MILAN – Click here for the match report of the Primavera’s 4-0 win at home to Cesena.
Category Archives: Carpi
DERBY WORTH 3 POINTS SAYS INTER COACH ROBERTO MANCINI
MILAN – Roberto Mancini held his pre-derby press conference earlier today. Here is an extract of the Nerazzurri tactician’s pre-match thoughts:
“It’s not decisive but it is important. Winning the derby is always a boost for morale and confidence. Like any match it’s worth three points and it’s important for us so that we can stay up there with the leading pack. We have to try and perform well and win this game thinking about where we want to be ourselves, not who is behind us.”
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BIRTHDAY BOY CRISTIAN BROCCHI CELEBRATES WITH A WIN
MILAN – Primavera coach Cristian Brocchi marked his 40th birthday today by overseeing a 2-0 win at home to Cesena. Speaking afterwards, this is what he had to say:
“It’s been a nice birthday because I asked the lads to maintain winning ways, the same attitude and performance. I am happy with how the team played and so I am left feeling satisfied. We are not a team that plays on the counter-attack and so when we find ourselves in those rare situations, we aren’t clinical. We need to work on this so we know how to make them count in the future. It’s taken too long to see what I wanted from the team and this is the only complaint I can have with the players. On the other hand, it was a lot harder to turn the situation around in terms of the group, unity and attitude and now I am pleased because even when we have lost, we have played as a team. I am very calm ahead of matches because I do not let myself get influenced by results but rather by what I sense from the players. Lately, it has all been very positive. Every match is a useful opportunity for the players to improve, the Viareggio Tournament has always been an important chance and it will be another one to show what they can do. There are a lot of players that are improving. Locatelli has that little bit more in some respects and I think he can be a member of the first team squad in the near future. He, along with lots of others, is developing and maturing and therefore the hope is to promote him and a few others to the first team at the end of the season.”
AC MILAN GROWTH IN CHINA
In July 2015, they re-branded their Weibo account and launched an official WeChat presence, ahead of their pre-season tour to China later that month as part of the inaugural ICC China tournament. Weibo (China’s Twitter equivalent) and WeChat (the fastest growing social network worldwide) are the top two social networks in China, platforms which most top European teams have been targeting over the past 4 years, attempting to establish themselves as the most popular and engaged club in China.
Their tour in China was a huge success across all media platforms. The club’s match against Real Madrid had the highest % viewership rating of all summer fixtures in China. Meanwhile, their social following increased by 200,000 fans, with their engagement level growing to a level comparable with a top 5 club. The surprising part however, is that following the tour, their growth did not slow down, instead it sped up.
Clubs like Manchester United and FC Barcelona have amassed more than 5 million followers across these networks and are two of the most engaged clubs online. AC Milan are now approaching the half a million mark, but what’s so impressive is the loyalty and passion of their fan base in this region. The club’s online engagement has surpassed that of Europe’s top teams who have more than 10 times the number of online followers. AC Milan ended the year with the highest engagement per post of any club on Weibo.
As a result of their transformational six months, AC Milan finished 7th in this year’s Red Card report, an online study into top European team’s digital performance in China.
AC Milan’s success is most remarkable when compared to other Italian teams and when considering the lack of support from the Serie A. Juventus similarly launched their Weibo account prior to their China tour this summer, however, they experienced a very different level of growth to AC Milan. With only 10,000 total Weibo followers and an engagement 4 times lower than their Italian rivals, Juventus are trailing the Milan time online in China. Meanwhile, Serie A is now the only top European league without an official digital presence in China, with Premier League, Bundesliga and LaLiga all supporting their domestic teams online – a huge benefit for each club.
One of the reasons behind the huge growth in engagement is Milan Quan (米兰圈), the only supporters club in China that work as a central hub for all their fans. AC Milan recognised their influence, and rewarded them for their growing level of activity on their official social channels. Having involved these core fans in the club’s social activity, the fans felt a huge sense of recognition and incentive to come back. This was clearly seen after AC Milan’s birthday post became the #2 most engaged Weibo post from any European club in 2015.
2016 will bring new opportunities for the club to grow, a Chinese language website is key to providing in-depth content, whilst increased co-operation with major Chinese media will continue to grow their fan base.
AC MILAN: “WINNING IS ALL THAT MATTERS” ahead of Derby on Sunday 31 January 2016
CARLOS BACCA
“A rabona in the derby? It would be amazing and if I get the chance, I will try. But scoring is all that matters, it doesn’t matter how. And winning of course. I am happy with the team’s form lately and our positive results. We’re now gearing up for the derby with Inter, a fixture we lost earlier in the season, but derbies are like finals: winning is all that counts. People have said that Inter aren’t in great form and that they’re struggling. That may even be the case, but these are one-off matches and ones where the form book goes out of the window. Serie A? It’s even more competitive than what I had imagined. The Italian league is of an exceptional standard. You simply don’t know who will fight for or win the league. It isn’t just very tactical but also very technical. To battle at the top end of the table, we need to be more consistent. We also need a bit of luck and a bit more cheerfulness as well as the belief that we are a strong team. We don’t believe enough in my opinion.”
ANDREA BERTOLACCI
“What have we lacked so far this season? The word is consistency. We perform in a way you don’t expect in one match, like versus Fiorentina, but we don’t follow it up. At Empoli, we weren’t clinical enough, you cannot be pegged back twice like we were. We have dropped points where we have deserved more. The matches with Verona, Bologna, Carpi and the second half versus Roma all come to mind. We would be in a different position with those 6/7 extra points. We lack the kind of confidence needed to try and pull off a move. The atmosphere at San Siro does not help, but we have to be good at blocking it all out. We have showed that we are a united squad and behind the coach. We have performed at our best during the difficult times. Mihajlovic has made me more determined, more hungry and more aggressive in my approach. The derby? If you win and then lose the other matches, the people will soon forget about the derby. I am really happy in Milan. They told me beforehand that the quality of life was high.”
KEVIN PRINCE BOATENG
“The derby is built up as make or break, a chance to get back on track. Inter are a very good team, especially physically, and we will need the best performance of the season to win. I believe the team has the energy and the abilities to do that. The right mentality and confidence are key and with that the fans will also come back too. I endured some difficult months in Germany but I have found the light again here at Milan. First I asked the President if I could train at Milanello and he said yes right away. I trained every day without missing a single session and then Mihajlovic gave his blessing for a contract until the end of the season. I can now play for 60/70 minutes but I am feeling really good. How could I be finished as a player if in Germany I played 70 matches in two years?
KEISUKE HONDA
“The derby? 1-0 to us. Bacca to score the winner. If this is a last-chance to qualify for the Champions League, then we have to take it. We cannot let ourselves be influenced by one defeat or one victory. If we have a path that we are sure of, then we must follow it. As yet, we still do not have a precise style, and we have to find it by exchanging ideas between players and the coach. I am not the type of player to take on and beat opponents, I don’t dribble past others and I am not a winger that can get away from his marker with his pace. Galliani listened to me and I appreciated that. I play for the team, I did it for 10 years playing in behind the strikers. For the past 2 years, since Seedorf, I have been playing on the right in midfield. I adapt and I get used to it.”
Milan have faced Inter in the San Siro derby 286 times so far over the years, considering official games and friendlies of 90 minutes. Milan wins: 110, the last one in China with Mexes deciding the friendly. Inter wins: 101, the last one at the San Siro, with Kondogbia deciding the Luigi Berlusconi Trophy. Draws: 75.
This season’s derbies:
90 minutes:
July 25th, 2015: Milan-Inter 1-0, International Champions Cup
September 13th, 2015: Inter-Milan 1-0, Serie A
October 21st, 2015, Milan-Inter 0-1, Luigi Berlusconi Trophy
45 minutes:
August 12th, 2015, Milan-Inter 2-1, TIM Trophy
November 24th, 2015, Milan-Inter 1-0, San Nicola Trophy
Milan’s last ten Serie A home derbies:
2014, first leg, Milan-Inter 1-1
2014, return leg, Milan-Inter 1-0
2012, first leg, Milan-Inter 0-1
2012, first leg, Milan-Inter 0-1
2011, return leg, Milan-Inter 3-0
2009, first leg, Milan-Inter 0-4
2008, first leg, Milan-Inter 1-0
2008, return leg, Milan-Inter 2-1
2006, first leg, Milan-Inter 3-4
2006, return leg, Milan-Inter 1-0