Loyalty

At times like this, a lot of fans are calling into question the loyalty of other fans who lose interest in the club when our superstars all leave. Personally, those fans might be the smartest of all of us. After all, there’s a reason they call it longsuffering. But truly, to each their own, and I don’t have energy to worry about other people’s commitment levels. But there are a couple of people whose loyalty I would like to question. They both won titles with Milan, and now they’ve betrayed us and the best interests of the club. No, not Berlusconi and Galliani, I condemned them in an earlier post. And no, it’s not Thiago Silva or Ibrahimovic, I condemned them in the last post. No, today’s targets are the incomparable duo of Leonardo and Carlo Ancelotti.

Public enemy number one.

Let’s start with the easy target. He played five great seasons with Milan, then worked as a scout for the club, and then finally was handed the coaching reins for a season. Thirteen glorious years with Milan. Okay, maybe the coaching one wasn’t quite “glorious,” but… thirteen years is a significant period of time when you’re only 42.

Then came the betrayal. He moved directly across that tangible line of Milan to coach the snakes. At Inter, he did some good things, but his tenure lasted less than a season. For Milan fans, though, it was the thought that counted and he was labeled as a traitor, called “Judas.” But clearly, we had no idea what he was truly capable of.

Best portrait of your true character, Leonardo

Not long after quitting at Inter, he signed on to be the Sporting Director at PSG. He is much better at the scouting and the sporting director thing than he was as a manager. But I didn’t worry, he was in Ligue 1. Good riddance, out of sight out of mind.

But then he started courting all of Serie A’s best players. And with the Sheikh’s checkbook, he could get just about anyone he wanted, too. I watched Pastore and Thiago Motta be snatched up. Then, in January, the offer for Pato. Of course, this said a lot about our management, too, but the bullet dodged was too close to home. Leo’s justification for that attempt? He was the one who “discovered” and signed Pato, so he somehow had a right. Funny how convenient loyalty is sometimes, and how easy it is for people to toss it aside when it suits them. Leo the traitor wanted to claim loyalty after betraying the club.

Remember how it felt to win the Scudetto in that shirt, Leo?

But that was not enough. Then came the Silva offer. Then Ibra was tacked on. The gloves were off. All loyalty was off. Do you not remember, Leonardo, lifting the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia in the red and black? Why would you do this to a club who supported you for thirteen years? Bad enough you are ransacking the rest of Serie A. And for what, a club you played one measly year for and won nothing with? Or is it just the giant paycheck? Loyalty is clearly not in your vocabulary.

Just because we like you doesn't mean you're not guilty, too.

Most people think of Carlo Ancelotti as simply a former coach of Milan. And coaches go where the work is, there is no loyalty shown to them and no loyalty asked of them. But not only did he coach Milan for eight glorious years, he also played for Milan for five years with a few players you may have heard of: the Dutch trio, the perfect back line of Maldini, Baresi, Tassotti, and Costacurta, as well as some guy called Donadoni. Yeah, Ancelotti was a part of that Milan team.

Consider the trophy haul he won as a player: two Scudetti, a Supercoppa, two European Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups. As if that wasn’t enough to develop some emotions for the club, as a coach, he also won a Scudetto, a Coppa Italia, a Supercoppa, two Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups, and a FIFA Club World Cup. Personally, he also won seven different coaching awards during his tenure at Milan. Did all of this mean nothing to you, Carletto? Have forgotten where you came from?

If only you could remember... and have an ounce of loyalty to those memories

I know that managers are the ultimate mercenaries, I can understand asking for Serie A players because they are what you know. But how can you in good conscience come in with your Sheikh money and take the two most vital players for Milan’s success this season? How do you look at yourself in the mirror knowing that you are crippling the club that you won so much with? Why would you give fans like me, who adore the cigarette smoking teddy bear of a man that brought us so many trophies, a reason to lose respect for you? Perhaps the English beat the loyalty out of you during your time at Chelsea? You’re breaking my heart, Carletto.

I know this is football, people are in it for themselves, and loyalty seems like a pipe dream. But Milan are a family. It’s different with this club, or at least it is supposed to be. Loyalty is part of the unspoken code of champions. Only apparently, that code, too is for sale to the highest bidder.

This post inspired by the music of The Damned