Chapter 13 Parma and the South Stand
Despite not having lost a single game this season, Milan's two consecutive draws in the second and third rounds of the league have still aroused strong dissatisfaction among fans. Gilardino, who played the full 90 minutes in both games but failed to score, bore the brunt of the anger from his own fans.
During the second round home game against Fiorentina, whenever Gilardino made a mistake with the ball, a small number of boos would be heard from the South Stand. As the game ended and the fans took their bows, the boos from the South Stand gradually grew louder.
Under Ancelotti's tactics, Gilardino was already playing awkwardly, and after being booed by the fans, his performance worsened, and his coordination with his teammates deteriorated.
This situation didn't start this season. Last season, he often faced pressure from the South Stand. He was even a bit intimidated by home games. In the previous two seasons, he scored more away goals than at home.
This is one of the reasons why Ancelotti rarely fielded Fino last season. The south stand of the San Siro can be a source of strength for players, but also a source of pressure, where applause and boos can change in an instant.
Oliveira, Seedorf, Dida, and others have all been booed by the South Stand, and even captain Maldini has a deep-seated grudge against them. Young players without a strong mentality will find it difficult to withstand this kind of pressure.
Many teammates spoke up for Gilardino in interviews, and Ancelotti also said, "He needs to calm down and not care too much about what others say," but Gilardino's performance continued to decline.
A few days ago, in an interview, Maldini directly and clearly expressed his anger and regret over the fans standing against the team and players.
“San Siro used to be a magical place, but now we are losing the magic of San Siro. No one is singing to support the team, we feel like we are playing away or at a neutral venue, it doesn’t feel like playing at home. After giving our all to the fans and getting everything we’ve received, we shouldn’t be treated like this.”
When discussing the reasons for this incident, Maldini spoke tactfully, but the criticism still pointed to the internal power struggles and interests within the South Stand's extreme fan groups, which further deepened the conflict between Maldini and the South Stand.
Although both came through Milan's youth academy, Fino did not share Maldini's passionate love for Milan, nor did he have any expectations of the fans.
He didn't grow up in a football-loving environment, nor did he have a family-run team; he joined Milan purely because of Maldini.
When Fino joined the Milan youth team, he had only been in Italy for a short time. He felt insecure and cautiously examined everything unfamiliar.
Because of the language barrier in the early years, and because the goalkeeper position often requires separate training, he always felt like he was detached from the team for the first few years.
Of course, there are his own reasons as well. His mental age is six years older than his physical age, and he is not very willing to participate in the childish play of children.
It wasn't until everyone gradually moved up to U16 and U18 that he felt he had some common topics with his peers. However, by then he was working hard to change positions and didn't have much time for socializing.
He didn't develop a love and sense of belonging to Milan in the youth teams, nor did he consider Milan his home like most youth players do.
What binds him to Milan is not an emotional bond, but his personal sense of morality and professional ethics, and a legally binding contract.
He respects Milan and his contract. As long as he remains in Milan, he will give his all for the club.
Similarly, he failed to build an emotional bond with his fans; the distance between them was too great, as if they were strangers.
He has no intention of pandering to the fans; whether the fans support or oppose him doesn't really affect his mentality and rhythm when playing.
He will be grateful if fans like him and will try his best to repay their love.
If the fans don't like him, they won't let him jump up and down and break through the defense. Just play your own game and let others say what they want.
As the saying goes, people are only hurt by those they care about.
The people who truly formed an emotional bond with Fino were his teammates on the first team.
Maldini, to whom he entrusted so many complex emotions; Seedorf, Ambrosini, and Nesta, who often took care of and guided him; the optimistic and cheerful Kaká; the mischievous Pirlo; the unpredictable Inzaghi…
As he spent time with his teammates day after day, their kindness touched the softest part of his heart.
In the fourth round of the league, AC Milan hosted Parma, with Fino returning to the starting lineup.
It's another home game, and the fans have been making a fuss for days. At this point, it's better to play away than at home.
Before the match, Ancelotti pulled Fino aside and told him: "Just do your own thing and don't pay attention to the fans' voices. The reasons they are making a fuss are complicated and not just because of our performance on the field."
Ancelotti was also helpless. Of his four forwards, one was injured, one was exhausted, and one had lost his will to fight. Only Fino was left. If Fino was also booed and became listless, Kaka would have to fill in as a forward again.
Fino nodded.
In this match, Milan continued to use the Christmas tree formation, with Dida guarding the goal, Oddo, Nesta, Bonera and Jankulovski forming the defense, Brocchi, Pirlo and Ambrosini anchoring the midfield, Kaká and Seedorf organizing the attack, and Fino as the lone striker.
Parma is not a strong opponent. Last season in Serie A, they only finished 12th. In the first three games of this season, they drew two and lost one, earning only two league points.
Parma haven't won at the San Siro in ten years, and have suffered six consecutive defeats in their last six matches. Players and fans alike are eager to end this embarrassing record.
However, Milan would not allow them to have their way so easily.
Just two minutes into the game, Milan gave Parma, who were still slowly adapting to the squalor of the San Siro pitch, a shocking blow, and it was Fino who made the move.
Ambrosini launched a long pass from midfield, the ball crossing the halfway line to the left edge of the penalty area. Fino chested the ball down but did not pass it. He was in a very good position, with only one defender between him and the goalkeeper. Passing it back to Kaká or Seedorf would have slowed down the attack.
Fino broke past Falcone with a combination of two inside cuts, and then immediately took a shot. The movement was smooth, compact and precise. Although Parma's goalkeeper Pavarini guessed the right direction in his haste, the ball still grazed his fingertips and went into the far corner.
The ball hovered over the net for a few seconds before falling to the ground, then slowly rolled out of the goal and towards Pavarini.
Pavarini angrily slammed his fist on the ground.
Falcone, who lost his balance after being jolted off Fino's inside cut, looked shocked.
The referee blew his whistle to signal that the goal was valid.
Fino did not go to the fans' stands to interact with them. From the start of the players' warm-up, the home fans had not sung or cheered for the players. They allowed Parma's fans to take the lead in Milan's home stadium. Fino did not have the habit of trying to win favor with a cold shoulder.
He simply stood there quietly, smiling, and opened his arms to Ambrosini.
Kaká, who was closest, pounced first, followed by Seedorf, Ambrosini, Pirlo...
Sparse applause rang out from the stands, lasting only a short time, but it did occur.
[That dribble and shot was absolutely beautiful! It had speed, technique, and power all in one. Falcone was practically stunned.]
[This kid's got some serious talent! I feel like if he'd had more playing time last season, the club might not have bought Pato in the summer.]
[During the first round of the league match against Genoa, I remarked that Cabrini didn't look very strong, but he was a decent target man; I didn't expect him to be so good at dribbling and shooting.]
He started as a goalkeeper; he doesn't look tall, but he's actually quite strong physically.
What's wrong with the fans at the stadium? Why aren't they cheering for such a beautiful goal?
[They've been having conflicts with the team for a long time. In the first Champions League group stage match against Benfica, they only welcomed Rui, and didn't cheer for the Milan players at all.]
Why?
[It's all for profit. Those guys in the South Stand demanded the club provide them with some season tickets for free and wanted the players to show their support, but they refused. Then they started causing trouble. Even when they won, they still booed the players and threatened fans in other stands not to cheer for them. Ordinary fans didn't dare to disobey them.]
...
Parma's next two attacks were thwarted by the defense led by Nesta.
In the 14th minute, Parma defender Zenoni received a yellow card for obstructing Ambrosini, and Pirlo's free kick was caught by Pavarini.
In the remainder of the first half, both sides engaged in rapid transitions between attack and defense, exchanging shots, but neither managed to convert them into goals.
At the start of the second half, Brocchi made a diagonal pass from the right wing to Kaká. Kaká controlled the ball on the edge of the penalty area, got rid of Zenoni, took a few steps to the left, and then chipped the ball over Falcone's head before passing it to the center. Seedorf received the ball but was then pressed by Castellini.
Seedorf remained calm and flicked the ball with his heel to Fino on the right rear, who slotted it into the net.
Milan are leading 2-0 at home.
"A brilliant combination! From Brocchi, Kaká, and Seedorf to Cabrini, Milan's players displayed perfect understanding, twisting and turning in Parma's penalty area before Cabrini finished the attack. Young Cabrini scores his second goal!"
The stands erupted in applause, much more enthusiastic than when Fino scored his first goal, with a small group of fans chanting Fino's name in celebration.
Fino raised his hands to thank those fans.
Ancelotti breathed a sigh of relief and then clapped.
Fino's performance far exceeded Ancelotti's expectations. Even though he had already planned to replace Gilardino with Fino in the starting lineup, he was amazed by Fino's efficiency and versatility.
When he first promoted Fino to the first team, he valued Fino's awareness and instincts, thinking that he could follow in Inzaghi's footsteps.
Later, because Gilardino couldn't establish himself properly, he wanted to develop Fino's role as a pivot, and judging from the match against Genoa, Fino did a very good job.
In this match, Fino once again demonstrated his dribbling skills and shooting ability.
After several seasons of unsatisfactory attacking reinforcements, Ancelotti found himself finally having some luck with strikers, and this striker was free, a sweet potato that grew out of Milan's own garden.
He plans to bring on Gilardino later and try him out as a two-striker formation with Fino. If Kaká keeps playing as a Christmas tree, it will put a lot of strain on him.
In the next half hour, the referee issued two yellow cards. For Milan, goalkeeper Dida received a yellow card for time-wasting, while for Parma, Reginaldo was shown a yellow card for fouling Kaká.
In the 73rd minute, Parma striker Pisanu received a brilliant pass from Reginaldo in front of the goal and volleyed the ball into the far corner, pulling one back for Parma.
In the 75th minute, Milan raised the substitution board, with Gilardino replacing Seedorf as a substitute.
A few discordant voices rose again from the south stand.
Seedorf gave Gilardino a big hug as he left the field, and Fino, Kaká, Ambrosini and others also comforted Gilardino by clapping and hugging him after he came on.
In the remainder of the second half, as Milan intensified their attack, Parma players committed increasingly frequent fouls, receiving three more yellow cards.
As the second half drew to a close, the fourth official raised a sign indicating four minutes of added time, and Milan continued their relentless attack.
In the 92nd minute, Ambrosini dribbled down the left flank and then passed the ball back to Kaká, who was positioned on the outside of the penalty area in the center. At this point, Parma's goal was crowded with players from both sides, creating chaos and obstructing Kaká's view of the shot.
Instead of shooting rashly, Kaka made a move to break through to the right, drawing the attention of two defenders and passing the ball to Fino on the left rear.
At that moment, Fino had a shooting opportunity in front of him. Just as he was about to make the final shot, he saw Gilardino, who also had a chance. In an instant, he followed his heart and made the choice.
Gilardino scored the final goal of the match.
Milan won the fourth round of the league 3-1, while Parma suffered their seventh consecutive defeat at the San Siro.
Gilardino threw himself into Fino's arms, grabbed the hem of Fino's jersey with both hands, and buried his face in Fino's chest.
He didn't make a sound, but Fino felt the dampness on his chest.
Gilardino cried.
Fino put her left arm around his back and pressed her right hand against his head, embracing him tightly.
Soon, the other teammates also gathered around.
Scattered applause slowly rose from the stands, then grew louder and louder, spreading from the other three stands toward the south stand, eventually merging into a vast ocean.
The fans sang the team song once again.
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