Football Season Guide

The last season is one to remember for Milan as they managed to clinch the 19th title in their history, thus interrupting an 11-year winning drought. Having missed out on the Scudetto to Inter in the previous campaign, coach Pioli and his boys displayed great consistency and solidity this time around, losing only 4 games, none after January 2022. The Devils, who were almost perfect on the road (W14 D4 L1), held the 4th-best attack of the league only but proved once again that best defences usually win the Italian Scudetto, they conceded 31 goals and kept 18 clean sheets. During the summer, Milan saw the departure of one of their key players in Kessié, who rejected any contract extension to join up with Barcelona. Reliable but less explosive Bennacer will thus turn into a starter in the middle of the park alongside Tonali, with Pobega, now back from loans elsewhere, ready to step up if needed. Other than that, they lost back-up centre-back Romagnoli but he would not have played much anyway, with Kjaer at last returning from injury. While the likes of full-back Florenzi and attacking midfielder Messias had their loans made permanent, Milan invested plenty of cash on 21-year-old attacking midfielder De Ketelaere, who is expected to become a protagonist behind the striker instead of Diaz. With Ibrahimovic about to be 41 and Giroud 36, Milan also hired a new striker in Origi, coming as a free agent after seasons at Liverpool. He is not particularly prolific but he could represent a valid alternative up-front to the two aging players. Milan are still on the hunt of players for all the areas as they need to increase the depth in the squad, considering that they also aim to be competing at a European level.