Coach Carlo Ancelotti leaves Milan on a mutual agreement with the club, not before handing us the third place and the direct qualification to the next Champions League. Thanks Carletto!
Coach Carlo Ancelotti at the end of Fiorentina-Milan, his last match as a Rossoneri’s coach:
“Together with the club, in common agreement, we have decided to end a fantastic adventure which lasted eight years and full of satisfactions. I want to thank all those who have contributed to make this so beautiful, all those with whom I lived a long, nice and positive period. A professional rapport comes to an end, but there will always be the affection, the reciprocal respect and friendship. It’s normal to feel a bit emotional, but the time of tears is already gone.”
A day full of emotions today at the Franchi for the Rossoneri, who are satisfied for reaching the next Champions League, excited for the farewell of the Captain and for the last game of Ancelotti on the bench.
DAVID BECKHAM:
“Even though today we did not win anything, we have reached the direct qualification to the Champions League. Winning today was fundamental, just like being in the Champions League.
“With regards to my future I cannot say anything more than two weeks or two months ago: now I return to Los Angeles for the final part of the season, then we’ll see what happens, but I hope to return soon.
“My thanks goes to everyone, from the first one to the last, they have all been fantastic with me in making me feel one of the team from the first minute and I wish them all the best.
“With Carlo Ancelotti away from Milan, an era comes to an end, extraordinary years come to an end, but wherever he will go to coach, it will be a lucky club to have him as a coach.”
RICARDO KAKA':
“It was a game full of emotions: the last game of Paolo Maldini and the last one of Carlo Ancelotti on the Milan bench. We are happy o have closed this season reaching a great objective like the direct qualification to the next Champions League, it’s a reason of great satisfaction for us.
“Carlo Ancelotti is a person whom I’m very tied to for this six years I have spent here at Milan with hm as a coach. I’m grateful for what he did for me and for what he taught me. He gave me the possibility to be known as a player at world level and with him I won a lot. I wish him the best of luck for everything. Tomorrow there will be this press conference of presentation, a person will arrive who will lead Milan to win a lot.”
GIANLUCA ZAMBROTTA:
“We’re happy to have reached the third place and therefore the direct qualification to the next Champions League, we are satisfied that we have reached this target and then today there was the emotion for the farewell to football of a great player and man like Paolo Maldini, and the last match of a great coach like Carlo Ancelotti, who today ended his career t Milan. I thank him for the beautiful years I had with him at Juventus and for this season here at Milan, he’s an extraordinary people, he won everything and I wish him all the best for his future.”
GALLIANI TO CARLETTO on fiorentina - milan match :
“It was a great game, but after all with Carlo on the bench we rarely get the big games wrong, we have always trained at our best to face them. Now let’s think about the next Champions League draw, we will surely be in that of the top eight in Europe and this is a thing that should fill with pride all of our fans, even before us directors.
“Right now I’m very excited for Paolo Maldini’s farewell and Carlo Ancelotti’s good-bye: yes, the latter it will be just a good-bye, because the coaches can always return, whereas the players at the age of Paolo no, even though I continue to try to convince him not to stop.
“With Carlo Ancelotti these have been fantastic and marvellous years: eight years, eight trophies. Of common agreement, we have decided to anticipate of a year the natural expiry of his contract, but our friendship and his closeness to the club will continue. We hope, in some years time, to see him again on the bench with us and maybe to win other Champions Leagues with Carletto as a coach. A thing is certain: when he will return, he will do better than Sacchi and Capello!”
“We have never contacted any other coach, we told ourselves that the alternatives would have been only two: or continuing with Ancelotti or Leonardo. With regards to the Brazilian, we love our house coaches, and Leonardo undertook the same professional path of Capello. I wish him the same luck, quality and success of Capello! The presentation of the new coach will be tomorrow at San Siro at noon.”
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND LEGEND
Milan end the season with a 2-0 victory at the Franchi and gain direct access to the next Champions League, Paolo Maldini receives the salute he deserves and officially enters the Rossoneri's legend.
FLORENCE - A decisive second leg match, after winning the first leg: this is the spirit with which Milan went on the pitch at the Franchi stadium for the last league match against Fiorentina.
The formation chosen by Carlo Ancelotti to try and consolidate the third place, and gain access to the next Champions League, is composed by Dida; Zambrotta, Maldini, Favalli, Jankulovski; Beckham, Pirlo Flamini, Seedorf; Kakà, Inzaghi. Gattuso and Nesta on the bench, which was great news ahead of next season. The Viola answered with Frey; Comotto, Gamberini, Zauri, Pasqual; Donadel, Montolivo; Semioli, Jovetic, Vargas; Gilardino.
It's the last match of Paolo Maldini, who after 25 years says goodbye to the Milan shirt and football. After the jeers of a small part of the San Siro stadium, last Sunday against Roma, this time in Florence there was a standing ovation for our Captain, who also received a special emblem from the Viola club from Frey. In another part of the stadium, meanwhile, there was a banner that said "Maldini, honor to your career".
In the initial part of the matches former Milan man Gilardino looked very motivated, as well as Jovetic, also one of the most feared players by the Rossoneri players. But the entire Fiorentina team looked sharp. Milan did not just look on, and in the 8th minute they came near the goal defended by Frey with Jankulovski: his shot was powerful, but it was deflected out. By who? According to the referees it was a Viola defender, but with great fair play Kaká admitted he was the one who touched the ball last and was thanked by referee Rizzoli. In the 16th minute chance for Fiorentina: Gamberini hit a header on a corner kick, Dida blocked it easily. In the 19th minute there was a nice idea by Pirlo for Jankulovski's run, but his long pass was just too long. In the 22nd minute Gilardino's nice header on a pass by Jovetic went wide. In the 24th minute big chance for Milan: pass back by Kaká for Flamini, the Frenchman's shot was powerful but it hit the crossbar. In the 28th minute Frey dove to keep out a dangerous shot from the edge of the area by Zambrotta. In the 42nd minute Fiorentina protested for an alleged penalty for a foul by Favalli on Gilardino: for Rizzoli, however, it was the former Rossonero who made a foul. Milan restarted with a free kick.
At the start of the second half, in the third minute, the Viola were dangerous through Gilardino, who with the tip of his foot fired it just wide of Dida's goal. A minute later, on a corner kick for Milan, Inzaghi headed it just over the bar. In the 10th minute came Milan's goal: Kaká accompanied the move of Zambrotta, who crossed it in for Inzaghi, the defence blocked it, Ricky scored with a low right footed shot. In the 17th minute another chance for the Rossoneri: Kaká served Inzaghi, who won the ball after a rebound and fired it just high. Now Milan started playing the better football, with Fiorentina lowering the rhythm considerably. The first two changes by the Viola both came in the 20th minute: Gobbi for Vargas, and Jorgensen for Jovetic. The last available change for Fiorentina was made in the 25th minute: Kuzmanovic in, Pasqual out. Milan's first change was made in the 24th minute: Pato for Inzaghi. In the 31st minute came Milan doubled their lead on a counterattack conducted by Pato and Kaká: deep ball for Ricky, lob by the 'duck' to beat Frey. In the 32nd minute Milan made their second change: Nesta, who made his first appearence in the league, in for Favalli. In the 36th minute there was also space for Gattuso, who made his return on the pitch after his knee surgery in December: he took Beckham's place. The match did not offer any more points of interest. There was only time for Paolo Maldini's final run, which put an end to his fantastic career, and he was accompanied by the embrace of all his team mates, his opponents, and the entire Franchi crowd. Milan are in the Champions League, Maldini is a part of legend.
