Milan has been in decline for twelve years, ever since our
last Champions League trophy, really. With three ownership changes in two
years, a parade of coaches, and the number of players in and out equal to the
population of a medium sized country, it is no wonder we can’t seem to get back
on our feet. But Napoli right now are in the midst of a drama right now that would
make the Real Housewives shows look like wholesome family entertainment. So the
question is: Who has it worse?
 |
| Need more of this |
Napoli were going through a disappointing run of games, so
De Laurentiis called for a ritiro between their draw in their Europa League
match and their next league match. The players, and apparently Ancelotti,
rebelled, and did not return to the team hotel. This infuriated De Laurentiis.
Rumors were flying about discipline against Ancelotti, Mertens, and more. In
their next training, which was open to fans, they were abused and even
threatened the entire time. After their draw with Genoa, a few players were the
victims of robberies, and then De Laurentiis threatened to sue the players and
take half of their salaries. That’s probably not even all of it, either.
Needless to say, Napoli are a really hot mess.
 |
| Eyebrow raising levels of drama |
On the pitch, they have a loss and four draws in their last
five games. Their 0-0 match vs. Genoa didn’t help the crisis at the club. For
that match, Ancelotti lined up: Ospina; Di Lorenzo, Maksimovic, Koulibaly,
Hysaj; Callejon, Ruiz, Zielinski, Insigne; Mertens and Lozano. Ancelotti has
some injuries, including some from the international break. They include: Malcuit,
Milik, Ghoulam out injured, and Allan in question for this match. Mertens also
picked up a knock playing for Belgium this week, but will most likely be
available. Additionally, with De Laurentiis threatening to fire Ancelotti, he
has been heavily linked with a return to Milan next season, where he was
beloved as both a player and manager and won all the trophies.
 |
| Missing pieces |
Pioli has two injuries in Musacchio and Castillejo. But the
ones he’ll really miss are Calhanoglu and Bennacer, both suspended for this
match due to card accumulation. Biglia is the obvious replacement for Bennacer,
but either Bonaventura or Rebic could easily replace Calhanoglu. After the
strong performance against Juventus before the break, fans seem very
optimistic. However with two starters out, it could very much disrupt the
delicate balance of the emerging mentality, and will undoubtedly impact the
number of errors made.
Milan are so used to being the most tragic story on the
pitch, but the drama at Napoli right now may just eclipse our problems. Both
teams will be desperate for the win. Milan playing at home should help, but
there are no guarantees in football. The only real question is: Who has it
worse?
This post inspired by the music of Savages’
“The Answer”
Serie A Week 13
Milan vs. Napoli
Saturday, November
23 • 18:00 CET (12noon EST)
This match can be
streamed LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.