captain – Franco Baresi.’

The Stadio Franchi hosts a crunch match and if Milan lose by two clear goals, then Fiorentina will enter the Champions League directly, bumping the Rossoneri into the preliminary round.

Nonetheless, there promises to be a party atmosphere in Florence no matter what the result.

“Our objective was fourth place this season and we have already achieved it,” added Della Valle. Now against Milan we must try to give another moment of immense joy to our deserving fans.”

Fiorentina > Curva Sud

Welcome!


Fiorentina > Milan

Probable lineup.

Nesta will travel with the team I doubt we'll see him on pitch though.

Nesta will travel with the team!?!?

Yes.
Maybe we can see Maldini-Nesta on the pitch for the last time

MILANELLO - These are the 21 called-up players of Carlo Ancelotti for Fiorentina-Milan:

Dida, Kalac, Perucchini, Antonini, Darmian, Favalli, Jankulovski, Maldini, Nesta, Senderos, Zambrotta, Beckham, Flamini, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Inzaghi, Kakà, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho, Pato.
Unavailable players: Abbiati, Bonera, Kaladze, Cardacio, Borriello, Viudez.
Players not called-up: Mattioni.

Unfortunately , he won't play .

Looks like Carlo wants the chances of facing Milan next year in the CL to be lessened by sending us through preliminaries.

That's the only logical thing I could come up with of why he would choose that line-up

Pippo's purple patch has come at an ubrupt end, just like I knew it would.
Kaka is way off his game.
Pato is barely getting a look in and looks rusty whenever he gets his usual 20 minutes
Seedorf does not actually deserve a comment regarding how he's playing (praying every night that he hops on the jet to merry old London with Carlo)
Using 2 defensive midfielders is never a good thing.
Janku is terrible atm
And Favalii wasn't that great against Roma either

Now the obvious first 11 based on how the players have been playing in the last few games just picks itself out, and itspretty obvious but I guess Carlo just likes to be a reble I really hate what he's doing to Milan atm.



The defence picks itself out. Rino obviously gets ahead of Ambro, I still put Seedorf in there but atleast he's not playing in the AM role, which is where he really stinks up the place. And if he did not play we would be left with Ambro and Rino which wouldn't be pretty let me tell you.

Kaka needs to be benched bu it's obvious he won't so he'll play tomorrow. Pato needs to be in that starting line-up and Sheva looked really good whenever he's gotten a look in lately (mostly firendlies) same goes for Dinho. And I think Sheva and Pato have a much better understanding then Pippo and Pato have

I like your formation/lineup but we both know it's unlikely Carlo's going to 'risk' all that much and play with two strikers! I think we'll see the same old Christmas tree [hopefully for the last time].


From Carlo's press conference.

No comment.

Someone should tell Carlo that the reason we are in this situation is because of his stubborn nature and his unwillingness to change attitude or tactics

Carlo acts like a 6 year old, pathetic.

... unless we change coach, yeah we got it Carlo, that's why you're leaving!

Here's my favorite nugget from his press conference:


Oh, yeah, that was when we held the Serie A lead this season for a whopping one week. Congrats, Carlo.


Yeah, I discovered that after I posted, but I was too lazy to go back and fix it.

Carlo is leaving Milan with a 4-3-2-1?! This is so disturbing.

Managed to return to the top of the standings? This is AC MILAN FFS! Being top of the league shouldn't be treated like an unexpected surprise. It sounds like he's the manager of Udinese or Palermo, not the most internationally titled club on the planet...

Prandelli speaks the truth!

My score prediction was way off last match so i will retire my predictions until next season.......but Milan will win !!!!!!!

3-1 milan.

Yeah Ancelotti is a great guy nobody's denying that. Especially when you continuously play like **** and still keep your starting place you like him even more... and that's exactly why he needs to go!

GET THE F OUT OF MILAN!