Malcom Forbes said "Victory is sweetest when you have known defeat." This could not be more true for AC Milan, who suffered more than their fair share of Derby defeats to slithering cross city rivals Inter in recent years. That would have made this more than delicious enough, but that was not all. Milan also beat hated rivals Juventus in the Semifinal just to get to this match. With a brand new manager who had literally only been at the club for a few days (and was ill, too.) But I think the most bitter defeat this team suffered this season was the seven months wasted under Fonseca, who cared more about his football than he did about his players or even winning. Coming out on the other side of that, then forcing a 3-2 comeback win against Inter, the team that we had suffered the most from, was the most exquisite kind of victory. Many Serie A fans do not rate this trophy highly, but lifting Milan's 50th trophy and eighth Supercoppa trophy is very special to Milan fans in this moment. It was a very sweet Supercoppa victory.
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| Sweet Supercoppa victory. |
The conditions for this Derby promised to make it a fiery match, and it did not disappoint. Just five minutes in, Lautaro Martínez and Thiaw, in his attempt to block him, went painfully sliding into Maignan, which was not the best way to start out, but luckily, he was okay. Reijnders put the ball into the side of the net five minutes later, it was clear Milan were hungry. Then Taremi had a header that was just wide, and Calhanoglu, The Turkish Traitor™, got away with a tackle on Musah where technically, his boot touched the top of the ball first, but the way he looked at Simone Sozza, the referee, afterward, he knew he probably should have been carded.
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| Hey, old guy, we've upgraded to a genuinely better person and maybe even a better player, too. |
The chances continued for both sides, Theo had a shot saved, and then Dimarco had a shot that forced a big save from Maignan in the 23rd minute. A minute later, Pulisic was down because none other than the Turkish Traitor™ himself shouldered him in the face. Then the Theo-Dumfries Derby kicked off. (Spoiler alert: amazingly enough, neither of them were sent off this time.) It is awards season in Hollywood for actors, so first Theo went down rather theatrically after some minimal contact with Dumfries. Then Dumfries went down, but Theo's boot had actually clipped the back of Dumfries' heel, which is quite painful. No cards were harmed in the making of this segment.
However, Karma did catch up with The Turkish Traitor™, for whom Milan still lives rent free in his head, despite him being the one to betray our club. In the 35th minute, he had to be subbed off because he was injured. I do wish him... nothing. He is dead to me. Then, just moments before the whistle was to be blown for halftime, the worst happened. Lautaro Martínez scored. 1-0 Inter. He managed to fake out all three of Theo, Thiaw, and Maignan, who were all playing so well, it's impossible to be mad at them. It was like having the wind knocked out of you after being sucker punched. And then the halftime whistle blew.
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| Conceição suddenly had a bigger job at halftime. |
The team came back with their heads held high, I'm sure Conceição "inspired" them, likely with anger in the dressing room at halftime. (Kind of like during the Juve match, where he reportedly broke a television at halftime.) But just two minutes in, Taremi scored. 2-0 Inter. The devastating feeling of my soul leaving my body was all too familiar. But Conceição had my back on this one. He was not going to let that happen to me this time. Not on his watch.
He had been saving Rafa Leão, as he was recovering from an injury. But this was a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation. So in the 50th minute, he made the game changing decision to bring on Leão for the talented young Jiménez, who has been playing well enough. But the impact of Leão was immediate and decisive. He instantly drew a foul from Mkhitaryan just outside the area. This created two phenomena. The first was that Sozza, having been incredibly conservative and having given out zero cards in the first half (but having used his excellent ref face and given several warnings,) gave out his first yellow card. To an Inter player. I'm not sure if he realized that is not allowed in the Marotta League, but he threw caution to the wind and gave it anyway.
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| Leão came on and completely changed everything. |
The second phenomenon was that it set up the most exquisite free kick for Theo Hernández. He curved it perfectly around the wall and just inside the post into the back of the net vs. a panicked Sommer. Now it was 2-1 Inter, and Milan were suddenly back in the game. This was quickly followed up with a second yellow card for Inter, given to Theo's nemesis, Dumfries, for fouling him. Not only was my hope returning, my mouth was beginning to actually water at the potential lusciousness ahead of me. And I was not disappointed.
Tomori received Milan's only yellow card of the match in the 57th minute for a late kick that ended up on Lautaro Martínez's shin. But he was probably just so happy to be playing again, with the rumors of a January exit for him being shut down since the new manager's arrival. Because one warrior recognizes another.
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| Theo Hernandez's perfect free kick flipped the switch and started the comeback. |
Speaking of warrior, in just the 58th minute, Leão's outstretched arm made contact with Bisseck, and he went to ground rather easily. So Leão was motioning for him to get up and gave him a playful little nudge with the top of his boot. Although Bisseck was smiling, tiny man syndrome Barella took offense to this, and came over to try to defend his teammate. The insignificant little 5'8" (172 cm) manchild was rushing in, and the 6'2" (188 cm) warrior Leão just pushed him away dismissively. Not just once, but twice. Then the 6'5" (196 cm) Bisseck got up, seemingly embarrassed that this whiny little thing was trying to defend him, but Sozza came over to break it up before much else happened. Astonishingly, no card for Leão. Like we've seen him be carded for raising his hands in the air before. This was absolutely amazing. And such perfect Karma for a club like Inter, who are always on the opposite side of calls like this. Always.
Milan's attack were also closing in on Inter again, with both Pulisic and Morata having shots saved. And Reijnders had a great chance right in front of goal, but Bastoni's face blocked it. I'm not going to lie, if we have to have a shot blocked, I don't mind if an Inter player suffers to do it. I'm not a violent person, but I also just hate Inter so much. The Other Inzaghi™, having never lost a Supercoppa as a manager, tried making some impact subs, which almost worked.
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| The hysterical, diminutive Barella could not keep up physically or emotionally. |
Maignan made a big save on Lautaro Martínez in the 69th minute. Then Carlos Augusto hit the post, the ball bounced inward, but Maignan grabbed it. And Goal Line Technology (GLT) showed that the ball partially crossed the line, but not completely. Inter tears are so delicious. Keep in mind, GLT exists because of the Gol di Muntari that Milan were robbed of vs. Juventus 12 years ago now, so it's not like we don't know what this feels like. But this time, we have proof that the whole ball did not actually cross the line. Not that it stopped Inter fans from whining, but that is their constant state anyway.
Next, the tiny, whiny little Barella was shown a yellow card for a foul on Leão. Honestly, this match was just getting tastier by the minute. And then the obnoxious little weasel was tackled by our giant Thiaw, who 100% got the ball first, but not even baby Barella's pathetic toddler tantrum would change Sozza's mind, he was not giving Thiaw a card for Barella's theatrics. I think I have a new referee crush. Has a Derby ever even been reffed like this before?
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| Carlos Augusto felt robbed by GLT at one end, then got nutmegged by Pulisic at the other. So delicious. |
Conceição tightened the screws with his subs, bringing on Loftus-Cheek for Musah and Tammy Abraham for Reijnders. And three minutes later, Leão sent a ball forward for Turbo Theo, who sent the perfect cross in for Pulisic, who turned and just cut through Inter's defense like butter, nutmegging Carlos Augusto to slot it past Sommer for the equalizer. 2-2 all. Amazing. This was a Derby.
I am not proud that the Saudi government paid absurd amounts of sportswashing money to the FIGC to host the Supercoppa tournaments until the 2028-29 season. It was €138 million for the rights alone, actually. There is no low the FIGC won't sink to. Saudi Arabia also paid another €23 million just for this tournament as prize money to be split amongst the four teams. The winner, obviously, would take the most money, which meant that the winning team would receive around €11 million total. I guess Cardinale must be so happy about that.
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| This is what a real winner looks like, Inter. |
Inter were looking for their fourth Supercoppa win in a row, and this would have made their ninth Supercoppa in all. Conceição's former teammate at Lazio, The Other Inzaghi™, was a perfect five for five in his Supercoppa matches as a manager between Lazio and Inter coming into this one, and I'm sure he wanted to make it six. Plus, they really needed the money more than us with their myriad financial issues. So, there actually was a lot on the line.
That meant that Inter, who are accustomed to winning, really started to intensify their attack. Dumfries sent a shot over from a corner. The Other Inzaghi™ made his final subs. Thiaw cleared a dangerous effort from Lautaro Martinez. Maignan confidently caught a Taremi shot. Then, Maignan closed down Dumfries and cleared that danger, too.
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| Epic Derby battles on the pitch and in the air. |
Meanwhile, in the 87th minute, Conceição made his final substitution, bringing on Calabria for Emerson Royal. My new theory about Emerson Royal is that his spirit animal is an orange cat. And I love cats, but if you know orange cats, you'll know what I am talking about. (But love his passion and commitment.) Thiaw gingerly flexed his hand after a tackle, I hope everything is okay.
In the 89th minute, Bastoni made a nasty tackle on Pulisic, and was shown a yellow card for it. Four yellow cards for Inter. Is that a record? I hope Sozza has some kind of immunity against the Marotta League. This also led to the most hilarious quote from my tragically uninformed American commentators, speaking about Inter, "a team known for their disciplinary record," they were bewildered that Inter had received four cards in this match. I laughed so hard. So very, very hard. I love you, Sozza. Thank you for not being afraid of Marotta and/or on his payroll.
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| Our Captain Calabria was brought in to seal the defense for the victory. |
Now we were in stoppage time. I was so tense, but also excited, because anything could happen now. Lautaro Martínez sent it wide. And then, one of the most beautiful Milan moments in recent years occurred. It was in the third minute of stoppage time, and Maignan started the play from the back. Theo switched it over from left to right. Calabria sent it up to Pulisic, who again threaded the ball through two defenders for the on-rushing Leão, who made a beautiful bounce pass in to Tammy Abraham directly in front of goal, who only had to tap it in from that range. 3-2 Milan. The €5 million goal. Get that man a contract, he just paid his salary for a year.
The joy that exploded amongst the Milan players was so amazing to witness. Tammy Abraham's tears of joy were nearly echoed by my own. This was so beautiful in every way for our guys. A moment that will certainly not soon be forgotten, not by the players or the fans. This is also what the fans in Saudi Arabia paid to see, most of whom were Milan fans anyway. An incredible match, a comeback from 2-0 down for the beleaguered underdog team to win.
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| Tammy Abraham was surrounded by his enthusiastic teammates. |
Amidst the celebrations, the player-with-the-orange-cat-as-a-spirit-animal tackled his own manager, in a way that Conceição later described as a "red card tackle," and our new manager actually required treatment. Sometimes orange cats are so dumb, they are dangerous. The next two minutes or so felt like an eternity, but the dejected faces on the Inter players gave me the confidence that our win was secure. And at the final whistle, it was. Even more celebrations, with players like Theo really enjoying the moment and Leão overflowing with emotion, both after such a difficult season with Fonseca. Conceição was moved to tears, it had been quite a week for him. There were even some dance lessons on the pitch.
In the moment, I was truly just ecstatic for the win, for my team, for the extreme change in mentality and fortunes in just a week with Conceição. But since that time, I have also had time to enjoy some well-earned Schadenfreude, too, and I must say that it is so incredibly delectable. Whiny little baby Barella was still complaining to the referee after the final whistle. Inter players had to stick around for the medal ceremony and watch their plans hopes and dreams for another trophy being celebrated by their rivals as the Milan players waded through the tears of Interisti. We know the pain, it makes it that much sweeter to be on the other side for once.
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| Conceição is already all of us. |
Inter have not known much about what proper referee calls or defeat feel like in recent years, so they were ill prepared. The last time we defeated Inter for a Supercoppa was in 2011 in Beijing. Marotta's entire face was twitching. Although credit to them, they pulled it together to congratulate the Milan players on the way to their runner up medals. "Runner Up" sounds so good with "Inter", they should permanently add it to their club's name. And the fans in the stadium booed Inter when they were announced as runners up, too. I nearly choked on all the sweet, sweet Karma.
After all the drama about the captainship with Fonseca, Conceição has simply and quietly handed the armband to Maignan. So, when it was time to lift the trophy, he and Calabria, our rightful captain, who was also on the pitch at the final whistle, lifted the trophy together. Such a wonderful show of unity and healing after Fonseca's petty divisiveness and lies about our players all season. But the most amazing viral moment was still to come.
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| Sweet victory. |
When Conceição won at Porto, there was a legendary video of him smoking a cigar and dancing in the dressing room. Despite reportedly still suffering from fever of up to 102°F (39°C,) Conceição did a similar celebration dance for the Milan players, with the cigar, too, in spite of his cough. Rock stars would bow down to this man, he is beyond a legend. I mean, Pioli is on Fire was pretty good, but dressing up as Zorro for a press conference was honestly all about Fonseca, it wasn't even for the team. But this... I mean the players were so incredibly happy, singing and watching their "tough" new manager celebrate with them like this. The love and respect between Conceição and our Milan players is already 100 times stronger than Fonseca could have ever imagined having. They are his soldiers, they will go to war for him.
Conceicão is one of the only foreign managers to win a trophy for Milan, and now holds the record for the fastest ever manager to do so as well, having won a trophy after only two matches. Milan now have eight Supercoppa trophies, tied with poor, whining Inter. As Bennacer pointed out, "History is written." Conceição and these players will all have a spot in Milan's history books, and a claim to a trophy in the decadent Casa Milan trophy room.
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| Just two matches, and already a beloved legend. |
Some have bought into the horrific gaslighting of our players this season, or don't believe that Conceição is the real deal, despite him taking a dumpster fire dressing room into a trophy winning army in one week. You need to look no further than his winning record at Porto to understand that he is a leader and a warrior, and that he has galvanized this team in a way that few managers can.
I don't expect a smooth road to success, but I do believe again. Our players have someone they can trust and put their faith in once more, and the rest is up to hard work every day. But we fans also have something to trust and believe in again, despite our ignorant and selfish management. And we know this because of the delicious Derby win that brought us a trophy on the back of such a dramatic and traumatic season. Having known such a destructive and defeating cycle, this truly was the sweetest of Supercoppa victories.
Milan Primavera are Through to the Coppa Italia Quarterfinals
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| Longoni saves a penalty to help Milan Primavera progress to the Quarterfinals vs. Inter. |
On Wednesday, our Milan Primavera played to a 1-1 draw with Genoa Primavera in the Coppa Italia Primavera, then Milan won, 4-1 on penalties, so are through to the Coppa Italia Primavera Quarterfinals. They conceded an early goal in just the fifth minute, but were able to equalize in the 24th minute with a penalty converted by Liberali. At the end of full time, it was still 1-1, and no one was able to break the tie during extra time, either, so it went to penalties. Bonomi, Hodzić, Liberali, and Perin all scored their penalties, and Longoni saved one, which sent Genoa Primavera crashing out. This set up a Derby with Inter Primavera on February 5th, just a few days after the first team Derby.
This post inspired by the music of Prince's "Delirious"
Our next matches are:
Serie C Week 21
Reviewed by Elaine
on
11:58 PM
Rating:
