Leonardo De Araujo makes his debut as first team coach, in the Italian Serie A. The Brazilian is one of the three debuting coaches in Serie A along with Atzori (Catania) and Russo (Livorno). If he plays, Gennaro Gattuso will make his 400th official appearence with Milan's shirt, having made his debut on 15 September 1999 in Chelsea-Milan 0-0 (Champions League). Gattuso has made 276 appearences in Serie A, 23 in the Coppa Italia, 2 in the Italian Supercup, 79 in the Champions League, 14 in the Uefa Cup, 2 in the European Supercup, and 3 in the Intercontinental Cup/Club World Cup. If he plays, Cristiano Del Grosso makes his 100th appearence in Serie A: his debut was on 28 August 2005, Ascoli-Milan 1-1.
Here is the list of players called up for Siena-Milan: Perucchini, Roma, Storari, Antonini, Favalli, Jankulovski, Nesta, Onyewu, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta, Abate, Ambrosini, Flamini, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Borriello, Inzaghi, Pato, Ronaldinho.
Unavailable players: Dida, Abbiati, Bonera, Di Gennaro.
Players not called up: Kaladze, Oddo, Zigoni.
Suspended: Huntelaar.
Here are the main declarations of the Rossoneri's coach.
HUNTELAAR'S SUSPENSION
"We knew, there was the hope to remove it, but there was not possibility to field him. Unfortunately he cannot play, but we knew that.
THE FIRST MATCH AGAINST SIENA AND THE SEASON
"The first matchday arrives, now we are all at zero points and we start off on the same level. Tomorrow's game is one we can have to face fully concentrated. We must act like in the Berlusconi Trophy, playing with the same attention and concentration. It was an important month of work, I think that the team is ready.
"Starting out well is always fundamental, managing to give a fingerprint to our performance would important for ourselves. I don't think that it is decisive to win or lose, but I think that the team is able to start off well. We have reacted well to the difficulties and the proof was Milan-Juve at San Siro. We need to give a signal straight away to ourselves and to the others to prove what we are. We cannot say today what we are, it will be the games to say so, in the path of the season.
"Who can win the Scudetto? I will not make too many calculations, let's think about ourselves and to how we can improve. Starting from Bonera, Dida and Abbiati, apart from Di Gennaro, we have available everyone and this is very important. We know the commitments we have, I don't want to stay here to preach what we shall do and what we will not do. Milan can always start with the willl to win. Game after game, we shall understand what we can do. We start out knowing that we are Milan and that we have inside us this will to win. Then it will be the games to determine things. We play match after match and we'll see where we can arrive.
FORMATION AND INJURIES
"The formation doubts will always be there and if we will have the entire squad available, the doubts will always be welcome. Everyone is returning and this is what matters. The basis to the squad which goes on the pitch is that of the team who played in the Berlusconi Trophy.
"Borriello or Inzaghi? I see them well both, they are different players. The choice can be for their characteristics. I will keep the doubt until tomorrow, I want to understand also how Siena will play, we don't know exactly what to expect. They tried the 4-3-1-2, but they also have the possibility for the 4-3-3. We'll see.
"Kaladze had a series of injuries, he stopped, he is doing a new period of preparation. His week has been very good, he's close to be totally available. If this team will always have its potential available, it will be a good season. Oddo not called-up? With Massimo I have always spoken and I had done so also with Kalac. Right from the start I told him that I had some ideas and that if he had found a better place than the one of Milan today, we could have spoke about it. He has always worked hard in all of the moments of the preparation and this is very important. The transfer market is open. If he had to find a better place we'll see. De Silvestri? In the transfer market one thing is tied to another, we must see. We have to wait. We start off with this group and I think that it's a valid group. The idea is a player on the wing, but there are many impossible names. We'll see what is possible until August 31. The moment in general, on the transfer market, is of economic difficulty. We see the big clubs, but also the average and the small ones. It's a period like this."
A FIRST BALANCE
"We're coming from a tiring month, useful for some tests. Today I feel strong, more inside the squad, I confronted myself with a different role which I like more, I find in the players a continuous response which makes me go forward. All that we have suffered last year we paid for it even until today: the recovery of Nesta and Gatuzo, fundamental players, Borriello who was out for a year, Kaladze out for a long period, Bonera still out, Inzaghi, Seedorf and Ambro at times not available during the preparation... I did not expect a brilliant Milan for these reasons. What I see today is that this team has a unique sense of belonging, to Milan: everyone knows their importance and what it is to live the Rossoneri's world. This is the departure. The rest, tactics, form and so one, must be built.The solid base is a matter of pride and objectives and this exists and is increasing. It's this energy that makes the world go round, the rest is built day after day.
"How can you have trust in this Milan? During the preparation we did not prove our real value. Until Chelsea, in reality we had done very well, until the squad was full and complete. We were not in form but we had energies to use. From then onwards, Amrbo and Seedorf stopped, Borriello, Nesta and Gattuso felt the initial sprint. What this team is, is not the picture of the preparation. The week of work at Milanello was very positive and it was a proud response to start again. At our return from America I think that Milan improved a lot."
THE BENCH DEBUT
"If I'm excited for the bench debut? Sincerely my personal stories I now see them useless, I'm in the role of thinking about the others' emotions, not mine. This career is a surprise for me. I'm thinking about making a career, I'm responding to a call of a club to whom I'm completely tied and I try to do my best, with what is my experience. Honestly my personal stories and emotions fall a bit. I'm only worried about reching my objectives.
SILVIO BERLUSCONI AND RONALDINHO
"My rapport with Berlusconi is very good. When he talks about swage cuts and so on, he speaks like a football director, more than as Milan president. He talks about a football idea which needs to be re-thought. His words are tied to ties, for a more sustainable football in the future.
"Berlusconi is in love with Ronaldinho, he knows that he has a pearl at home which needs to be used at its best. I have known Ronaldinho since always, I know his story, I play for years with his brother, I'm Brazilian. His training session today was beautiful to see. He must do what he did today always. I will do everything to make him and the entire team give their best. I want to get from him, and from those who can, the best. He's improving, he's returning, either now or never, his moment for Milan and the national team is now, in all sense, also for the prearation he has made.
THE BRAZILIANS, THE NATIONAL TEAM AND THE ROSSONERI'S TACTICS
"Pato is an incredible talent who must affirm himself in the national teal. Thiago is paying for those six months he did with us without playing. I think that both, just like Ronaldino, will soon return in Brazil. Egoistically we have them here for ourselves, it's a positive thing. Ronaldinho today is playing as a forward. We play with 4-3-1-2 with Ronaldinho as forward and he must be decisive in attack. We play like we have always played. I Pato can become top-scorer. He has enormous possibilities, he has grown, he has become more man also in his physique. He has speed, he is spontaneous in his movements, easily arrives, but he needs to find continuity. He has scored 15 goals last year, but he has head of him still many things to do."
LIPPI-MOURINHO
"The row between Mourinho-Lippi? I'm out of it, in order not to add other opinions. It's not that I don't want to sway one side or the other, it's that I have other things in my mind. What I can say is that I'm happy about the good luck tha Mourinho gave me in Boston and the charge that Lippi gave me at the Berlusconi trophy. We met and he was very nice with me."
8/22 17:00 UK Bologna VS Fiorentina
8/22 19:45 UK Siena VS AC Milan
8/23 17:00 UK Internazionale VS Bari
8/23 19:45 UK Livorno VS Cagliari
8/23 19:45 UK Genoa VS AS Roma
8/23 19:45 UK Lazio VS Atalanta
8/23 19:45 UK Catania VS Sampdoria
8/23 19:45 UK Palermo VS Napoli
8/23 19:45 UK Juventus VS Chievo Verona
8/23 19:45 UK Udinese VS Parma
