Like most soccer fans, I am a soccer league polygamist.  Because I live less than 20 minutes from an MLS club, I root for and follow Major League Soccer in the U.S.  However, I am also a passionate Arsenal fan who lives and dies in every match they play throughout the year.  And of course, I love Serie A best of all and have my favorite club, whose scarf I wore proudly this past Sunday.  I dare say almost every soccer fan, because of the diverse leagues around the world, has multiple favorite teams or leagues.

But as I read about Bobby Zamora’s recent leg break and as Arsenal players continue to suffer and recover from rough (or, if you prefer) violent tackles, it made me compare the style and content of play I watch in both the EPL and Serie A every weekend.  And upon reflection, I came to a conclusion I probably reached long ago but only now can put into writing:

Serie A soccer is superior to English Premier League soccer

This sentiment goes beyond just who has the best team (although it would be Serie A with reigning Champions League winners Inter).  Looking at the two leagues as a whole, Serie A is superior to the EPL in a number of ways both on and off the pitch and, if I were a novice soccer fan researching what league to watch, it should be obvious that I would want to watch Serie A.  The following are the reasons for this argument, and I welcome your thoughts in the comments section below and on Twitter @roberthayjr.  Thanks also to Niccolo for his contribution to this post:

1. The Italian style of play is more fluid and skillful, while the EPL style is one of constant hard fouls – If you are a fan of an EPL club, it is almost inevitable that one of your most important players will miss time with a nasty injury picked up from a violent tackle.  Arsenal alone lost Robin Van Persie this year and Aaron Ramsey last year for extended time to hard fouls in league play.  It’s not just Arsenal – Tottenham fans will have to enjoy not watching Jermaine DeFoe for seven more weeks, Everton fans Jack Rodwell, Tottenham fans Luka Modric, etc.  Why?  Because these players are subject to constant fouling and aggressive slide tackling, which is the EPL style of play.  On a Serie A pitch, there are fouls and slide tackles, but you are more likely to see fluid passing and individual skill over broken shins.
2. English fans whine about their clubs, Italian fans actively seek to undermine their clubs – AC Milan fans made news last year when one of their ilk, protesting club owner Silvio Berlusconi, threw a statue at him and knocked him out.  Manchester United fans, conversely, feel wearing old shirts conveys their anger sufficiently.  When a club under-performs in Italy, the fans act as though the world is ending and the papers ring endlessly with criticism and advice on just how the manager should have done differently.  If it’s truly bad, they simply do not attend and show the management what an empty stadium looks like.  English soccer fans and their local press more grumble and fall into a “woe is me” attitude.  The Italian style is much more fun.
3. Serie A owners are much more interesting than their EPL counterparts -  Who would you consider the most interesting and exciting Premier League owner?  There are some who are hated, but that is more for their nationality and mismanagement (Glazers, Hicks).  Italy has some real characters running their clubs, likely because many of them are family owned and operated within the country.  The obvious one is Silvio Berlusconi, who is passionate about AC Milan and tends to make himself the center of most offseason stories; has an English owner ever said publicly the team would have won the Premier League if he had been manager, and was 100% serious?  Napoli’s Aurelio De Laurentiis is another colorful personality that loves to spend his family’s wealth on the club, and is not afraid to speak on it.
4. Serie A has more parity than the EPL – Right now, the top four clubs in Serie A are Cesena, Inter, Chievo Verona, and Lazio, with Brescia right behind.  Granted it is early in the season, but it is much easier for smaller clubs to climb the ladder in Serie A than it is in the EPL.  The Premier League is dominated by four clubs every year and the story at the beginning of every season is which club can crack the top 4.  While Serie A has its Big Four (Juve, Inter, Milan, and Roma), it is much easier for smaller clubs to compete for European tournament spots.  A club with the budget and population of Chievo could never compete for a UEFA tournament in the EPL, but can in Serie A.
5. Serie A clubs are more successful in Europe than EPL teams – Many people don’t realize this, but Italian teams have been more successful in European play (especially recently) than Premier League clubs.  Overall, Italian clubs have won 12 Champions League trophies versus 11 for England, but since 1992 that number has been 5 for Italy, 3 for England.  The same trend has held true for the UEFA Cup/Europa League: an Italian club has won the trophy 9 times (5 since 1992) and an English club has won the trophy 6 times (once since 1992).

In July, I wrote a post for this site asking AC Milan fans for calm.  The club had been quiet on the transfer market and Silvio Berlusconi had gone public in saying he intended to build his youth academy to help the team.  I said at the time that if the club did not acquire any big names, they would be title contenders but would not be favorites.

Flash forward forty plus days.  Ibrahimovic.  Robinho.  Boateng.  The club worked the transfer market hard in the waning hours and secured some of the biggest names available on the market.  They also grabbed Sokratis from Genoa, a smaller profile signing that helps their defense.  In exchange, they dumped the aging Marco Borriello, overrated Huntelaar, and backup striker Dominic Adiyah.  As the dust settles on the summer transfer dash and the ownership begins to show off the new presents to the fans, the question is:

Is Milan now the favorite to win the Serie A title?

If Allegri decided to stick to a 4-3-3, here is the lineup the club could field in coming weeks:

Keeper: Amelia

Defenders: Antonini, Thiago Silva, Nesta, Bonera

Midfield: Seedorf, Pirlo, Ambrosini

Forwards: Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho, Pato

Bench: Robinho, Boateng, Inzaghi, Antonini

The biggest impact the additions have on this club is to make the forward position younger and more deadly.  Ibrahimovic has the ability to dominate on the offensive end and provides a consistent scoring threat this club lacked from the forward position last season.  Ronaldinho, while at times dominant, came into camp out of shape and was disinterested at times last year.  If he is physically unfit to play or the club needs a spark, a younger Robinho can sub in or start in his place.  On the bench is the all-time leading scorer in European competition in Inzaghi.  So your front line has youth, experience, height, quickness, and speed.

A concern expressed by Niccolo in the preseason was Milan’s aging in the midfield.  Kevin-Prince Boateng, who showed great potential in the World Cup (as well as a need for his game to mature), provides that young depth and long-term starter the club was seeking in the offseason.  The unheralded signing of Sokratis also provides some talented depth for the backline, which at times struggled last year and had a penchant for allowing careless goals.  If he’s healthy, American national Oguchi Onyewu also gives the club a talented defender off the bench.

Another aspect is the emergence of Alexandre Pato.  Scoring twice on Sunday and looking very good in the preseason, this could be his breakout season and at age 20 a precursor to many successful seasons for AC Milan.  The moves this summer allow him to mature within a system where he is not the biggest name or has all the offensive pressure on him.

On the other hand, the expensive acquisition of Robinho can arguably be throwing money at an underachiever.  After excelling at a young age in Spain, the Brazilian clashed with management and the EPL culture in Manchester City, leading to his sale this transfer season.  Management likely hopes pairing him with Ronaldinho will lead to a resurgence and comfort on and off the pitch.  Also, the club’s defense is still solid but not spectacular and was a weakness last season, especially against Inter Milan.

So, does AC Milan now have the talent to be the favorites in Serie A?  Going into the season Inter was the consensus favorites and the club has kept its key players, especially Maicon.  I also give them the edge in managers with Bentiez’s experience.  I still consider Inter Milan the favorites for Serie A but the gap has closed considerably and the Milan derbies this year will be epic.

Agree or disagree?  Share your comments below or on Twitter @roberthayjr.

AC Milan has had good times and bad times under Silvio Berlusconi. The Italian prime minister has brought trophies and success to the rossoneri, but he has also dragged Milan into times of little money and negative results. This current period can’t be described as a prosperous one for AC Milan, old players, a new coach, and little money to spend has hurt the red half of Milan results-wise, but now Berlusconi has announced his plans for the club.

The biggest announcement from Berlusconi was about Ronaldinho possibly leaving Milan to return to Brazil or go to LA Galaxy in the MLS, this is what the AC Milan president said about the Brazilian,

“Ronaldinho is the biggest player of all time, he is indisputably Milan’s and he will remain with us for life. We will renew his contract. He is absolutely the most decisive player I’ve ever seen, we need to find the best position where he can give his maximum.”

Berlusconi continues by saying patronizingly to Massimiliano Allegri and the cameras that AC Milan needs to use two forwards, and play attacking football. Berlusconi also says that so far AC Milan has done very well in the transfer market; Amelia has always been his favorite, Yepes is tough and good looking, and “Papa” or Papasthathopoulous cancelled out Messi in the World Cup.

Berlusconi also talked about how he has invested 1.1 billion Euros in his 25 years at the helm of the club, and then he went on to talk about Inter Milan and Massimo Moratti,

“I congratulate sincerely Moratti. After all the passion and money that he has put, he deserves the victories he conquered. He has invested 125% of the clubs profits to build a team. We (AC Milan) are choosing the route of youth, next year there are many players with expiring contracts and we’ll need to prepare well for the market.”

It’s these comments I find very interesting, AC Milan has some of the oldest players in the Serie A, and regarding the expiring contracts of older players, the rossoneri have just renewed Massimo Oddo’s contract until 2012… But regarding future incoming players, like maybe a Swede by the name of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Berlusconi has said that he doesn’t think that Ibra will fit well in AC Milan’s changing room, because of his character. So it is unlikely that Ibrahimovic will play for AC Milan while Berlusconi is the president.

But don’t worry, Silvio’s arrogance continues; he first says that Allegri is a maestro, but he (Berlusconi) is the professor, and then regarding last season he shared his thoughts on how he would’ve done as the coach,

“With me on the bench (as the coach) last season, AC Milan would’ve won the scudetto. I’ll confirm what I said in the past, anyway you already know: I consider myself number one in everything.”

That comment has to be considered the cherry on the top of the cake, a cake of miserly arrogance. While I doubt that this season will be a prosperous one for Berlusconi’s AC Milan, the Italian prime minister thinks otherwise. I’m not sure where this arrogance will take AC Milan, but I doubt it will bring any trophies.

The rumors flying around the Internet recently have been focused on the makeup of the 2010-2011 Inter squad.  Will Balotelli move to Manchester or London (or Madrid)?  Will Maicon reunite with his former manager?  At some point I think every player on the roster has been rumored to move to another club.

But what’s interesting is that this offseason it’s Inter Milan, and not AC Milan, that is dominating the transfer stories.  Silvio Berlusconi’s club is famous for lavishing potential players with grand tours of the facilities, bringing maximum publicity to the club and its dealings so that it is hard to read any Serie A site without seeing an update on Milan.  They always target the high-profile players, bringing in the Ronaldinho’s of the world in their eternal quest to dominate the Italian soccer scene or at least the Italian soccer press.

The lack of big-splash signings are a product of numerous factors, but the biggest may be the behind-the-scenes in-fighting in the organization over money.  Berlusconi continues to be dogged by rumors he is selling the club, despite issuing statements saying he will continue to own it.  It has become apparent that money is an issue for the organization, with AC Milan saying it will not pay full price for Ibrahimovic in a potential transfer from Barcelona.  This could of course be a negotiating ploy, but I have my doubts as the club has suggested even potentially doing a (gasp!) loan deal for the striker!

It doesn’t hurt that the influence of Adriano Galliani, the club’s vice president, may be waning.  The two are at odds over whether Ranaldinho is leaving, with the owner publicly saying the Brazilian can leave if the price is right.  After settling on a third manager in three years Berlusconi may think it is time to make some replacements at the top.

Regardless, AC Milan partisans are angry over the lack of action a year after the club finished third in Serie A.  However, are they correct?  Is AC Milan worse off than they were at the end of the season? It begins with their new managerial hire Massimiliano Allegri.  Looking at Allegri’s career reminds me of college football coach Brian Kelly, a man who improves every squad he coaches regardless of the level.  Three seasons ago Allegri guided Sassuolo to their first ever promotion to Serie B, then twice won the best manager award (Panchina d’Oro) in Serie A for Cagliari.  After trying a manager with no previous Serie A experience, Milan is wise to choose a manager with some track record of success.

On the player side, rumors are flying (Clint Dempsey in, Ronaldinho and Huntelaar out?) but there has been very few actual transfers.  One deal they did make was signing a co-ownership deal with Genoa for keeper Marco Amelia after selling Marco Storari to Juventus.  Amelia is competition with Abbiati who has been ok but not dominant, and the 28 year-old Roman has a little national team experience.  Besides Storari Milan have not lost many players, but have rid themselves of Mancini and Matteo Darmian.

For fans used to an active transfer market this Milan team seems to be setting itself up for failure.  But the upgrade on the bench will help provide stability to the squad – hopefully no more formation shifts mid-season.  Also, if Ronaldinho and Huntelaar are shipped out, the squad will suffer offensively but it is not an insurmountable loss.  Dominic Adiyiah (he of the Suarez “Hand of God 2″), Pato and Inzaghi are a good start up front, and if AC Milan is smart it is looking for one more starting striker.  In short, this team is not far away from contention for a scudetto – I would start worrying a month from now if this club is the same but not yet.

It’s been a perculiar, unpredictable season for Milan as the side have endured great levels of torment from humiliating defeats to the likes of Inter and Manchester United, and they have found themselves looking desperately blunt on other occasions, often with dramatic late goals saving them from further embarrassment. Huntelaar’s late double act at Catania and Seedorf’s injury time winner recently against Chievo Verona are just two games that spring to mind.

Despite this, they now find themselves just a single point behind their now-stuttering Milanese neighbours. Leonardo is keen to bring an attacking, expansive style of football to Milan, and who can blame him with the likes of Ronaldinho, Pato and Borriello as well as cultured, if aging midfielders such as Pirlo, Seedorf and up until now, Beckham. Despite that recent humbling 7-2 aggregate defeat to United, Milan aren’t necessarily too far off being able to compete with Europe’s top sides once again. Winning this season’s Serie A would clearly be a tremendous boost for morale and momentum, and it’d make it an awful lot easier to attract more big names to the club, but it shouldn’t be seen as the be-all or end-all.

It’s vital at this stage that Berlusconi gives Leonardo time to learn the errors of his ways and continue to develop the AC project, but it’s also equally important for him to resist the seemingly regular temptations to poke his nose into the tactical developments. Whilst it’s been a Milan tradition to play skillfull, attacking football since the days of Giuseppe Viani in the late 50s, Leonardo needs to be afforded the freedom to find the right level of balance freely and organically.

However, despite any pressure coming from above, Leo really does need to learn the errors of his ways, and fast. Whilst they could actually have found themselves two or three goals up early on against Manchester United, it’s naive to think that you can approach these sorts of games with three forwards who have absolutely no defensive responsibilities, and an aging, more than slightly immobile midfield. A change in formation coupled with perhaps three or four signings next season will see Milan well on their way to achieving the titles they so desperately crave.

Barcelona and Manchester United have shown for the last two or three years that you can still be defensively solid whilst still playing attacking football, whilst Real Madrid and Arsenal look to be following a similar trend this season. The key to all of these sides is a decent sense of balance throughout the respective teams, and also a large degree of discipline despite the often-free flowing playing systems. Firstly, this straight-edged 4-3-3 formation at Milan has to abanonded, in favour of a more modern, multi-dimensional system. What they should be looking to mirror is the increasingly popular fluid 4-2-3-1 system that can just as easily transform into a 4-5-1, 4-4-1-1 or a 4-2-2-2. With some added personnel, it’d be a mouth-watering prospect to see the Rossoneri line up in similar fashion to this next season:

Sirigu
Gallas Nesta Silva Srna
Ambrosini Pirlo
Pato Ronaldinho Vargas
Borriello

Salvatore Sirigu has been hugely impressive in goal for Palermo since displacing Rubinho, and despite recently signing a new contract, would most likely cost under 10 million Euros. He is likely to become Italy’s number one when Buffon eventually hangs up his gloves, and he has the potential to be a permanent fixture for Milan for the next decade, and possibly beyond.

The signings of Gallas and Srna would transform the defence completely. Srna would admittedly be pricey with Shakthar in such a healthy financial position, possibly in the region of 15 million Euros, but William Gallas’ contract with Arsenal expires in the summer, and the opportunity would be there for Milan to pick up a tremendous bargain if they declare their interest now. Obviously his preferred position is centre back, but he offers versatility and experience, and he could be the longer term replacement for Nesta centrally whilst filling in at right back next season to add some much needed solidity to that flank with Pato playing ahead of him.

Juan Manuel Vargas could add an incredible level of energy to the left flank, and could potentially be highly destructive in combination with the forward-thinking Dario Srna. Vargas offers goals, regular assists and also the added bonus of a high work rate – something Ronaldinho certainly does not offer in a fairly similar position right now.

In the bigger games, Leo could consider dropping either Pato or Borriello and playing Mancini on the right, should Milan decide to sign him permanently. Another option if Milan want to add depth on the wings is to approach the highly rated Milos Krasic of CSKA, who is also available on a free transfer at the end of the Russian season. Seedorf still has the ability to operate in this sort of position in small doses, and there’s also always the chance that Beckham could once again return for a third loan spell next season.

Finally, I would be looking to replace Pirlo within the next year or two. Whilst I’ve long been an admirer,  it’s now getting to the point where he’s slowly becoming too much of a luxury player, and almost acting as a burden if they do want to play a more fast-paced, free-flowing game. Marcelo Lippi has it right in the national team by playing him as more of an advanced trequartista, but unfortunately for Pirlo, Milan already have Ronaldinho who can operate in this role far more effectively. If you look at the deep-lying playmakers at the other top clubs using similar systems to the one I propose, such as Michael Carrick and Xabi Alonso, you’ll notice that they actually offer a high level of defensive cover, which Pirlo has never really been able to offer to quite the same extent, and certainly won’t be able to as he drifts into the dreaded thirties. This is obviously a highly specialised position, so the top players will come at a premium price, so it may be wise for Milan to look for a younger, less polished player who can be developed to play in this role for years to come. Stefan Defour, just 21 years old, at Standard Liege is an ideal candidate for this role.

The total price of these players would admittedly be rather significant, but unfortunately it’s a price Berlusconi will have to pay if Milan are to continue playing exciting, attacking football and bring success in doing so. What he has to decide now is if he’s content to continue playing second fiddle to Europe’s other giants, or if he’s genuinely ready to make a financial sacrifice (money which should by all logic be available following the sale of Kaka anyway) in order to help Milan climb from their knees and put on the show we’d all love to see at the Giuseppe Meazza.

Fans of AC Milan have suffered through a bad four weeks, beginning by losing to short-handed rival Inter and most recently suffering a devastating defeat in their Champions League match versus Manchester United.  This comes the same week that Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi criticized Leonardo’s managerial style and encouraged him to allow his team to play more freely.

Italian clubs have been criticized for being too quick to pull the trigger and fire a manager, if for no other reason than a quick boost to the club.  We’ve seen a debate over whether Jose Mourinho should be let go by Inter Milan, but what about his cross-town counterpart?  Should Leonardo be fired?  Make sure you vote in the poll at the bottom of the post, but first here are two contrasting views on what should be the fate of the Milan manager:

AC Milan Should Fire Leonardo

To be honest, it was a mistake to hire him in the first place.  No one can dispute his sterling international reputation and his legendary status for Milan, but as we see too often in all sports, the famous players often make a poor manager or coach.  That seems to be the case here: a player that has so much natural ability cannot explain to players who may not have that same ability how to play at the highest level.

Before looking at a disappointing Serie A campaign, let’s look at Milan’s Champions League record this year.  It is a pedestrian 2-2-3, with a bad loss at home in the group stage to FC Zurich, hardly an international powerhouse.  In fact, their home record in the Champions League is 0-2-2, which bodes ill for a club with aspirations of winning the tournament.  Of course, this week’s debacle (again at home) against Manchester United is what has prompted this discussion: despite a lead 3 minutes into the contest Milan let Wayne Rooney (who, maybe they heard, is kind of good) roam wild and score two of United’s three goals.  They have now put themselves in an almost impossible hole: going to Manchester United (where United is 15-3-2 in all competitions) likely needing to win by two or more goals.

The Serie A situation doesn’t look much better.  Milan sits in third place, only two points behind Roma but nine points behind Inter Milan.  This was a great year to catch Inter, who has failed to seize control of Serie A and has seen high-profile players fail to live up to their promise.  Leonardo is 0-2 against Inter by an aggregate score of 6-0.  Ronaldinho has been inconsistent at best, despite his amazing talent, and major signing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has been called a “poor-man’s David Trezeguet“.  Their defense has been inconsistent and a major weakness this year. 

What Milan has consistently shown is underachieving talent that is just good enough to be competitive at the highest level, but unable to take the next step to dominance.  The club needs a manager with experience managing a major organization to take this team to the next level.  However, it will have to compete with Juventus possibly for that person.

AC Milan Should Keep Leonardo

A first-time manager can be a dangerous thing – no matter how long you have been in the game, the adjustment from player/commentator to a person who is responsible not only for training but for roster moves is a major one.  Now consider that adjustment on the world’s largest stage – a larger than life owner, a club steeped in tradition where you were a star, a roster that is expected to compete for all the major titles.  An experienced manager could struggle under the pressure, much less a new hire.

What then should we expect from Leonardo?  I would argue the biggest yardstick to determine his fitness to manage a club is his ability to adjust his style.  He can see his mistakes and learn from them.  He has already taken his coaching courses, which incidentally are not required for UEFA, to help expand his tactical horizons.  After a slow start to the season, he shifted to a 4-2-1-3 tactic, which has resulted in increased scoring and a re-emergence of Ronaldinho as the dominant player he can be.  He clearly is learning on the fly but adjusting well.

In the Champions League, AC Milan has struggled a bit but pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament so far – a 3-2 win at the Bernabeau.  Granted, they played poorly against Manchester United, but a 2-0 scoreline could advance them.  A hard task, but not impossible considering Ronaldinho’s play and the boost of an extremely motivated David Beckham.

Their Serie A situation is also not dire.  They are 4-1-2 in 2010 including a 3-0 victory at Juventus.  Granted, most of their remaining tough matches are on the road, but they are a respectable 4-5-2 on the road, and have not lost at home this year in Serie A.  Their roster reads like an all star team, and Silvio Berlusconi will do anything he can to improve the club. 

The season has not gone as well as Milan fans have hoped, but Leonardo is improving as a manager every day, and the club will remain in the race both for the scudetto and the Champions League trophy.

A nice quiet weekend in Serie A.  Fortunately, there were no matches of interest and no controversy that came out of the matches.  Nothing unusual or interesting at all.

REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

Or not.  In a weekend highlighted by the top two squads facing off, injuries to star players, and an odd mask celebration, let’s take a moment to look back on the insanity.

Nine is fine for Inter Milan

According to the poll at the end of my post, over 50% of you thought AC Milan would win by two goals or more.  If we’d have known Inter would have played most of the match with ten men, how high would the percentage have jumped?  Instead, it was i Nerazzurri who dominated the match despite Wesley Sneijder being sent off in the 26th minute and Lucio receiving a red card in second half stoppage time.  Marco Materazzi, the famous “victim” of the Zdane head butt in the World Cup, celebrated by mocking the Italian prime minister with a mask.  What a match.

Roma should enjoy its success

AS Roma’s 2-1 victory over Juventus may be its high point of the season.  Roma sees itself in third place, only two points behind AC Milan for second place.  But it also sees its new acquisition out for six weeks (Luca Toni) plus a daunting schedule ahead – while they have Inter and AC Milan at home, they have almost all of the top 10 clubs away.  Roma’s away record:  3-5-3 while allowing 17 goals.

Napoli hangs on to fourth

Napoli’s 2-0 win over Livorno moves them three points clear of Palermo (!) for the last Champions League spot.  However it took a penalty kick against a midfielder filling in for a keeper in the 90th minute to get the full three points.  They have a chance to prove they belong with three of their next five matches against Genoa, Inter and Roma – all at home.

Bari blew a good opportunity to gain points

Do you think Giampieo Ventura will have nightmares about Henry Gimenez?  Bari had an excellent chance (and an early goal) to take care of a relegation candidate in Bologna, but instead allowed two goals to Gimenez to fall into 11th place.  Bari has to learn the lesson – if you want to compete for a European competition spot, you have to win these type of matches.

For AC Milan in Saturday’s fabled Derby della Madonnina, Gennaro Gattuso’s nightmare came true. If not for Inter’s new-look, new-effect attack, poor Captain Rino would be carrying all responsibility for the unbalanced result (AC Milan 0:4 Inter).

Inter earned three (and perhaps all four) of their strikes, yet more could not have gone wrong in one half of play for the feisty AC Milan defensive midfielder as he returns from long-term injury to snatch back his position from the interloping Galaxy star, a certain D Beckham.

You can understand Gattuso’s frustration as it progressed through its stages to the final red mist which early took the rossoneri down to ten men. Inter went up one-nil around the half hour on a pristine Barça-esque piece of triangulation capped by a Thiago Motta finish (he’s a fresh, suitable & welcome transfer from Genoa).

Gattuso, having required an ankle-strapping on the sideline beneath the the half-hour, would soon find himself the only one in red & black stripes to chase Inter’s Samuel Eto’o the 50 yards into the box to haul the Cameroonian international down with an ever-so-slight tug on the neck as Eto’o cleverly crossed in front to shield the ball at full pace. This, upon a pin-point 50-yard ball from Inter’s Brazilian right back, Douglas Maicon, who alertly air-mailed the rossoneri’s quixotic press.

Diego Milito (another welcome transfer to Inter from Genoa) would place the ensuing spot kick firmly center of the roof of the net. Storari had nothing to do.

The opera commences at minute-37, AC Milan in the hole two-nil. Rino calls it quits, hobbling off and asking for a substitution. [I'm touched to see Zanetti with sincere concern ask Gattuso "what's the matter?" to which he replies "mi caviglia (my ankle)."] But Gattuso must wait. Leonardo is slow to effectuate the swap. Seedorf laconically pulls up his socks & warms up on the sideline in his yellow pinney. Rino finds himself back in the fray and makes an overweening (if only just late) tackle on Inter’s new trequartista, Wesley Sneijder, at the center circle.

You can see where Gattuso’s head is: he holds the Captains armband in his left hand as he makes the lunge. ‘Get me OFF the f@#%ing pitch. Now!’ He is — for all practical purposes — already soaping up his goatee in the San Siro showers.

Meltdown. Second yellow, a Red Card. In fact, Rino should have gotten the straight Red as last man when he bundled Eto’o; but Mr Rizzoli’s mercy and his capacity for nuance on the big day are not to be underestimated. Within minutes, Gattuso has enabled the referee to make up for his initial mistake — which was merely one of achromatopsia.

Gattuso’s expletives as he leaves the pitch are directed at Leonardo.

Dejan Stankovic would cap the scoring late with a lovely inside-out swerving dagger into the upper side netting from distance, leaving Storari to flap. We’ve seen this kind of thing from Wesley Sneider, himself, in his Ajax days; and you can see how Inter’s new signings have both direct and indirect influence on Inter’s new multifaceted attack which, before, could look singularly monochrome as spearheaded by the efficient Swede who’s moped off to Barça. You could say Inter have added with canny insight and this would not be the half of it.

An embarrassed Mr Berlusconi left Mr Galliani at half time to stew in both of their juices [I eyed that choice vacant seat at the San Siro with some relish from my distant position in Messi-chusetts]. This left Leonardo holding his chin & looking pensive while a lacrimose Berlusconi was surely throwing San Pellegrino fizziwaters against the bullet-proof retainer in the back seat of his Bentley.

Huntelaar, the new Dutch signing, came on and achieved little with little support. Ronaldinho touched the ball seldom. Seedorf gave the ball away cheaply. I was hoping Super-Pippo would come on and get a tumbling out-of-control glancing deflection in the 5-yard box, but I knew the truth: AC Milan is moribund. Gattuso’s bad day issued from his passion and over-compensation for his side’s pedestrian effort on the biggest day of the season in Milan. With Kaka’s Iberian migration, the rossoneri need to refresh closer to the extent Moratti & Mourinho have done together across town.

If Inter’s performance is any indication — with Wesley Sneijder having just barely got off his aeroplane — they will pull further away in Serie A and make their presence felt in the Champions League over the next few seasons.