The Highs and Lows for AC Milan in 2015
2015 has been a glum year for AC Milan. After ending the last Serie A campaign in a desperately poor 10th place, the team has continued to struggle in the first half of this season, ending the year in an underwhelming sixth.
With high turnover in the playing ranks, another change of coach and a second successive year without European football, the club has not been in such an unstable position for a long time.
With Serie A’s midseason winter break upon us, Bleacher Report takes the time to reflect upon the highs and lows of a difficult 12 months in AC Milan’s history.
Low: The Sale of Riccardo Saponara
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Elegant trequartista Riccardo Saponara was given little opportunity to prove himself with AC Milan after joining the club from Empoli in 2013. He started just three times in league action before being loaned back to the Tuscan side in January of this year.
Since re-joining Empoli, though, he has been in the form of his life, earning interest from some of Europe’s top clubs. According to Tuttosport (h/t Daily Mirror), Liverpool may make a move for him in January 2016.
With every passing week Milan’s sale of Saponara looks like an astonishing lack of foresight. What makes matters worse is that, per Transfermarkt, the Rossoneri sold him for £0.56 million less than they originally paid to sign him.
Low: Philippe Mexes Throttles Stefano Mauri
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There were few moments as embarrassing for Milan in 2015 than when their French centre-back Philippe Mexes attempted to throttle Lazio’s Stefano Mauri.
In a match where Milan lost 3-1, Mexes lost his cool and wildly attacked Mauri before being deservedly sent off.
The moment represented the player’s nadir, for which he was handed a four-match ban, per BBC Sport.
Low: Sassuolo Do the Double over Milan
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Sassuolo are one of Serie A’s smallest clubs and so for a club of Milan’s illustrious history, losing to them is a fairly unique experience. Yet this has happened not once, but twice in 2015.
First, the Neroverdi came from behind to win 2-1 at the San Siro on 6 January through goals from Simone Zaza and Nicola Sansone. Then on 17 May, they beat the beleaguered Rossoneri again, this time by a scoreline of 3-2. On that occasion, all three goals came from Domenico Berardi.
Sassuolo’s shocking double victory was a painful reminder of just how far Milan have fallen.
Low: Missing out on Europe
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After succumbing to a deeply frustrating 10th-place league finish last season, Milan missed out on European football for a second consecutive season.
For a club with one of the finest records in continental competition—only Real Madrid have won more than Milan’s seven European Cups—such a fate was disastrously under-par and ultimately cost coach Filippo Inzaghi his job.
Low: Managerial Merry-Go-Round
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The poor performances of 2014-15 meant Inzaghi was sacked and replaced by Sinisa Mihajlovic in Milan’s coaching hot-seat, though that position has become something of a poisoned chalice in recent years.
In less than three seasons, the club have had four different head coaches in Massimiliano Allegri, Clarence Seedorf, Inzaghi and now Mihajlovic. Seedorf and Inzaghi remain on the club’s payroll.
To add to the chaos, Mihajlovic’s future is reportedly far from certain after just six months in the role, with Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) suggesting as early as October that he had two games to save his job.
Such speculation has been a constant throughout much of the Serb's tenure with the Rossoneri.
High: Clearing out the Deadwood
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One of the major progressive steps taken by Milan in 2015 was to clear out much of the deadwood that permeated their playing squad.
Marco van Ginkel, Mattia Destro and Salvadore Bocchetti departed in the summer after unimpressive loan spells at San Siro. Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien, Cristian Zaccardo, Robinho, Daniele Bonera and Giampaolo Pazzini also left during the summer on free transfers.
Other unnecessary squad members such as Alessandro Matri and Gabriel Paletta were loaned out, while Adil Rami left for Sevilla for £2.45 million.
The mass exodus was crucial to freeing up money and squad places as Milan looked to re-invest in higher-quality players ahead of this season.
High: Spending Big Again
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Hiring Sinisa Mihajlovic in the summer dealt with one element of the perceived issues with Milan, namely that they were in need of a more experienced head coach.
Another crucial aspect was to reinvigorate the playing squad, which had lacked significant investment for years as Adriano Galliani brought in freebies, ageing former stars and second-tier talent.
The investment came and Milan weren’t shy about it either. Top-class Colombian poacher Carlos Bacca signed from Sevilla for £21 million, followed by the additions of Roma youth-team products Andrea Bertolacci and Alessio Romagnoli for £14 million and £17.5 million respectively.
Other signings such as Luiz Adriano, Juraj Kucka and the returning Mario Balotelli helped fill out the squad, taking the club’s net summer spend to a hefty £55.87 million, per Transfermarkt.
Low: Losing 4-0 to Napoli at San Siro
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In terms of results, Milan’s 4-0 home defeat to Napoli on 4 October has to go down as undoubtedly the most humiliating of a poor year.
Mihajlovic’s men were completely outplayed from the off, unable to cope with the defensive work rate and attacking movement of their visitors.
The result left the Rossoneri reeling and led to Mihajlovic completely altering his tactics in a bid to turn his ailing team’s form around.
High: The Emergence of Gianluigi Donnarumma
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Gianluigi Donnarumma’s emergence at Milan’s first-choice goalkeeper has to go down as one of 2015’s biggest surprises.
The 16-year-old was brought into the lineup by Mihajlovic for Milan’s home clash with Sassuolo on 25 October and has since kept hold of his place, putting in a number of solid performances to justify his selection.
According to Squawka.com’s performance ratings, only Samir Handanovic and Wojciech Szczesny have contributed more per 90 minutes, making Donnarumma the third most in-form goalkeeper in Serie A.
No matter what happens in 2016, Milan can fall back on the knowledge that they have one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the world between the sticks.
High: Giacomo Bonaventura
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With his crafty footwork, ability to retain possession in tight spaces and combination play, Giacomo Bonaventura has developed from talented squad player to leading light for Milan over the last 12 months.
Signed from Atalanta at the start of the 2014-15 campaign, he is now one of the finest and most effective midfielders in Italy, according to Squawka.
Bonaventura will be determined to maintain his current club form and build on the 10 goals he has scored or created in 16 league appearances so far this season with the UEFA Euro 2016 finals coming next summer.
