Can Milan retain their title this season?
Defending champions AC Milan launches the 2022-2023 Serie A season with the reception of Udinese at San Siro (Saturday 6:30 p.m.).
The last time AC Milan knew how to keep the Scudetto was in the previous century. From 1992 to 1994, the Lombard club had achieved the treble. Since then, the five Italian championship titles that followed have never been linked. The Serie A season which opens this Saturday (6:30 p.m.) at San Siro with the reception of Udinese, three months after the 19th coronation in the history of the Lombard club, will it finally be that of the double?
A transfer window too light?
Stefano Pioli really wants to answer in the affirmative. “I saw in my players the same look, the same attitude and the same spirit as last year, that makes me optimistic, replied the Milanese coach at a press conference. I am convinced that none of us, myself included, have not yet reached our highest level”. But the quest for confirmation promises to be relentless. While the championship of the season passed was only played at two points, Milan did not really stand out this summer on the transfer market. This may raise fears of shortcomings over the season, unless the situation is rectified by the closing of the transfer window.
During the off-season, Milan released an indisputable holder (midfielder Franck Kessié at FC Barcelona) and a regular holder (central defender Alessio Romagnoli at Lazio) for free. In the opposite direction, the piggy bank was broken for the young Belgian attacking talent Charles De Ketelaere (32 M€ from Club Brugge). An interesting arrival, which however does not bring many guarantees, in the same way as that of Yacine d’Adli (return of loan). A reinforcement in axial defense has long been mentioned (Sven Botman), so that the young Tomori-Kalulu hinge is not overstretched. Renato Sanches was also expected in the middle. The ace. American fund RedBird, which acquired the club in June, may not have made a good impression in its first summer. Beware of Paris Saint-Germain’s interest in Rafael Leão in the coming weeks.
Inter has put the means, Juventus is waiting for answers
Meanwhile, Inter have had a more positive transfer window, at least on the surface. When the rival finds himself leaving with Olivier Giroud as the only pure scorer, while waiting for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to return from injury, the home club brings Romelu Lukaku back so that he and Lautaro Martinez will form the pair for the 2021 title. arrivals of André Onana, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Joaquin Correa, the Nerazzurri seemed better armed than last season. Especially since Milan Škriniar, coveted by PSG, has still not left and the transfer window has been declared closed by Simone Inzaghi.
This is probably also the case for Juventus of Max Allegri, even if several varied choices question. Admittedly, Paulo Dybala (AS Roma) and Matthijs De Ligt (Bayern Munich) have left. Gleison Bremer and Angel Di Maria have arrived to replace them, but their level is uncertain. A bit like Paul Pogba, whose form, when he is operational, will undoubtedly say whether the Bianconeri can join in the fight for the title or not. Unless it is Roma – galvanized by the arrival of Paulo Dybala and the new European title of José Mourinho in the Conference League – who comes to play the spoilsports.