MILANELLO – The final session ahead of tomorrow evening’s match started at 15.30 this afternoon. 
After a technical meeting held by Massimiliano Allegri, the Rossoneri started work at 15.30 at the Milanello sports centre. 
The players started with a run to warm up followed by some stretching and spring drills. 
The players then worked on the tactics that they will be using against Roberto Donadoni’s Parma side. 
Training ended with a practice match. 
Here are the 20 players called up for the match:
Abbiati, Gabriel, Petkovic (n.61), Abate, De Sciglio, Mexes, Yepes, Zaccardo, Zapata, Boateng, Constant, Flamini, Montolivo, Muntari, Nocerino, Traoré, Balotelli, Bojan, Niang, Pazzini.

MILAN - 20 Players have been called up for the Rossoneri's match against Parma on Friday evening:
Abbiati, Gabriel, Petkovic (n.61), Abate, De Sciglio, Mexes, Yepes, Zaccardo, Zapata, Boateng, Constant, Flamini, Montolivo, Muntari, Nocerino, Traoré, Balotelli, Bojan, Niang, Pazzini.

MILAN – Here’s what Roberto Donadoni had to say to the press ahead of Parma-Milan tomorrow evening: 
“I expect Milan to want to get continuity in their results while from our point of view we want to build on our last performance. It great to go to the San Siro knowing that we can show what we’re worth. I don’t think they’ll be focused on Barcelona and we shouldn’t think that they’ll give us any gifts. I don’t know how many times I’ve returned to the stadium on the opposite side. It was my home as a player but that’s in the past. We can’t waste energy though as this is a key game for us. We have to show what we can do and force Milan into doing something extraordinary. If you stop Balotelli, there’s El Shaarawy if he plays. Then there’s Robinho, Niang… It’s no good to focus on singular players and they should also be worried about we can do as a team. Those are the two sides to the coin. It would be nice to see Zaccardo on the pitch. I hope he plays.”

MILAN - Roberto Donadoni has called up 22 players for tomorrow evening's match:
Goalkeepers: Bajza, De Angelis, Pavarini. 
Defenders: Benalouane, Coda, Lucarelli, Mesbah, Paletta, Rosi. 
Midfielders: Ampuero, Gobbi, Marchionni, Morrone, Ninis, Parolo, Strasser, Valdes. 
Forwards: Amauri, Belfodil, Biabiany, Palladino, Sansone. 

MILAN - Indesit, 2011 AC Milan sponsor have launched the Support Your Hero competition for all football fans who dream of one day becoming a professional footballer. 
This is a competition that gives men the chance to live out their Rossoneri dreams and will give women an unforgettable and exclusive fashion and beauty experience in Milan. 
The competition is open in 15 different countries and will run from today until 15 April 2013. Click here for all relevant information or simply log on to www.facebook.com/indesit.

MILAN - All of Massimiliano Allegri's press conference this afternoon at the Milanello sports centre.
 

(IN THE PHOTO: Massimiliano Allegri during the press conference) 
MILANELLO – Here’s what Massimiliano Allegri had to say ahead of tomorrow evening’s match at the San Siro: 
"Balotelli is a normal guy like all the other players. Maybe coming here to Milan, he’s understood that he has to manage certain things better as he’s at the centre of attention. He’s training well here and he’s treated like all the others. 
Bonera will be out for a while yet after the injury picked up against Udinese. 
One of either Yepes or Zaccardo will play tomorrow. We have three games in a week and Mexes has to be managed differently as he has a knee problem. Both Nocerino and Traoré are both fine. El Shaarawy has a bit of swelling in his tendon and we left him out to allow him to rest physically and mentally ahead of next week. Parma have quality and two players up front that can do damage. They have an experienced defense and it’ll be tough match, an important one. 
It’s important to get to the Barcelona game on form and to get some continuity in terms of results. Tomorrow is a much more important game that the one against Barcelona. It’s an important moment, decisive for the season. We can’t slip up in our performance tomorrow. 
We have to understand that tomorrow’s game is one of those that has to be won. We’ve conceded too many goals from dead balls and we have to improve. We’ll work on it in training but we’ve conceded too many headed goals. I’m very happy with Bojan. He did well when he came on the pitch on Sunday. We’ll have to see if Pazzini will be on the bench or not.”
“I hope that for Cagliari, for Cellino and the people of Sardinia, everything gets worked out. I’m happy with what the team is doing and I hope to continue with this project. No one who has been at this club ever wanted to leave. I feel appreciated by the President and when we talk on the phone it’s normal to exchange opinions. 
Balotelli has to get a bit smarter with the management of his personal life and that’s what I advised him. I’m happy he’s here both from a playing point of view and also as a person, judging from what I’ve seen over the last 10 days. He has all the right qualities and he wants to show that he can become a world class player and he can do that here. Abate has improved a lot and there’s no age limit on improvement.”

MILAN – Here’s what Massimiliano Allegri had to say exclusively to the Milan Channel today: 
“At the moment, we really need the support of the fans. Tomorrow’s game will also allow us to catch up, albeit momentarily, with Lazio. We’ll see how El Shaarawy is doing today, we have to try and get him back as quickly as possible. Zaccardo is doing very well in training, he has found space hard to come by but he’ll show himself to be a useful player. I’ll have to decide if he starts tomorrow or not. We have to improve at the back and I have to find a way to stop conceding these goals. The team played well against Cagliari on Sunday and gave very little away. Balotelli and El Shaarawy: the first is a centre forward, the second is a goal scoring wide player. It’s unthinkable that El Shaarawy would have gone on scoring goals at the rate he has done so far. 30 goals a season is an impossible target for a 20 year old. Now he has to stay calm, it’s his most difficult moment and he’s under a lot of pressure. Those two can do well together. Technically speaking, they can definitely play together. Balotelli is more a centre forward that Ibrahimovic."

MILAN - Davide Massa made his debut in Serie A on 23 January 2011 for Fiorentin-Lecce 1-1. He has 16 game's experience in the top flight with 4 matches refereed with Parma (a win, two draws and a loss). His last match with Friday's visitors ended Pescara 2-0 Parma.
 
 
 

MILAN - Davide Massa will be Friday evening's referee when Parma face Milan at the San Siro on Friday 15 February at 20.45. He'll be assisted by Walter Giachero and Alessandro Petrella with Andrea De Marco and Marco Di Bello behind the goals. Riccardo Bianchi is fourth man.

MILAN - It's derby time for the Milan Youth Sector. On Sunday 17 February at 14.00 (Italian time), the Rossoneri Allievi Nazionali will face off against Inter Milan. Fans the world over can watch the game in live streaming here on ACMilan.com. Coverage starts at 12.00 as Filippo Inzaghi's team take on the Nerazzurri.

MILAN - It's derby time for the Milan Youth Sector. On Sunday 17 February at 14.00 (Italian time), the Rossoneri Allievi Nazionali will face off against Inter Milan. Fans the world over can watch the game in live streaming here on ACMilan.com. Coverage starts at 12.00 as Filippo Inzaghi's team take on the Nerazzurri.

MILAN - Milan and Parma are at work today ahead of Friday evening's match at the San Siro. Here's the disciplinary situation for the two clubs:
MILAN, Massimo Ambrosini is suspended and De Jong, El Shaarawy, Mexes and Zaccardo are a booking away from a ban.PARMA, Coda, Galloppa and Sansone are a yellow card away from a suspension.

MILAN – Here are all the individual and team numbers ahead of the match between Parma and Milan tomorrow evening.THE LAST FIVE MATCHESMILAN - Sampdoria-Milan 0-0, Milan-Bologna 2-1, Atalanta-Milan 0-1, Milan-Udinese 2-1, Cagliari-Milan 0-0.PARMA - Parma-Juventus 1-1, Chievo-Parma 1-1, Parma-Napoli 1-2, Fiorentina-Parma 2-0, Parma-Genoa 0-0.THE FIVE MOST USED PLAYERSMILAN - El Shaarawy 2068 minutes, Montolivo 1794, Boateng 1443, Abbiati 1425, Mexes 1401.PARMA - Gobbi 2184 minutes, Paletta 2134, Parolo 1999, Lucarelli 1808, Biabiany 1755.ASSIST TABLEBoateng 30, El Shaarawy 29, Valdes 25, Biabiany 22, Marchionni 22, Bojan 20, Belfodil 18.GOALS CORING ASSISTS - Abate 3, Belfodil 3, Biabiany 2, Boateng 2, De Sciglio 2, Robinho 2, El Shaarawy 2.
SHOTS AND GOALSSHOTS - El Shaarawy 72, Boateng 66, Pazzini 37, Biabiany 35, Amauri 35, Montolivo 34, Parolo 34.GOALS - El Shaarawy 15, Pazzini 10, Belfodil 7, Amauri 5, Sansone 4, Bojan 3, Balotelli 3.MILAN STATISTICSPOSSESSION: 29:16 minutes per game. (Milan top team in Italy)SHOTS ON TARGET: 6.4BALLS PLAYED: 640.7 (Milan top team in Iatly)PASSES COMPLETED: 70.0%TERRITORIAL SUPREMACY: 13:14 minutes per game spent in the adversary’s halfDANGER INDEX: 59.5% PARMA STATISTICSPOSSESSION: 25:23 minutes per gameSHOTS ON TARGET: 4.6BALLS PLAYED: 535.0PASSES COMPLETED: 63.8%TERRITORIAL SUPREMACY: 10:39 minutes per game spent in the adversary’s halfDANGER INDEX: 47.1% (Source: Panini Digital for legaseriea.it)

MILANELLO - Ahead of Milan-Parma tomorrow evening, Massimiliano Allegri will speak to the press at 13.45 while training is scheduled for 15.30.
 

First things first, I am not chastising or criticizing anyone who believes that rooting for Juventus in the CL is like rooting for Italy and Serie A. Unfortunately it’s not for me, and here is why…

I grew up in era where the Champions League, was the Champion’s League. Which meant it was a Trophy contested by the Champion of each League. This was a noble, nail biting endeavor and a true tournament for the ages. As time progressed the League changed, it is now the Champion$ League full of additional matches, ad revenue, and teams from third or even fourth place in their Country. So much for Champions…

Admittedly I don’t like the new CL. I don’t like the group stages, the qualifying rounds or the expansion of participants. When Italy lost their qualify spot due to coefficients, it personally didn’t bother me that much. From my perspective, if AC Milan finishes fourth they shouldn’t qualify for the CL anyway, they don’t deserve it. If you look back historically the team’s that often qualify in that spot were not Italy’s elite (Inter, Milan, Juve) they were the likes of Roma, Fiorentina, and Udinese, and while they fought admirably they are not CL caliber Clubs in my opinion. They are Europa League teams (another disaster of a Tournament for another day’s discussion). The problem is it all boils down to the almighty dollar and no longer about the football.

So when Juventus enters the field of play in the CL, I don’t root for them or support them. They do not represent Italy or Serie A, and they don’t enter that pitch with such noble intentions. They play for their Color’s, their Fan’s and their bottom line as they should. I would expect my team to do the same. Our issue as Milan fans shouldn’t be with the Elite of Serie A, if you are concerned with coefficients, it should be with our Serie A friends in the Europa League constantly crapping the bed!

Simply put I don’t root for Juventus to succeed, I don’t root for rivals. I have never been able to fathom this notion of rooting for another team in any fashion. I can watch a match, admire the beauty of football, but root for another team? Never. Now I appreciate Juve fan’s coming out and saying good luck and so on, and I won’t go as far as saying I wouldn’t extend the same courtesy, but I think my point is made. I also don’t think Milan should be parading complaining about coeffecients and lack of a fourth spot, simply because, if you don’t win this League you probably don’t deserve to be called a Champion anyway?!?! We may not win Serie A, we may not qualify for the CL, but all that does is serve a constant reminder to improve…

MILAN - Tomorrow afternoon, at 5pm in the Bellucci di Agliana stadium (Pistoia), the Milan primavera will play the second game of the group against Empoli.
Both sides won their opening games, Milan beat Newcastle 2-1 and Empoli beat the Congo Under 17s 3-0.
 

MILAN - On Sunday february 17th at 12.00 the Allievi Nazionali will play the second derby of the season against Inter on the central pitch at Vismara. It will be live via streaming on webtv and www.settoregiovanile.figc.it. 
It will also be shown at 3pm on Milan Channel.

MILAN - As indicated on Parma's official webpage, there was a morning training at Collechio for the players, under the guidance of coach Roberto Donadoni.
The squad undertook a technical-tactical meeting but Mariga, Galloppa and Mirante pursued thier personal physiotherapy sessions due to injuries.
Tomorrow they'll refine things behind closed doors at 11.30 am.

To read Adriano Galliani's statements to the press during the presentation for the miCOACh elite system, click here:

Milanello, February 13th 2013 – adidas and A.C. Milan are glad to announce that the “club rossonero” will be the first top club to use, in its training sessions, miCoach Elite System, the innovative data-tracking system developed by the three stripes brand and launched the last july for the MLS All Star Game.
Adriano Galliani, AC Milan Vicepresident Vicario and Managing Director and Jean-Michel Granier adidas South Europe Managing Director, signed an agreement to develop new products and technologies in football.  
 
“We are happy that AC Milan is the first adidas top club to use miCoach Elite System” said Jean-Michel Granier, adidas South Europe MD.  “The partnership with the most winning club in the world has always been an incentive to be innovative in developing products and in the way to communicate them. The introduction of this new technology is a confirm of this attitude and an exciting step in the future of technology applied to the sports industry.”
“We understood, from the beginning, the enormous potential of this innovative hi tech project" - said Adriano Galliani, AC Milan Vice President Vicario and MD - "MilanLab had a key role during the  whole development process and also the coach and the team have been collaborative since the beginning to give their feedbacks on the pitch. I am really satisfied for the different strategic implementations of the project and for the successful collaboration between adidas and Milan that goes beyond the technical sponsorship: a 360° partnership really profitable!”.
 
miCoach Elite System, developed starting in 2010 with MilanLab cooperation, provide coaches, trainers and players with real-time performance metrics including heart rate, speed, acceleration, distance, field position and, for the first time, power.
By measuring every move, heartbeat and step and relaying that to a coach on the touch line in less than a second, the technology enables a better understanding of the physical and physiological impact on the team, or any individual, during a game or training session.  From analyzing trends the micoach Elite System will help maintain optimum levels of player performance week in, week out throughout the season.
The micoach Elite System includes a small data cell that fits into a player’s base layer in a protective pocket on the back between the shoulder blades.  Connected by a series of electrodes and sensors woven into the fabric of the base layer, the cell wirelessly transmits more than 200 data records per second from each player to a central computer and then is displayed in a series of simplified insights and results on the coach’s iPad.  At the touch of his fingertips, a coach can monitor the workload of an individual player, compare one athlete with another or view the whole team to gain a complete picture of the squad.
“On-field data tracking is one of the most important elements coaches and trainers use to prepare their teams,” said Paul Gaudio, Vice President of adidas Interactive.  “Teams are constantly looking for a competitive edge and the micoach Elite System is a real-time performance monitoring solution for the best teams in the world.”
Gaudio continued, “With years of research, innovation and development behind it, the micoach Elite System allows coaches and trainers to make informed strategic decisions to maintain collective peak physical performance on the field.”
“It’s an amazing tool that combines very important infomations with a user friendly interface – claimed Daniele Tognaccini, MilanLab  Director -  “This is a strategic element to use data-tracking in sports: through a clear and appealing dashboard gives, in real time, a key support to plan and manage the training sessions. miCoach Elite System let us implement specific and immediate actions to reach our planned objectives and, at the same time after the training session, is a precise data-tracking technology to collect and analyse informations about the team and every single athlete. It’s a crucial technology  to understand the key success factors and to increase the know-how of the club”.

Click here to see the photos from today's event which officially unveiled Adidas' new miCoach Elite System, which will initially be used exclusively by Milan:

Click here to read about today's training session:

MILANELLO – This is what Adriano Galliani said during the press conference for the new miCoach Elite System:
“The league is a race with 38 rounds, each of which counts for three points. The Champions is different as you have to give the maximum to get to the next round. Barcelona have long been Europe’s finest team, but we’re relaxed about the tie. It’s bizarre we’ll have met them six times over two seasons. We lsot the title race way back in the season, when we were defeated by Sampdoria and Atalanta. We’ve picked up 34 points in the last 16 games which would put us ahead of Juventus. Sometime newspapers over hype games: they are all worth three points, even the ones against inter and Lazio coming up. The game against Barcelona has some comparisons with Athens in 1994. The technology we’re developing to be used in training session at Milanello cannot be used on the pitch because FIFA don’t allow it. El Shaarawy’s contract extension hasn’t gone ahead just yet, at my age my memory isn’t so good!! Milan Lab started in 2002 and will be even better next season, thanks a lot to Daniele Tognaccini. The lab played an important role in developing this miCoach Elite System as it contributed at every stage of it’s development. The coach and players have made themselves available throughout and personally I’m very satisfied with the collaboration between Adidas and Milan, which is more than just a sponsorship agreement: it’s a 360 degree partnership”.