Chapter 74 National Team
With Berlusconi no longer forcibly interfering with the starting lineup, Ancelotti can finally fix the starting lineup and allocate playing time according to his own ideas.
In the past few matches, all eight players in the midfield and forward positions have started, and Ancelotti has carefully observed each player's condition and performance, and already has his answer in mind.
In the starting striker position, his first choice is Fino. Fino is about to turn 20, his career is on the rise, and his physical condition is relatively stable. His physical qualities, statistics, vision and overall understanding make him worthy of a starting striker position.
Moreover, Fino is clear-headed and mature beyond his years, rarely acting impulsively on the field, which is very reassuring.
Pato is also a trustworthy young man who can be developed as a key player, but he is only 19 years old after all, and with a sufficient number of players, he should be avoided from being overused.
Inzaghi is old but still strong and can be used as a rotation player, but because of his lack of stamina, a substitute needs to be prepared for him when he starts.
Borriello lacks a bit of flair and his potential is limited, but he plays diligently and with great effort. He's a decent workhorse and can be a regular starter when the opponents aren't too strong.
Shevchenko's form has declined significantly, but he is still capable of fighting. He can start in less important matches and then be given more playing time as a substitute to shut Berlusconi up.
Kaka, Ronaldinho, and Seedorf shared the two attacking midfield positions.
Since last season, Kaká's physical condition has been declining, and he has been getting more and more injuries. Ronaldinho's arrival can reduce Kaká's playing time without lowering the team's firepower, thus avoiding excessive strain on him.
The positions and playing time of the eight attacking players in the midfield and forward line can be temporarily fixed as follows. Among them, Kaká, Ronaldinho, Fino, and Pato are all versatile players in the midfield and forward line, and can cover for each other in case of injury.
Seedorf's move to the back was very effective, as he could fill in when Pirlo and Ambrosini were unavailable, Flamini could fill in when Gattuso was unavailable, and Emerson was on standby as a substitute.
The midfield configuration is quite good, but there are too few players. The biggest concern is a large number of injuries. Perhaps another substitute can be brought in during the winter break.
In defense, Nesta is nearing recovery from injury and can start as a center-back, partnering with Kaladze or Bonera. Maldini will be relegated from the starting lineup. Zambrotta will start at right-back, with Flamini potentially dropping back to fill in if necessary. Jankulovski will start at left-back, with Favalli as a substitute. Zambrotta and Maldini can also step up in special circumstances.
The remaining players, such as Sandros and Antonini, were brought on as substitutes.
There's not much to say about the goalkeeper position; as long as Abbiati is healthy, he'll be the starter, with Dida and Karachi on standby.
This squad has already satisfied Ancelotti greatly. This season's Milan team is significantly better in terms of personnel than last season, at least in terms of average age. As long as they avoid another large-scale injury crisis, Milan has a chance to contend for the league title and go far enough in the Champions League.
After the Champions League match, the sixth round of the league began, with Milan traveling to Sardinia to face Cagliari away.
Cagliari are bottom of the league, having suffered five consecutive defeats in the first five rounds, scoring only one goal.
In this match, Ancelotti rotated his squad even more thoroughly than he did in the Champions League, with Emerson, Favalli, Sandros, and others all getting playing time.
Fino and Shevchenko partnered as strikers, each scoring a goal, and easily defeated Cagliari 2-0.
After two consecutive defeats in the first two rounds of the league, Milan has achieved four consecutive victories in the league, accumulating 12 points and temporarily ranking second in the standings, second only to Inter Milan, who have four wins and one draw with 13 points.
While a four-game winning streak in the league is certainly cause for celebration, Ancelotti faces another problem: Kaladze is injured.
During a clearance near the end of the match, Kaladze suffered a knee ligament injury without any contact. The injury is quite serious and requires surgery. The recovery period is conservatively estimated to be 3 months, meaning Kaladze will miss all matches before the winter break.
Ancelotti was at his wits' end, and he planned to talk to Maldini again.
This is the last year of Maldini's professional career. He had already communicated with the club before the season and said that he would gradually withdraw from the game this season and would not make more than 10 appearances. His main role is to stabilize the locker room.
After the season started, due to Nesta's injury, Maldini had to continue to start many times as a key player. Just when Nesta was about to return, Kaladze got injured.
Ancelotti cried out in his heart in despair: "Paolo, please give me another hug! Milan and I can't do without you!"
...
After the sixth round of the league, there was another two-week international break, and Fino's name appeared on the national team roster for the first time.
This makes him the youngest player to play for the Italian national team in nearly 80 years. Although many fans had been calling for Fino to be called up to the national team before the European Championship, the fact that he was actually selected left them with a strong sense of unreality.
The fact that Fino, who is not yet 20 years old, was actually selected for the national team has caused the topic to quickly gain popularity online.
Lippi has included many new players in this national team roster. In addition to Fino, Udinese striker Simone Pepe and Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi have also been called up to the national team for the first time.
Several veterans, including Del Piero, who participated in the European Championship this summer, were left out of this national team roster.
The current national team roster has undergone significant changes compared to last month's, sparking widespread discussion in Italian football. It is widely believed that Lippi has begun to rejuvenate the national team.
Lippi confirmed this in an interview with Sky Sports.
"I think everyone has noticed that the national team's squad for this year's European Championship includes many familiar faces. They are not only the meritorious players from the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but some veterans even appeared in the 1998 World Cup in France. This is a glorious generation for Italy, a generation that makes us proud. They dedicated their best years to Italy and made outstanding contributions to the country."
"But it is precisely because this generation is so outstanding that it has led to another problem: the national team has relied too much on the strength of veterans and neglected the cultivation of the new generation. As a result, when the veterans reach the end of their careers, the national team is facing a talent gap and a generational divide. Now, it is time for the national team to undergo a complete overhaul."
"After a month of scouting, my team and I have discovered some promising new talents, such as Fino Cabrini, Giuseppe Rossi, and Simone Pepe. This made me eager to call them up during this international break, and of course, I am grateful that they did not reject me."
At this point, Lippi made a witty remark.
"Of course, players who were not selected for this national team roster should not be discouraged. The selection of players for each roster is not static. Whether you are a veteran or a newcomer, it all comes down to your ability. As long as you can perform well, the door to the national team is always open to you."
In this Italian national team squad, AC Milan has four players selected: Fino, Zambrotta, Gattuso, and Pirlo, who has just recovered from injury.
Pirlo kept his promise to take care of Fino in the national team.
Upon entering the Coverciano training ground, Pirlo went to the assistant coach in charge of room assignments and asked to share a room with Fino.
The assistant coach immediately agreed; it wasn't a big deal, and it would be a good opportunity for Pirlo to mentor Fino, who was making his first appearance for the national team.
The assistant coach had just handed the room key to Pirlo when Zambrotta arrived.
“Hey coach, I want to share a room with Fino Cabrini.”
Pirlo, who hadn't left yet, raised his eyelids and decided to stay and see what was going on.
"Wow~ You Milan people are so united and friendly, are you all vying to take care of the kids?" The assistant coach shrugged with a smile. "Gianluca, you're too late. Andrea just reserved your Milan little darling."
Upon hearing this, Zambrotta put his elbow on Pirlo's shoulder and said to him, "Andrea, let me live with Fini. I promised him when we played Lazio that I would protect him in the national team, and I can't go back on my word."
Pirlo patted Zambrotta's arm down and said slowly, "But I made an agreement with Fini at the end of last season to take care of him in the national team, before you came to Milan!"
After saying that, Pirlo turned and left.
Zambrotta stood there, opened his mouth, then wisely kept it closed.
"You Milanese are so united and friendly!" the assistant coach exclaimed again.
After returning to the lobby on the first floor of the dormitory with his room key, Pirlo called Fino, who was waiting there, and they went back to their room together.
Fino looked around the room; the furnishings were very simple.
Two narrow beds are placed close together, with a bedside table between them. A TV stand and television are mounted on the wall opposite the foot of the beds. Near the window are two small single sofas with a small round coffee table between them. On the wall opposite the window are two small wardrobes. Next to the wardrobes is a glass door, presumably leading to the bathroom.
"Phineas, which bed do you want to sleep in?"
"I'm fine with anything, you can choose first." Fino didn't care, they were all the same.
"Then you can sleep in the bed by the window; the view is better there."
“Okay, thank you, Andrea.” Fino accepted Pirlo’s kindness.
Then he threw his travel bag on the single sofa, unzipped it, and took out his personal belongings.
Pirlo leaned against the wardrobe with his arms crossed, watching Fino pack his personal belongings, first charging his phone, and then starting to make the bed.
"Do you need any help?" Pirlo asked.
“Of course not, I’m an expert at housework.” Fino looked up, smiled at Pirlo, and tucked the hair that was covering her forehead behind her ear. “You know, I’ve lived alone for more than ten years and I’ve taken very good care of myself.”
What was said unintentionally may have been taken to heart by the listener.
Fino was merely stating objective facts, but Pirlo felt extremely distressed upon hearing it.
“But you’re not alone anymore. You can always rely on me.” Pirlo’s voice was low. After saying that, he realized there was a hint of ambiguity in his words, so he added, “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Fino paused for a moment, then nodded with a smile after a few seconds of silence: "Okay, come and help me hold the blanket up."
...
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