Chapter 21 You know what you're doing...
After the match, Galliani went to the locker room to congratulate Ancelotti and the players.
Galliani is a very sociable person, charming and witty, able to make everyone in the locker room happy with just a few words.
"Happy birthday, our rising star." Galliani first gave Fino a hug, then patted Fino on the shoulder. "I think you've received a lot of birthday gifts today, but no one's gift can compare to the one I brought."
Fino cooperated by feigning curiosity.
Seeing the expression on Fino's face, Galliani revealed the answer with satisfaction: "Your performance over the past two months has amazed everyone. The club has prepared a new contract for you. I don't think there's a better birthday present than this."
"Wow~" Applause and cheers erupted in the locker room as everyone congratulated Fino.
Fino's contract with Milan was for a total of 5 years, which would not have ended until the summer of 2012. This had already reached the maximum term stipulated by FIFA. Therefore, this contract renewal would not extend the contract term, but only increase Fino's annual salary and release clause.
Just as Fino believes, players always let their performance speak for itself. As long as they can perform well, a pay rise will naturally follow.
Milan's top earner is Kaká, with an annual salary of 6 million euros.
The second tier consists of key players such as Nesta, Pirlo, Gattuso, and Seedorf. Around 2006, they received salary increases and contract extensions, with annual salaries ranging from 3 million to 4 million, mostly 4 million. Ronaldo, who had extremely high commercial value, also received 4 million.
The third tier includes key rotation players like Cafu, Serginho, and Oddo, who earn an annual salary of 2 million euros. Maldini, the meritorious captain who has voluntarily taken pay cuts to renew his contract multiple times, is also in this range.
The last tier consists of players who are substitutes year-round, with annual salaries between 1 million and 2 million.
When he signed in the summer, Fino's annual salary was 500,000 euros, making him the only player in the first team with an annual salary of less than 1 million euros.
The low salary is largely due to Fino's lack of self-proving ability, but it also involves a degree of moral pressure from the club towards its youth academy graduates—Milan has nurtured you for so many years, and now they're giving you the opportunity to stay with your parent club and prove yourself. Young players shouldn't value money too much; they should learn to grow with the team.
Fino certainly didn't value money too much, but the problem was that Fino grew far too fast.
Gilardino has lost out to Fino in the competition, Ronaldo has been sidelined with injury, and Inzaghi's playing time in the league has been further reduced due to his age and physical condition, which are now focused on European competitions. Milan will basically have to rely on Fino to carry the attack in the league.
In just two months, Fino has already shown the aura of being Milan's number one forward, and as long as he doesn't get injured, Milan's attacking line will maintain this pattern until Pato joins the team.
At this point, Fino's salary becomes particularly glaring. Ronaldo earns 4 million a year, Inzaghi 4 million, Gilardino 3.5 million, while Fino's annual salary is only 500,000. This is unreasonable from any perspective.
Furthermore, due to his low salary, Fino's release clause is also extremely low, and many teams are already eager to take him away by triggering the release clause during the winter break.
This has made the club and fans uneasy. If Fino didn't lack an agent, there would probably be quite a few teams already trying to get in touch with him.
The club has received hundreds of emails from fans demanding that the club immediately renew Fino's contract, especially by significantly increasing the release clause, to prevent other teams from poaching him.
Galliani, who exploited his own youth academy players without any conscience just over two months ago, is now tasting the bitter fruit of his own actions.
Even if Fino had been offered a €1 million annual salary and a corresponding release clause, the club wouldn't be in such a passive position, and the contract renewal wouldn't have been rushed. Galliani could have dragged out the renewal process until the end of the season and renegotiated the terms based on Fino's performance throughout the season, instead of being caught in a dilemma like now, fearing that Fino wouldn't renew if the salary was too low, and that Fino was just a flash in the pan if the salary was too high.
Moreover, by the end of the season, the contracts of players like Maldini, Ronaldo, Cafu, and Serginho will expire. Whether these veterans retire or transfer freely, they will free up some salary space, making it easier to renew Fino's contract at that time.
Milan's current salary system is very unhealthy.
Milan boasts eight star players earning €4 million annually, with Kaká leading the pack with an even higher salary. In contrast, other Serie A teams have only a handful of players like Totti, Buffon, and Nedved earning over €4 million annually.
Even so, Kaka's father was still not satisfied and continued to pressure the club through various means and channels, demanding another pay raise.
The team's salary structure is a complex system; a change in one part can have far-reaching consequences, putting significant pressure on the club. Deegan's £1 million annual salary effectively reduced Kaká's salary, but the players aren't naive, and many harbored resentment behind the scenes.
The addition of this 1 million euros only temporarily calmed Kaka's father down. Galliani knew perfectly well that Kaka winning the Ballon d'Or at the end of the year was a foregone conclusion, and Kaka's father would definitely ask for a raise again.
If Kaká's salary continues to rise, it will be more than double that of key players like Pirlo and Nesta. Which top player in their prime could accept such an insult? Milan can no longer afford to raise salaries across the board.
Serie A's revenue is not ideal, and commercial development is very weak. It relies almost entirely on subsidies from club owners. With the overall economic situation in Italy declining, owners can no longer afford to provide large sums of money to subsidize the teams.
Currently, AC Milan's salary expenditures account for more than 60% of its total expenditures, and are about to reach the warning line of 70%, putting Milan's financial situation on the verge of collapse.
Let's return to Fino.
Galliani has prepared a contract for Fino with an annual salary of 2 million euros, which is in the third tier of the team, only half of Inzaghi's annual salary and 1.5 million euros less than Gilardino's.
This number is very subtle. It doesn't seem reasonable based on ability and performance, but it is reasonable based on age and seniority. Whether or not he can sign him depends on Galliani's eloquence.
To persuade Fino to agree, Galliani also brought Maldini to No. 3 Via Turati (AC Milan's headquarters), believing that no Milan youth academy player didn't idolize Maldini. If Fino hesitated, Galliani would launch a moral blackmail campaign using the "parent club, role model, and Milan dream" analogy.
Fino readily agreed, having no objection to the annual salary or severance pay. After his lawyer confirmed there were no contractual traps, he signed the papers without giving Galliani any chance to demonstrate his emotional intelligence or eloquence.
This left Galliani feeling somewhat disappointed, as if he had spent ten years practicing past college entrance exam questions, only to find out the exam was only at an elementary school level.
Fino, who came from a humble background, certainly knew the importance of money, but his desire for it was not that strong.
Even after earning a salary that most people can only dream of, Fino's spending habits remain the same as most people's: having enough to eat and wear, a car, and a house is enough to satisfy his basic material needs.
Unlike many players from humble backgrounds who compensate for their impoverished childhood with a life of luxury, he doesn't flaunt his status with mansions, luxury cars, or expensive watches like many arrogant young players.
Given Fino's spending habits, even with an annual salary of only 500,000 euros, he could achieve financial freedom before retiring. A salary of 500,000 euros would provide him with enough security, so why bother about whether 2 million is a lot or a little?
He is only 19 years old. He is still growing and has a long way to go before reaching his peak. He does not need to use salary to demonstrate his value and status for the time being.
Of course, Galliani's move to bring Maldini over did work.
Maldini didn't need to say a word; just his quiet presence beside him completely extinguished Fino's already dwindling motivation to haggle. Fino didn't want to leave Maldini with the impression of being greedy, not even a possibility.
On October 26, three days after Fino's birthday, Milan announced on its official website that it had renewed Fino's contract.
In the photo, Fino is wearing a dark suit and stands next to Galliani with a gentle smile. He is handsome and extremely beautiful.
Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed more details of the contract, including annual salary, signing bonus, release clause, and bonuses linked to individual statistics and team performance.
The €50 million release clause has put fans at ease, considering that the transfer fee for Ballon d'Or winner Shevchenko was only €43.88 million. They no longer have to worry about their sweet potatoes being stolen.
Gazzetta dello Sport described the contract extension as excellent value.
According to sources within Transfermarkt, Cabrini's current market value is €18 million. With increased playing time and rising statistics, his value is expected to reach €25 million by the time Transfermarkt updates its website during the winter transfer window. At the end of last season, Transfermarkt valued Cabrini at €3 million, a typical price for a talented academy graduate from a top club. In just a few months, his value has increased sixfold, a meteoric rise with a continued upward trend.
From a competitive standpoint, Cabrini has become Milan's most consistent scorer in attack, and his €500,000 annual salary is indeed insufficient to reflect his performance. AC Milan's immediate move to extend his contract was very wise. By increasing his salary expenditure by only €1.5 million, they secured the rapidly rising Cabrini while significantly increasing his release clause, thus eliminating the risk of him being poached by other clubs at low cost. If Cabrini does enter the transfer market in the future, it will bring AC Milan considerable revenue.
"However, I believe that unless Cabrini's career takes a dramatic turn, he is unlikely to enter the transfer market within the next ten years. Maldini is nearing retirement, and Ambrosini and Gattuso are already in their thirties. As a product of Milan's pure youth academy, Cabrini will most likely become Milan's new standard-bearer in four or five years."
After renewing his contract, Fino used this as an excuse to treat all his teammates to a Chinese meal in Chinatown. He had been treated to so many meals recently and wanted to return the favor.
The location was a well-known Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. The restaurant owner is from Zhejiang and has been living in Italy for over 20 years.
The chefs in the restaurant were all hired by the owner from China at high salaries, and each of them has their own specialty cuisine and special skills.
Fino's reservation, made a day in advance, was already a bit late. Fortunately, the owner was very considerate of this fellow Chinese, and personally negotiated with the other guests to reserve the entire rooftop space for Fino on the day he was hosting the dinner.
The restaurant's rooftop hall is only half the size of the lower floors, and can only accommodate about thirty people, just enough for Milan's first team.
There is a large terrace on the outside of the rooftop, planted with many flowers and green plants, offering views of Milan's nightscape.
When it came to choosing dishes, Fino completely trusted the professionals and only ordered the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and Steamed Pork with Rice Flour that Kaka and Nesta had been longing for, as well as some light dishes that he emphasized one of his teammates had a sensitive stomach. He left the rest to the owner to choose.
Our compatriots really put in a great job. The meal was so delicious that our teammates raved about it, and many of them have already added this Chinese restaurant to their list of places to eat regularly and left their reservation phone number.
Because there was training the next day, Fino didn't order any alcohol. He didn't want tabloid reporters to take unsightly photos of his teammates drunk and then create scandals like "alcohol addiction affecting training."
Shortly after the banquet began, the restaurant owner brought out some homemade plum wine for everyone to taste. He assured Fino that the alcohol content was very low, and that drinking a few glasses would not make you feel drunk. He said that the alcohol would be metabolized by the end of the banquet and would not even affect your driving.
The boss gave out a lot of plum wine, but there were so many of them, that if it was divided among everyone, each person would only get two or three cups, which wasn't a problem.
Fino thanked the boss for his kindness and shared the food with his teammates.
Pirlo's family owns its own wine business, and he was very interested in this new type of fruit wine. He took a sip and carefully considered the taste of the plum wine.
"It's sweet and sour, like a fruit juice, with only a slight hint of alcohol."
Pirlo picked up an empty glass, poured a glass of plum wine, and pushed it towards Fino.
"Would you like to try some?"
Fino had never drunk alcohol before because he didn't want alcohol to control his rationality. Since the alcohol content was low, he thought it wouldn't hurt to try the wine from his hometown.
He clinked glasses with Pirlo, slowly drank his wine, and found it to be very fruity, sweet and sour with only a hint of alcohol. He then drank another glass.
A dozen minutes later, Fino realized that he might not have a high tolerance for alcohol because he started to feel hot all over.
At this moment, he felt that his mind was still very clear and he was not drunk at all. He silently reminded himself that he could not drink anymore, as he could easily embarrass himself with such a low alcohol tolerance.
Then he realized that he really did look like a foreigner now, and it seemed quite reasonable for a foreigner to make a fool of himself, so he couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you grinning about?" Pirlo asked from beside him.
"Huh?" Fino was a little confused. "Did I laugh?"
Pirlo reached out and touched his face, finding it somewhat hot.
Pirlo was surprised: "Are you drunk? It's just two alcoholic drinks, it can't be that bad, can it?"
Fino touched his face. He was so hot all over that he didn't really feel his face was hot, but he still decided to go to the terrace to cool off.
"It's a bit stuffy, I'm going to the terrace to get some fresh air."
Compared to the brightly lit hall, the terrace is slightly dimmer, with only a few dim courtyard lights scattered among the flowers, trees, and greenery, creating a hazy and gentle atmosphere.
On the terrace was a white-painted wrought iron swing, right next to a courtyard lamp. Fino sat on it, his feet firmly planted on the ground, so the swing could only sway slightly.
The sounds of laughter and chatter drifted from the hall, making this small corner seem even more secluded.
As the autumn wind blew, Fino felt his body temperature returning to normal, but his spirits began to soar, and his desire to express himself reached its peak. He wanted to find someone to chat with.
Kaka was probably enjoying his meal and shouldn't be disturbed, so Fino prepared to go and drag Pirlo out.
At this moment, the back of the swing was gently pushed, and the swing swung a little more.
Fino turned around and saw Inzaghi.
He stood in the shadow of the courtyard lamp, his face half-lit and half-shadowed, making his expression unreadable.
Fino stepped aside and patted the seat next to her: "Pippo, come sit down."
Inzaghi walked over and sat on the other side of the swing, turning to look at Fino: "Why are you sitting here alone? Is something bothering you?"
"I have a very low alcohol tolerance, so I came to the terrace to cool off a bit."
Inzaghi chuckled and asked again, "Why are you suddenly in the mood for drinking? Are you troubled by some girl?"
His face held a hint of mockery, but his eyes were fixed intently on Fino.
It was that same look in Fino's eyes again—serious, aggressive; Inzaghi often looked at him like that.
A voice inside Fino kept reminding him not to ask Inzaghi; it was Pandora's box, and he absolutely couldn't open it. So he chose to ignore his unease and forced himself to believe that this was just standard practice for the Italian heartthrob, nothing special.
Tonight, fueled by alcohol, Fino suddenly decided he no longer wanted to deceive himself.
"Why?" He looked directly into Inzaghi's eyes. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
Fino's eyes shone like stars, seemingly possessing the power to see into people's hearts. Under Fino's clear and bright gaze, Inzaghi instantly felt a sense of unease, as if all his thoughts were laid bare.
A thought suddenly popped into his mind: could the roles of hunter and prey be reversed?
Perhaps Fino understood everything, but remained silent as she watched him exert all his efforts without taking any action.
But he quickly dismissed the idea, arguing that Fino couldn't possibly be more adept at handling emotional relationships than he was.
Inzaghi chuckled to himself, realizing that even someone as confident as himself could be suspicious at times, but then he became cheerful again.
He realized he hadn't been wasting his time. Fino wasn't so oblivious; a ripple of emotion had already stirred within him. Even the strongest fortress, given the slightest crack, could be slowly pried open.
Inzaghi knew that now was not the time to reveal the truth; being too hasty would only ruin everything. What he needed to do now was to slowly guide Fino to explore the relationship between the two of them on his own.
He reached out and touched Fino's face, then leaned over and whispered in Fino's ear, "You'll be the one to tell me the answer from now on."
Inzaghi's breath gently touched Fino's ear, bringing a tingling warmth. In that instant, the world seemed to go silent. Fino could only hear her own heartbeat, like lightning and thunder, as if something was about to burst out of her chest.
He leaned to the far end, looking hesitantly at Inzaghi.
Inzaghi merely gave a charming smile, refusing to utter another word.
"Fino, are you feeling better?"
Just then, Pirlo walked over with a glass of ice water, interrupting Fino and Inzaghi's eye contact.
He handed the cup to Fino, then turned and sat down on the chair next to the swing.
"I feel the fever going down." Fino raised his glass and took a sip of ice water. "I absolutely can't drink alcohol anymore. My alcohol tolerance is really not very good."
Pirlo's gaze darted between Fino and Inzaghi, then he asked pointedly, "Just a fever? Do you feel dizzy or excited? Be careful, Pippo might try to trick you into revealing information when you're not fully alert!"
Inzaghi chuckled and got up from the swing.
"Andrea, you can try to get some information out of him and see if he's thinking clearly. I'm going in first."
Not long after Fino left the hall, Inzaghi followed him out, and Pirlo saw all of this.
He turned his head to look towards the terrace and saw Inzaghi sitting next to Fino. Due to the angle, most of Fino's figure was blocked by Inzaghi.
From Pirlo's perspective, Inzaghi's gesture of turning to speak in Fino's ear looked like a kiss, which made him restless. He had to interrupt Fino and Inzaghi's time alone together.
Judging from Fino's expression, it seemed that nothing had happened and it was probably just a matter of angle. This made Pirlo breathe a slight sigh of relief, but he was also completely certain of one thing: Inzaghi was really playing with fire.
The party ended around midnight, and judging from Nesta and Kaká constantly touching their bellies, everyone must have enjoyed the meal.
Before leaving, Ronaldo patted Fino on the shoulder and winked, saying, "Next time you treat us, remember to do it on a day off. Food alone isn't enough; add some beautiful women and fine wine, and party until dawn for a perfect celebration."
Fino twitched the corners of her mouth but didn't say anything. This was a Chinese restaurant, not a nightclub.
Because he was delayed by answering a phone call, Inzaghi left the Chinese restaurant quite late, by which time most of his teammates had already left.
When he arrived at the parking lot, he found Pirlo leaning against his car, waiting for him to come over.
He roughly knew why Pirlo was waiting for him, and he also knew what Pirlo wanted to say.
Inzaghi made a flippant expression and reached out to touch Pirlo's face: "What's wrong, Andrea? Do you want to come home with me?"
Pirlo slapped Inzaghi's hand away and asked seriously, "Pippo, you know what you're doing, don't you?"
"Clearly and distinctly."
A flicker of anger rose in Pirlo's eyes: "You know he just turned 19, don't you?"
"I know perfectly well that you gave him an expensive watch as a birthday present." Inzaghi said, jumping onto the hood of the car and sitting down, with a hint of sarcasm. "How generous, Andrea. It must have been difficult to persuade him to accept it."
"Don't change the subject." Pirlo looked at him seriously. "You shouldn't have tried to seduce him when he was still clueless about relationships. That's emotional exploitation of a younger person by an older one!"
These words struck a nerve with Inzaghi, hitting a nerve that he had always been afraid to confront.
Fino was too young; his emotional world was still a blank slate. His understanding and exploration of love differed greatly from Inzaghi's, and this difference was a powerful tool for Inzaghi to win Fino over.
Inzaghi knew, of course, that this opportunistic behavior was unfair to Fino, but he refused to admit it. He kept convincing himself that love is love, regardless of age or means.
And this self-deceptive pretense was blatantly exposed by Pirlo.
Inzaghi felt somewhat embarrassed, but Super Pippo would never reveal his inner weakness, and he stubbornly said, "He's an adult, isn't he?"
This stubbornness obviously didn't fool Pirlo, who scoffed, straightened up, and left.
“Andrea,” Inzaghi called to Pirlo from behind, “what brings you to talk to me about this? I’ll ask you that too. You know what you’re doing, don’t you?”
Pirlo paused only briefly before walking away without looking back or answering.
Inzaghi sat on the hood of the car for a long, long time, and finally gave a self-deprecating smile.
He jumped off the hood of the car and drove home.
...
Two days later, Serie A will enter its 9th round, with AC Milan hosting Roma.
In the first eight rounds of Serie A this season, Inter Milan continued their strong performance from last season, topping the table with 20 points from 6 wins and 2 draws. AC Milan and Juventus were tied for second place with 17 points each, while Fiorentina and Roma were fourth and fifth with 16 points each.
There are only 2 points between second and fifth place, and the rankings can be rewritten in just one game.
This direct confrontation is important for both Milan and Roma.
Neither team had their full starting lineup in this match.
For Milan, left-back Jankulovski underwent right knee surgery, and Maldini, who had just returned from injury in the last league match, returned to the left-back position, leaving Nesta and Kaladze to guard the middle. Right-back Oddo was replaced by Cafu due to excessive exertion in the Champions League.
Roma's injury situation is more serious, with Totti, Taddei, and Aquilani all unavailable, much to the chagrin of head coach Spalletti.
After the match started, both sides showed a strong desire to attack, exchanging attacks back and forth in a series of fast-paced exchanges. This is uncommon in Serie A, which is primarily a defense-oriented league, and it greatly surprised fans who were used to the slow pace of Serie A matches.
Ancelotti and Spalletti exchanged an awkward glance. The two had the same idea: to score as soon as possible while the opponent's starting lineup was incomplete, then retreat to defense, trying not to expose their weaknesses and to preserve the victory until the end.
The entire first half was a test for both sides' defenses.
On the Milan side, Dida made a series of brilliant saves, and Maldini, showing no signs of aging, directed Nesta and Kaladze to keep Milan's goal completely sealed.
Roma were equally impressive, with goalkeeper Doni and four defenders making saves against shots from Ambrosini, Kaká, Seedorf, and Fino.
The fast-paced transitions between attack and defense were a feast for the eyes of neutral fans, but caused great anxiety for fans of both Milan and Roma.
Impacts, clearances, shots, saves... the emotions of the home and away fans rose and fell with the progress of the game, with joy and sorrow shifting in an instant.
The relentless attacks proved fruitless, causing both teams' players to become increasingly agitated, leading to more aggressive play. By the end of the first half, Ambrosini, Nesta, and Roma's Vucinic had all received yellow cards.
On the AC Milan fan forum, many fans took advantage of the halftime break to post and discuss the issue.
I'm just so glad I don't have a heart condition; this match was absolutely thrilling.
[I second that. Thankfully, my 80-year-old grandfather is already asleep; he's also a Milan fan.]
[I have to say, your dad is still your dad, your grandpa is still your grandpa. Look at Ma, he doesn't look 39 at all. He could easily play for several more years.]
Dida was amazing today. I thought he was done for, but he's still a legend when he's not doing abstract art.
It's a pity the attacking third wasn't effective; so many shots were wasted.
Because Rome also has a father.
...
After the start of the second half, Milan gradually slowed down the pace. The reason was simple: the veterans' stamina couldn't withstand a whole game of fast-paced attacks, so they needed to slow down and take a break.
Although the pace slowed down, the tempers between the two sides did not subside.
First, De Rossi collided with Seedorf and fell to the ground, forcing him to go off the field for treatment. Then, Pirlo received a yellow card for fouling Cicinho.
Roma goalkeeper Doni injured his finger while rushing out to challenge for a header, but he persevered after receiving treatment. Later, Roma defender Mexes was penalized for pushing Ambrosini during a header challenge and received a yellow card for protesting to the referee.
With half of the second half over, both coaches were prepared for a draw. Both sides had done a good job defensively, but lacked a bit of luck in attack.
When strong teams meet, a draw is not hard to accept. At this time, it is the right thing to do to keep the players' tempers in check and avoid adding unnecessary yellow cards and injuries.
Just as both coaches were preparing to further tighten their defenses, Roma scored.
In the 72nd minute, Roma gained possession. Mancini passed the ball from the center to Cicinho, who had moved up to the right flank in Milan's half. At this moment, Maldini was being marked by Tonetto and could not immediately return to defend. Cicinho received the ball and crossed from the right flank. Vucinic jumped ahead of Nesta and headed the ball into the goal.
Roma are leading 1-0 away from home.
Roma's head coach Spalletti clenched his fists and cheered loudly; there's nothing more wonderful than this unexpected joy.
The pressure is now on Milan.
Ancelotti immediately substituted the defensively-oriented Gattuso with the winger Serginho, hoping to use Serginho's speed and crosses to turn the tide.
After Serginho came on, Milan's attacking ability indeed improved significantly. In the following minutes, Milan had two shooting opportunities through Serginho's header and cross from the wing, but both were cleared by Roma.
Seeing Milan gain momentum, Spalletti chose to use substitutions to disrupt Milan's attacking momentum and rhythm. In the 76th minute, Roma substituted Giuly for Mancini, and Ancelotti immediately substituted Favalli for the exhausted Maldini. The captain's armband was then put on Ambrosini's arm.
As the match neared its end, the Roma players, leading by one goal, seemed quite confident, while the Milan players, trailing behind, grew increasingly anxious.
In the 79th minute, De Rossi headed the ball in front of the Milan goal and crossed it. Ambrosini, worried about conceding another goal, impulsively pulled De Rossi down from behind.
The referee immediately awarded a penalty and showed Ambrosini another yellow card, resulting in Ambrosini being sent off after accumulating two yellow cards.
To make matters worse, Milan, already trailing by one goal, had to play with 10 men and immediately face the test of a penalty shootout.
Ambrosini covered his eyes in frustration and silently walked into the players' tunnel. At that moment, he felt like he had become a sinner against Milan.
De Rossi took the penalty himself, and with his composure, he chipped the ball in, tricking Dida into diving to his right. Unfortunately, the ball grazed the crossbar and went out of play, and Milan escaped a close call.
For the rest of the time, the referee became the busiest person on the field.
Favalli tackles Vucinic, yellow card!
Panucci was shown a yellow card for wasting time when he substituted Cicinho!
Seedorf's flying tackle on Pizarro earns him a yellow card!
With the referee issuing a barrage of yellow cards, regular time ended, and 5 minutes of injury time began.
Milan's players never gave up and kept trying to equalize, but as stoppage time ticked away, the situation remained unchanged.
San Siro fell silent, with fans already accepting that Roma was about to take three points away.
In the 94th minute, Pirlo passed the ball forward, but Kaká and Seedorf were both closely marked by Roma players and had no space to receive the ball.
Just as fans were despairing over Pirlo's disarray and rash pass that wasted the last attacking opportunity, a red and black figure appeared like lightning—it was Fino, who had retreated.
With little time remaining, Fino not only had to contend with Roma's defense but also race against time.
After controlling the ball, Fino didn't dribble with both feet. Instead, he kicked the ball forward and sprinted after it. After catching up with the ball, Fino kicked it forward again and continued chasing it.
Speed up! Speed up! Speed up again!
Fino chased the ball toward Roma's goal, while the referee had his whistle in his mouth and was mentally counting down the seconds.
10, 9, 8...
Mexes' sliding tackle was met by Fino's accelerated speed...
7, 6, 5...
Juan's attempt to pull at his jersey was thwarted by Fino's twisting and freeing...
4, 3, 2...
Fino had dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area, and goalkeeper Doni rushed out of his goal...
The San Siro was so quiet you could hear the wind. Fans from both sides waited anxiously for the final result, some of the more timid ones even closing their eyes and praying.
Facing Doni's onslaught, Fino took a shot while running, and the ball slipped under Doni and into the net before the referee's whistle blew.
At this moment, gods will be slain, and demons will be slain!
In the final second of stoppage time, Fino scored the equalizer, making it 1-1 between Milan and Roma.
Fino finally let out the frustration of being restricted by Roma for the entire match.
He spread his hands out and held them flat upwards, signaling to the silent fans that they could cheer. Then, amidst the screams and cheers of the fans, he patted his heart with his right hand and pointed to Ambrosini, who was standing at the entrance to the players' tunnel.
At this moment, the referee had already blown the whistle to end the game. Ambrosini, who had been sent off the field, was no longer bound by the rules of the game. He ran towards Fino, pushed aside his teammates who were hugging Fino, and hugged Fino tightly.
As Ambrosini kissed Fino's hair and forehead, he praised him, feeling redeemed for his sin of pushing Milan into danger because of Fino.
Applause erupted from all sides of the stands. This match was incredibly difficult, and even though they only managed a draw, the players' tenacious fighting spirit still deserved everyone's applause and cheers.
The commentator, stunned by Fino's goal, finally found his voice again.
"It was Kaká. That was Kaká's typical long strides and powerful dribbling, full of the beauty of power and speed. Right there at the San Siro, right in front of Kaká, Cabrini perfectly replicated that dribbling move and equalized the score for Milan."
"The moment Cabrini chose to dribble forward, his figure seemed to overlap with Kaká's."
"The camera now focuses on Kaká, and we can see the proud expression on his face. He's proud of Cabrini. It's said that Kaká and Cabrini have a very good relationship, and this is confirmed on camera..."
After the 9th round of Serie A matches, none of the top five teams had won a single game.
Inter Milan played to a goalless draw away to Palermo, but still sit atop the table with 21 points. AC Milan drew at home to Roma, bringing their total to 18 points and placing them second. Juventus were upset away to Napoli, and Fiorentina also drew, leaving both teams tied for third place with 17 points. Roma remain in fifth place with 16 points.
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