Chapter 134, the "Cabrini Manifesto"...
“I am shocked, saddened and disappointed by what happened today. It is a disgrace to Milan and to Rossoneri, but not to Maldini.”
"I am a player who came from Milanello. Like every youth academy kid, I grew up listening to the story of Paolo Maldini. Who is Maldini? He is the symbol of the Milan spirit, the leader and pillar of the locker room. He witnessed Milan's rise and glory, and also experienced Milan's confusion and struggle."
"He is a true Milanese, having served Milan's first team for 25 years. How long is 25 years? Enough for a child to grow from a toddler to an adult. For 25 years, he has worked diligently and responsibly, winning more than 20 championship trophies for Milan, making Milan's glorious hall of fame even more radiant. He has become the soul of Milan."
"He could have retired gracefully at the peak of his career, becoming a flawless legend and a shining icon. But because Milan couldn't do without him, and the locker room couldn't do without him, he had to drag his injured leg and endure the pain to run on the field at the age of 41. He sacrificed his health and burned his life for Milan, but when he said goodbye to San Siro, those bastards ruined this sacred moment of farewell."
Ancelotti became increasingly nervous as he listened, and started pinching Fino's thigh under the table to make him stop.
Maldini was hated by the extreme fan groups in the South Stand for so many years because he criticized them, and he doesn't want Fino to repeat Maldini's mistake.
But Cofino did not stop.
"They don't deserve to be called AC Milan fans at all; they're just parasites using the identity of Milan fans to enrich themselves. They've done all sorts of bad things: reselling tickets, threatening players, forming cliques to bully real fans, disrupting the normal operation of the club..."
"They don't love Milan at all. They can recklessly harm Milan, tarnish its reputation, and tarnish its greatness for the sake of internal power struggles. They only flaunt their power when Milan is glorious, but they can't stand by Milan when it's down..."
Upon hearing this, the Milan players in the locker room were stunned into silence.
Kaka murmured, "Is this still our quiet and gentle Finney?"
Maldini quickly got up and headed to the media interview room. He had a deep-seated grudge against the South Stand that would never be resolved, and he didn't want Fino to be entangled with those people like he had.
Inzaghi slumped against the wardrobe, arms crossed, a look of resigned acceptance on his face.
Fino continued speaking, his voice even trembling with emotion.
"I saw some young people among them, and their youthful, innocent faces left a deep impression on me. A few of them even interacted with me. At the time, they were polite and friendly, like any honest and passionate normal fan. It saddens me that the size of the extremist fan groups is rapidly expanding, and the leaders of these groups are taking advantage of the ignorance and courage of young people, fabricating lies to deceive them, and leading those naive young people to do wrong things."
"I hope that all those in that group who still have a conscience can wake up and stop aiding and abetting evil. Those people are not worthy of your trust. They have no sincerity towards Milan, nor towards you. The love they talk about is just a business transaction. They have already made a fortune by reselling tickets and making and selling souvenirs. They live in villas and drive luxury cars, while what have you gained? Only the disgust and hatred of the club, the players, and normal fans."
"I believe those bastards are just a minority among the fans. I hope that true Milan fans around the world will stand up and not remain in the silent majority. Don't let these bastards tarnish Rossoneri's reputation, don't let other club fans think Milan fans are heartless, and don't let other players be afraid to join Milan. They will say, 'Look how they treat their captain who has worked hard for 25 years and brought more than 20 championship trophies to Milan. Even Maldini was treated like this. They won't like me. I don't want to play for a team like this, with fans like this…'"
The reporters present became increasingly excited as they listened, but remained quiet and restrained throughout, hoping that Fino would say more, and much more.
Just then, Maldini suddenly burst into the interview room, causing a commotion in the media section and interrupting Fino's speech.
Numerous media outlets crowded around to interview Maldini, but Maldini walked straight to Fino, took his hand, and started to lead him outside.
Fino refused; he hadn't finished saying what he wanted to say.
Maldini grabbed Fino's leg, lifted him up, and carried him on his shoulder towards the door.
Fino struggled in vain, so he simply supported himself on Maldini's shoulder, tried to lift his upper body, and continued speaking to the camera.
"Rossonnis, raise your voices, stand up for Paolo Maldini, and distance yourselves from those bastards. We are different from them. We are loyal, we are honest, we are humane, and we truly love Milan. Let's redefine Rossoneri together!"
Maldini carried Fino out of the interview room and only put him down after walking quite a distance.
“You’re a smart kid, why did you provoke those extreme fans? Didn’t you see my example?” Maldini said with a displeased expression.
Fino did not answer; he was still calming his turbulent emotions.
Maldini slapped him hard on the back: "Fini, speak up, don't be a mute."
What should Fino say?
That's Maldini, the Maldini I admire, the Maldini who embodies my longing for family.
How could he accept Maldini being insulted like this?
From the moment the incident occurred, his reason was overwhelmed by anger, which quickly escalated and became increasingly difficult to control.
He's used to keeping everything bottled up inside, but that doesn't mean he can process everything.
The anger in his heart burned ever more fiercely; if it could not be released, his heart would be burned into a wasteland.
But Fino couldn't tell Maldini these things. He didn't want Maldini to know his feelings for him, nor did he want to add to Maldini's psychological burden.
The feelings he had for Maldini were his own business.
So he only gave the most basic reason.
"I don't like them bullying you."
Maldini lifted his drooping head with both hands, looked directly into his tearful eyes, and remained so for a long, long time.
With a final sigh, he embraced Fino tightly.
"You silly boy!"
It seems that Fino might really not be able to stay now.
When Maldini brought Fino back to the locker room, there was a burst of applause, and everyone went up to hug Fino.
In today's world where extreme fans are becoming increasingly arrogant, not everyone has the courage to speak out, but their young teammate, not yet 21, did. This is Maldini's chosen successor, Milan's captain after Ambrosini, and he is worthy of the captain's armband.
When Ancelotti returned from the post-match press conference, he slapped Fino hard on the back twice, called him a "little rascal," and then gave him a big hug.
He had something he wanted to say to Fino, but there was no point in saying it, so he remained silent.
Such a sincere child made me feel as if I had returned to my passionate youth, back to the time before I was the cunning and chubby boy.
He had a firm idea in his mind: if Galliani were to offload Fino this summer, he would definitely persuade Abramovich to bring Fino to Chelsea and bring him under his wing.
That evening, online media outlets released the full video of Fino's speech at the post-match press conference, causing a huge uproar.
The following day, photos of Maldini giving the middle finger to the South Stand and Fino with tears in his eyes at his press conference made headlines in major print media outlets.
Hundreds of thousands of people shared the short video of Fino being carried on Maldini's shoulders and making a plea on social media, and expressed their blessings and support for Maldini.
These people included not only AC Milan fans, but also supporters from other clubs around the world, and even fans of their city derby rivals, Inter Milan.
Numerous football stars expressed their support for Maldini on social media and in print media, condemning extreme fan groups.
Milan's former captain, Baresi, spoke out: "Paulo should not be treated like this."
Roma captain Francesco Totti angrily criticized extremist fans in his column in the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport: "There is a growing lack of respect and values in football now, and this is exactly what happened with Maldini. I understand Maldini's anger very well, and he deserves everyone's applause."
Italian Football Federation President Abete issued a statement: "Those insulting banners are shameful. The Italian Football Federation is considering holding a retirement ceremony for Maldini."
...
Milan's official website received letters of support for Maldini from all over the world, and tens of thousands of Milan fans took to the streets to express their support for Maldini. For many days, fans held up banners outside Milanello and San Siro that read "Support Paolo Maldini" and "Maldini - the Great Captain".
The situation was not peaceful either within several extreme fan groups. This incident accelerated the divisions and infighting within the Tigers Command, the Red and Black Tour, and the remnants of the Lions Den.
Some fans who still retain some rationality have begun to reflect on their behavior and have chosen to leave these extreme fan groups.
The remaining die-hards, under the pressure of public opinion, began to blame and fight each other, plunging into chaos.
The unequal distribution of benefits within the extreme fan group had long caused dissatisfaction among many members. Fino's statement that "some people live in mansions and drive luxury cars" hit their sore spot, making division and reorganization inevitable.
The repercussions of this incident did not completely dissipate by the start of the new season, and Fino's full statement circulated online for many years, often being used as a prime example to criticize players who spoke incoherently.
This speech even has a widely recognized name—the "Cabrini Manifesto".
Years later, public relations professionals came out to review the entire event and analyze in detail the brilliance of the Cabrini Manifesto:
First, state your position clearly and directly characterize the incident—this is a disgrace to the club and the fans.
Then, from the perspective of a Milan youth academy player, the article emphasizes Maldini's status as one of their own; by listing the time Maldini played for Milan and the number of championships he won, the article highlights Maldini's hard work and contributions; his age and injuries are emotionally charged points that further emphasize Maldini's greatness.
Next, they separated extreme fans from the fan base, placing them in opposition to ordinary fans and the club, thus inciting ordinary fans to share their hatred and indignation.
Next, they divided the extreme fan groups, turned the non-diehards among them, and even gave them the excuse of being "deceived" to guide them back; they also used the contradiction of unequal distribution of benefits to make the diehards fall into division and infighting.
Then, they used the reason that "it will affect Milan's signings" to arouse the concerns of Milan fans and call on them to stand up and support Maldini.
Finally, there was a tearful and deeply moving appeal.
A speech lasting less than ten minutes contained so much information, with not a single wasted word.
It is reasonable, well-founded, and powerful.
This analysis has once again sparked heated discussions online, with its popularity extending far beyond the realm of football.
Fino even earned the nickname "Chess King," with his fans praising his strategic brilliance and his detractors accusing him of being cunning and manipulative.
Of course, that's a story for another time.
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Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your support~ [Let me see...]
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