Roma 1, Milan 2: The Price of Winning

After some poor performances and some worse results, Milan fans had been waiting for the team to react. Wow, what a performance. And a reaction. This game had everything, and Milan managed to win, too. With 24 shots on goal between the two teams, three goals called back, a penalty and six yellow cards, it was an intense match from start to finish. Unfortunately, it also had at least three injuries for Milan. So was this three points worth three important injuries ahead of six games in 16 days? Including our Europa League matches with Manchester United? We have yet to see the price of winning.

Three of 11 starters were injured in this epic battle

Roma-Milan Preview: Eternal Hell

While those who a month ago still had Milan as Scudetto favorites have completely written Milan off, watching the last few games is a special kind of hell for Milan fans. It's kind of like watching a plane with your entire family take a nosedive, and whatever faith that you had in the pilot fades as the plane plummets faster toward the earth with little or no sign of pulling out of the dive. The Milan plane still has a chance of surviving, but many look at this game as the point of no return if Milan do not perform well. Facing a Roma team that has performed better than expected under controversies this season makes it that much worse. If Milan do not show up for this match, then 90 minutes in the Eternal City will feel more like eternal hell.

Eternal hellraiser

AC Milan 1, Red Star Belgrade 1: Losing Our Minds

After nearly a year of blissful winning, Milan have hit a mental wall. Which seems to have in turn made a lot of Milan fans mental. This match was hard fought, Red Star did not make it easy. But in the end, that second away goal last week made the difference. Despite another less than stellar performance, Milan are in the Round of 16. The lack of the intensity and focus that got us to this point is still missing, though. It seems that Milan are losing their minds.

Don't show the pitchfork crew

AC Milan vs. Red Star Belgrade: For Ibrahimovic

Last week's match in Serbia was disappointing on many levels. After conceding an equalizer in stoppage time due to some questionable reffing, it also came to light that Red Star fans had racially abused Ibrahimovic. If you know your history, you'll know that it was literally the leader of the Red Star Ultras less than 30 years that committed genocide against Bosnian Muslims. Ibrahimovic's father is a Muslim from Bosnia, and the "ethnic slur" is reportedly the worst thing someone could say to people like him. It was finally just announced that UEFA are opening an investigation into the incident, although Italy are only talking about Ibrahimovic's social schedule and criticizing him around the clock for something they were actually going to change the Serie A schedule for when Milan were winning. So this one is for Milan's mentality, and for their spiritual leader. This one is for Ibrahimovic.

For justice.

Podcast: The Game of Their Lives

This has been a tough few matches for Milan, with players returning from injury, yet results have suddenly dropped. Taylor from Milan Club Southern California joined me this time to talk about why that might be, as well as to catch up on recent news and shed some accountability on Gazidis after his interviews last week.

One of these things is not like the other

Milan 0, Inter 3: Love Hurts

We knew that losing this one would hurt like hell. People making a big deal about Milan losing matches with a more complete squad than we have had in some time, not thinking about how playing with a skeletal team and forcing the wins may have drained most of our mentality out of this side. Despite leaving their heart on the pitch, the team that didn't play in Europe capitalized on fresh legs and minds and took all three points, while Milan slid to four points behind them. Love hurts.

Love hurts.

Milan vs. Inter Preview: An Afternoon in Hell

The Derby della Madonnina is always an intense match. This year, the story line is larger than life. After being top of the table for the entire season, Milan lost to Spezia last week, and Inter's defeat of Lazio put them one point ahead of us. With Conte's snakes having shamefully slithered out of both Europe and the Coppa Italia, Serie A is all they have left to fail in. With the fireworks on the pitch between Ibrahimovic and the player who chokes in the big matches still unresolved from the Coppa Italia match almost a month ago now, that gives even more emotion to this match. No one can ever truly predict a Derby match, but one thing is for certain: this one will be an afternoon in hell.

I hope Lukaku knows that Materazzi ended his Derby in the hospital.

Red Star Belgrade 2, AC Milan 2: Injustices

This match was infuriating for me, and not because of Milan's performance. On the pitch, the players did well enough for the lineup that we had. But the referee's calls were lacking, particularly as we conceded the last goal, and that the fans were in the stadium after being forbidden and lighting fireworks and abusing Ibrahimovic and some of the other players made me livid. I am also very angry that Bennacer was injured. Not at any one person, there's no one to blame, just angry at the injury gods, I guess. For me, this match had a lot of injustices.

Small consolation for so many injustices

Europa League • Red Star Belgrade-AC Milan Preview: Into the Fire

Milan travel to Serbia to face league leaders Red Star Belgrade, or FK Crvena zvezda. Red Star are undefeated in their league this season, but are controversially and gratefully without their fans. Milan slipped into second this past weekend after being stunned by lower table Spezia in a very demoralizing performance. Milan fans will be watching for a reaction in this match, particularly with the big Derby just three days later. Pioli faces possibly some of his toughest decisions yet, with some players needing rest and yet a win so crucial for mentality at this point in the season. Even in the absence of the fiery Red Star fans, Milan are heading into the fire.

What Rajko Mitic Stadium looks like with fans

When the Courage of Men Fails

This week was supposed to be a celebratory week for this blog, marking ten years of bleeding red and black. Literally blogging from February of 2011, the season we last won the Scudetto, and through every season since. Not sometimes, not only when Milan were winning. But for every single game, every single transfer window, every burned coach, three ownership changes and every rumor in between. Yet this week, Milan lost in an awful performance, with a lifelong Interista scoring the first goal. Inter won in the worst way, and took our top spot on the table. Now we face a team on Thursday that is coached by a former Inter player, and we face Inter in the Derby on Sunday. Not only are Milan fans not celebrating this week, they are attacking our team and players and even each other. It would seem as though the courage of men has failed.

The Return of our King, Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Spezia 2, Milan 0: Love the One You're With

This game was brutal. Milan looked like the 16th place team, and Spezia... well maybe they didn't look like the top of the table team, but their performance was nothing short of incredible, and they deserved the three points and the joy it clearly brought their team. Speaking of joy, however, it seems like Milan fans have forgotten all of the joy this team has brought us this past year. In spite of Valentine's Day this weekend, fans forsook all of the love they had for this team up until kickoff, and instead spewed hate and criticism toward the players they have worshipped in good performances. Those who call themselves "supporters" of this team forgot that support is an action, not an option. Yes, this one hurt. Bad. No one more so than the players themselves, I'm sure. This wasn't a cry for hate, it was an opportunity to remember to love the one you're with.

In good times and in bad

Spezia-Milan Preview: For the Love of the Game

For those living in a COVID-19 haze, a friendly reminder: it is Valentine's Day on Sunday. For those with significant others of the female variety, there may be expectations in spite of lockdowns and restrictions, so conveniently, Milan are playing the day before. This allows all of us fans to focus on our first love on Saturday, before potentially having to focus on romantic expectations. On paper, this may seem like just another imbalanced matchup, but this one will be played for the love of the game.

The best way to spend Valentine's weekend

Podcast: Epic Milan Obsession 8th Anniversary Edition

Podcasting about Milan for eight years and blogging for 10 years is an epic feat, so to properly celebrate, I invited 12 different Milan fans from around the world. Like the superhero fans that they are, each guest shared their Milan Origin Story and also why they continue to bleed red and black. Thanks to everyone for listening, subscribing, reading, and following on social media for all of these years. Here is to many more years of worshipping Milan together!

Celebrating 8 years of podcasting and 10 years of Milan obsessed blogging

Poll: Why Do You Bleed Red and Black?

There is a question that every Milan fan has had to ask themselves at one point, maybe even many, many times over the past ten years or so. Why? Why, when we had more transfers than goals scored in a season? Why, when we burned Milan legend after legend on the coaches' bench? Why, when we went through three ownership changes in three and a half years? Was it a form of masochism or self-harm? I think that most of us at least at one point had to look in the mirror and be honest, or submit to a mental health evaluation. But why do YOU bleed red and black?

What makes you suffer for the red and black?

Podcast: Controversial Innovation

On the pitch, Milan earned two more wins and completed their transfers for this window. Boaz, of Scudetto podcast, joined me again to discuss the recent matches, news, transfers, and injuries, as well as to talk about the controversial exclusion of Hauge from the Europa League squad and a new project on the business side of Milan.

Controversy and innovation

Milan 2, Crotone 2: Double Double

Milan started off on the attack, but Crotone fought back and took their chances, especially in the first half. It is true that they probably deserve more than they have, but they didn't earn any points in this match, either. However, once Ibrahimovic opened the scoring, the floodgates opened, and the Sharks were swept away by an impressive Ibrahimovic-Rebic double double.

The triple double: 2 assists, 2 goals, 2 goals

Milan-Crotone Preview: Shark Hunters

While the world seems focused on a very different football game later Sunday night, Milan host Crotone at the San Siro in the afternoon, the league leaders hosting the bottom of the table side. While this match on paper appears to be a potential feeding frenzy for i Diavoli,  there is nothing more dangerous than a side with nothing to lose. Certainly, gli Squali will do everything to force an upset but Milan go into this match as shark hunters.

Shark hunters recently returned to duty do not fear Crotone

The Hauge Debate

This week, as news of Milan's UEFA squad lists were released, many Milan fans were incensed that Hauge had been excluded from our list. Much has been reported about why that decision has been made, and it has also been reported that Hauge has accepted that decision and chosen to stay at the club, despite offers from Bayer Leverkusen and Southhampton reported to have been made for him during the January transfer window. The decision was Pioli's, I trust that he made things right with Hauge as best as he could under the circumstances. But who leaves their top scorer out of a competition? That is perhaps the question that is central to the Hauge debate.

He literally destroyed our opponents with his goal

The Blood, Sweat, and Tears Training Shirts

Finally, there is a training top that encourages the wearer to sweat. Puma have created new water reactive training tops. They look plain when dry, but when you sweat in them (or cheat and get them wet,) the fabric reveals a pattern on the upper front panel. It's like magic. For your workout. And yes, they will be selling them to us mere mortals. They are the blood, sweat, and tears training shirts.

Potential for sweat

A New Stadium: Not for Everyone

Since Elliott Management took control of Milan, they have worked tirelessly with Inter to make a new stadium happen in Milano for the two teams. While Milan's spending and balance sheets are frightening and we may have FFP troubles on the horizon, Elliott have ensured that the club are nearly debt free. However, rumors surrounding Inter being sold by Suning have been swirling for a while, and they have actually been entertaining offers for investors in the club. Worse still, their financial situation may actually be the worst in Serie A. So despite Elliott's best efforts for Milan, Inter's financial instability and potential sale is now the biggest barrier to the project. Clearly, when Inter are involved, a new stadium is not for everyone.

With Inter, dreams never do come true

Milan Penalties: For the Haters

Milan have had phenomenal form over the past year. Not only are they at the top of Serie A, they have been breaking records for everything from fielding the youngest team in Europe to longest unbeaten run in both Serie A and Europe to the most consecutive games with two or more goals scored, and so many more. I understand the consequences of winning - that rival fans are going to hate and try to find something to blame the winning on. However, despite Milan having a ridiculous amount of penalties awarded this season in comparison with other clubs, the fact is that those penalties do not make a ridiculous amount of difference on the table. That said, this one is for the haters.

Ibrahimovic has missed a penalty and had two saved, still other teams can't catch Milan