Once the date was set (it’s the Sat nite fixture) we can actually plan our break. 2 nites in Lecco, on Lake Como, followed by 3 nites in Milan. With television decreeing when matches kick off these days (like, England, Sky TV appears to decide the schedule), this match could’ve been anywhere from Friday to Monday nite. For weeks I have refreshed my browser to see when this game will actually take place. Tickets need to be bought.
The AC Milan website is easy to navigate and once the date is settled, tickets go on sale. €24 for the middle tier of the Curva Nord. Very reasonable. It’s equally easy to get there, San Siro being the last stop on the purple line. God knows what it’ll be like on the way back, 80,000 all going to the same subway stop. Wembley’s bad enough.
It is a lovely early summer’s evening. It’s been 25 degrees all day, about as much as I can take, and the crowds are out in short-sleeves. Stalls dominate the 2 sides of the stadium as you leave the subway. There’s any amount of AC Milan scarves on offer, even an AC-Cagliari half and half scarf for a whopping thirty five (35) Euros. No thanks. There’s dozens of refreshment stalls too, more fairground than footie.
We got there early. I’ve seen the free-for-all at Sampdoria regarding seats and didn’t want the rigmarole. The plan worked well, as latecomers had no idea which row was which. Seats had numbers, but you had to work out your row for yourself. And although sparse...a plastic seat with no back...San Siro was not as rundown as I imagined. Plenty of concrete, but it’s not dropping to bits the way the Luigi Ferraris was. Mind, a chunk of the Curva South upper tier was out of bounds.
Milan are almost certain to finish runners-up. Unfortunately for them, it’s to Inter, who, as the away side, clinched the title at San Siro a fortnight back. Tonite’s opponents, Cagliari, are just above the relegation zone. But who’s that I see in their technical area? Why, it’s former Premiership title winner Claudio Ranieri. Who knew!? (Turns out the answer is ‘half my mates’.)
We peruse the sides and don’t recognise too many names. It’s a long time since Van Basten, Gullit and Rijkaard won Europeans Cups here. Zlatan (my partner’s all-time favourite) has now retired (though his name remains popular on fans shirts) so we’re left with Olivier Giroud, or ‘Pants Man’ as he’s known in our house. Star turn Rafael Leao is on the bench. Oh well.
The match kicks off in front of a half empty stadium. I’d say there’s no more than 50,000 there, and nowhere near the official attendance of 70,000. It’s like Arsenal before they got good again…official capacity crowds yet swathes of empty seats. The atmosphere is dead too. The ultras section in the Curva South are on strike. They’ve turned up, but are resolutely refusing to make any noise. I’m told by a mate they’re in dispute with the ownership. A couple of banners proclaim ‘Milano non si accontenta’ (‘Milan is not satisfied’) and ‘Noi pretendiamo e meritiamo una societa forte e vincente’ (‘We deserve a strong and winning club’). Don’t we all?
Thus, with nothing to feed off, the rest of the stadium is muted too, save for the 100 or so Cagliari fans behind me (and the plexiglass) in the upper tier. They seem happy enough though and attempt to make some noise. There is a cheer in the 35th minute though when Bennacer opens the scoring. The ultras remain resolute in their silence. Up till then, it was giving the ball to Giroud, back to goal (as ever) and going nowhere. The whole thing is less than thrilling.
Coach Stefan Pioli must have read our minds. At half-time he hauls Giroud and puts on Leao, who proceeds to run the show. He scores one, creates numerous other chances and Milan run out 5-1 winners (ex Chelsea squad player Christian Pulisic scoring twice). This has ruined the ultras’sulk as the rest of the ground is in tremendous spirits. Oh well. And San Siro? Even if Inter and AC leave, San Siro is here to stay, the authorities AKA the Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy say so. The temple will remain, whether Inter and Milan stay or not.
The Damage:
€24 ent
€4 beer (x2)
= €32
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