QUOTE
12 GAMES, NEVER BEFORE
3/7/2008 12:28:00 PM
Carlo Ancelotti, who already on his debut with Milan, faced the Uefa Cup in April, never had so many Serie A game available to prepare the team without mid-week fixtures.
MILAN – Since Carlo Ancelotti has been training Milan from the start of the season, that is from the 2002/03 season, there weren't so many league games, 12, without Champions League commitments. This proves how, in the seventh year of his coaching experience with Milan, there can be new things for the team. There's more: often Milan had the problem, with the three postponed league games of the start of 2008, which influenced a lot the initial part of the solar year, of not being able to prepare for the entire week the Sunday game contrary to their opponents. Now they can work. Now we can find out what the real performance of the squad can be without too many games, which in the last two seasons, having had to prepare a preliminary round from one day to the next in 2006 and of having faced wonderful encounters like the European Super Cup and World Club Cup which, despite being wonderful and successful, can be physically demanding on the remainder of the season. Just like it happened, despite without winning, to Liverpool and Barcelona who were eliminated from the last 16 round of the Champions League when they were champions, respectively in March 2006 and March 2007.
Twelve games without the Champions League, therefore. A lot. Never happened with Carlo Ancelotti on the bench. Back to the Manchester final won against Juventus, the league was already over. In the following year, after the elimination against Deportivo La Coruna, Milan faced just six league games, amongst which the first four were decisive for the Scudetto. Contrary to the final lost at Istanbul, Milan only had the last matchday to play at Udine, whereas after the semi-final at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, the calendar proposed to the Rossoneri just three league games. Just like in 2005, also last year, back from Athens, after many celebrations for the European title won against Liverpool, there was just one matchday left to play at Reggio Calabria. This year it’s different. For the first time, just the league for two and a half months in a row. The right period to arrive prepared to each and every single game and for the final part of the season. With an important target: to win back the Champions League nights which are an important wealth for all Rossoneri fans.
3/7/2008 12:28:00 PM
Carlo Ancelotti, who already on his debut with Milan, faced the Uefa Cup in April, never had so many Serie A game available to prepare the team without mid-week fixtures.
MILAN – Since Carlo Ancelotti has been training Milan from the start of the season, that is from the 2002/03 season, there weren't so many league games, 12, without Champions League commitments. This proves how, in the seventh year of his coaching experience with Milan, there can be new things for the team. There's more: often Milan had the problem, with the three postponed league games of the start of 2008, which influenced a lot the initial part of the solar year, of not being able to prepare for the entire week the Sunday game contrary to their opponents. Now they can work. Now we can find out what the real performance of the squad can be without too many games, which in the last two seasons, having had to prepare a preliminary round from one day to the next in 2006 and of having faced wonderful encounters like the European Super Cup and World Club Cup which, despite being wonderful and successful, can be physically demanding on the remainder of the season. Just like it happened, despite without winning, to Liverpool and Barcelona who were eliminated from the last 16 round of the Champions League when they were champions, respectively in March 2006 and March 2007.
Twelve games without the Champions League, therefore. A lot. Never happened with Carlo Ancelotti on the bench. Back to the Manchester final won against Juventus, the league was already over. In the following year, after the elimination against Deportivo La Coruna, Milan faced just six league games, amongst which the first four were decisive for the Scudetto. Contrary to the final lost at Istanbul, Milan only had the last matchday to play at Udine, whereas after the semi-final at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, the calendar proposed to the Rossoneri just three league games. Just like in 2005, also last year, back from Athens, after many celebrations for the European title won against Liverpool, there was just one matchday left to play at Reggio Calabria. This year it’s different. For the first time, just the league for two and a half months in a row. The right period to arrive prepared to each and every single game and for the final part of the season. With an important target: to win back the Champions League nights which are an important wealth for all Rossoneri fans.