4 hours ago
24
Massimiliano Allegri is someone who takes preparation for games seriously, and that is especially the case before the derby.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Matteo Gabbia and Samuele Ricci took over the role of ‘hosts’ at Milanello for the Italian national team, who were based there before the game against Norway. They boarded a bus not with a Milan logo on the side but with the FIGC logo, heading to San Siro.
It is a peculiar situation in itself, especially a week before the derby. In any case, Milanello fulfilled its mission admirably once again – despite the 1-4 loss suffered against Haaland’s side – and after hosting and saying goodbye to the Azzurri, it once again became firmly red and black.
How was the week leading up to the derby? While it obviously all revolves around the mantra ‘every match is equally important’, it’s clear that the days leading up to a derby are never the same as any other.
The staff
There are rituals and customs that are practiced with greater conviction and dedication, special care is taken to ensure that the organisational machine – always well-oiled – is not at risk of even the slightest glitch.
This begins, of course, with privacy and the scheduling of the players’ hours at the training ground. Inside Milanello, in terms of workforce, about 50 people work, including kitchen staff, gardeners, cleaners, security, and various maintenance personnel.
They are mostly people with years of experience within the Rossoneri environment, and there is a relationship of trust. Also, those who ‘slip up’ are rarely given a second chance. And they are regular workers, so turnover is kept to a minimum.
But there are obviously also more unscheduled accesses, which must be monitored with great care. At the same time, the safety and tranquility of those beyond that green electric gate must be maintained.
Those who frequent Milanello have always said that as the derby approaches, the volume automatically drops, and even those who work with equipment, perhaps the noisiest ones, pay even more attention to quiet. These aren’t team orders, either.
It all comes naturally, dictated above all by common sense, and everything is facilitated by the ‘sacred’ nature of the place. Milanello has always been, and is destined to remain, a legendary site.
It is a place where there is always – even more so in the days leading up to the derby – obsessive care and attention paid to every aspect.
Renovations
Despite being somewhat dated, Milanello has recently undergone several renovations. For example, the national team used the Milan Futuro building as its base of operations with a gym, dressing rooms, meeting room and office for Gattuso and staff.
It was built just meters from the first team’s facilities and initially used by the Primavera team, which later moved to the PUMA House of Football. The Azzurri stayed in the clubhouse, where all the rooms were recently renovated: gone are the double and triple rooms, now all single rooms.
The training centre’s facelift also included the renovation of the parking lot for the managers and the furnishings in the dressing rooms, while the medical area was expanded using spaces formerly belonging to the Primavera team.
Strict rules
Milanello has always been a central hub for the Rossoneri world, but this year it’s even more so under Allegri, who has abolished hotel retreats. The day before home matches, after afternoon training, the team dines and sleeps at Milanello.
On the morning of the match they always have a final training session focusing on tactics and set pieces, all the pitches used by the first team are heated and feature hybrid grass, like San Siro. Then there’s lunch, a rest, a technical meeting at 17:00, then departure via bus to the stadium 80 minutes before kick-off.
This, too, is a ritual. After all, it was Allegri himself who wanted to further centralise the role of Milanello. With rather strict rules for the players and ‘social’ innovations, such as meals being eaten at a single table, the table was set in an unusual location: the famous Sala del Camino, where Berlusconi made announcements and made speeches.
The walls are adorned with photos of past champions and the most iconic moments in Milan’s history. It’s a nod to the club’s greatness, also reflected in the tarps, commissioned by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, that shield the pitches from outside view.
English (US) ·