MILAN – Giovanni Stroppa named the following 20 players for the Rossoneri’s Tim Youth Teams Supercup match against Genoa, to be played tomorrow evening at 20.30 CET, at the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genova: Albertazzi, Baldan, Beretta, Calvano, Carmona, Cogliati, De Sciglio, De Vito, Di Fabio, Fossati, Gaeta, Ganz, Ghiringhelli, Lora, Merkel, Novinic, Pasini, Piscitelli, Sampirisi, Verdi.

MILAN – As reported by the official websites of both teams and the Lega Serie A, Genoa, Milan and the Lega Calcio (Football League) will honour the memory of Vincenzo Spagnolo tomorrow, at 19.30 CET, on the occasion of the TIM Youth Teams Supercup match between Genoa and Milan. Click here!

Silvio Berlusconi’s son, Pier Silvio, has revealed the impact Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s arrival has had.

I have to admit when I woke up this morning and saw this, I almost passed out:

MILANO, 8 settebre – «Kakà all’Inter? E’ una bella idea». Così il presidente dell’Inter, Massimo Moratti, sull’indiscrezione del Corriere dello Sport – Stadio relativa all’ipotesi dell’acquisto dell’ex milanista Kakà da parte dei nerazzurri a gennaio. «L’ho letto questa mattina sui giornali -ha detto Moratti-, è una bella idea, ma non è venuta a noi».

If you can’t read Italian it basically says Moratti doesn’t mind the idea of having Kaka come to Inter…then came Fester’s response…

Galliani non si ferma più “Vorrei Balotelli rossonero” L’a.d. del Milan: “Abbiamo fatto ottimi affari con Raiola, di Mario non abbiamo parlato ma non nascondo che un giorno mi piacerebbe vederlo in maglia rossonera. La risposta dei tifosi dimostra che è tornato l’entusiasmo, ora sarà Allegri a decidere se giocare con due, tre, quattro punte”

Again sorry if you can’t read Italian, but it seems like Fester has gotten rather chummy with Zlatan’s agent, Raiola, a guy who actually is considered a fool and an idiot in footballing circles, and because of this we have an inside track to Mario Balotelli. More alarming is the last sentence claiming Allegri needs to decides if you he plays two three of four strikers…here we go…

OK, so if you are like me at this point you are scratching your head. If you tend to err on the side of fanboyism then you are giddy with excitement, but please, hold your excitment. Not but 8 weeks ago the idea being preached at Milanello was fiscal responsbility and the goal of positioning Milan for a bright and self sufficient future. Where did that all go and what have we done in the process!?

Getting in bed with Raiola was not really the best move in the business, yes his stable of two players, Balotelli and Zlatan, is impressive, but his negotiation tactics and loud mouth make him more of an nuissance than an asset. He also has a way of making sure his players are paid exorbitant wages, which I will discuss further in a second. It is all well and good if Milan have a fast track to Balotelli but do we really want to add the terrible tantrum throwing Italian to the mix of already emotionally challenged egos on this team?? As it stands we are already on a slippery slope of making sure players have ample playing time and “feel wanted.” Isn’t that precarious chemistry dangerous enough as it is?

Now to delve into the utter lack of fiscal responsibility at Milan this summer. Yes it is an election year, and it is actually far more prudent for Silvio to spend money on Milan and lock in the tifosi votes, then to spend it on campaign advertising. Typical campaign advertising costs in Italy are upwards of 100-200 Million Euros, buying Zlatan and Robinho cost far less. So most tifosi are convinced, and old Silvio gets a few million votes in return, smart business. But what happens long term? With the purchase of Zlatan and Robinho, Milan now have the highest wages in Serie A, a dubious honor, especially if you don’t win anything. Not to mention that Zlatan, Ronaldinho, Pirlo, Pato, Flamini and Robinho make up some of Serie A’s highest paid players. How can this be sustained, and why suddenly the turn in spending if only a few months ago we were dead broke!? If you haven’t noticed I don’t like being lied to…

As Milan take the field on Saturday against Cessena, consider this. Zlatan makes more money himself, around 9M Euros (Net), then the entire payroll of Cessena. Steven Appiah, former Ghana Captain and International player, will line up opposite Milan Saturday earning a paltry 150K Euros!! How is that for some perspective? Now I can’t fault a player for exorbitant wages, the foolishness rests with the Club that pays them, but now that Milan is top of the spending list, it means this winning some this season becomes all the more important, or breaking the bank and our future will be all for naught.

MILAN – Mario Yepes was the last Milan player to play for his country during this international break. The Colombia captain played the entire match in Mexico. The game was by the home side 1-0, thanks to a strike from Hernandez in the last minute. Yepes is expected to arrive at Milanello on Friday.

Milan’s chief executive officer Adriano Galliani has said Mario Balotelli is a realistic transfer target for the future.

Congratulations on behalf of the club to the Rossonero fan who bought the 40.000th Champions League season ticket. Special thanks to those 39.999 who did so earlier, and of course to those who will do so later on. Thank you very much and Forza Milan!

MILANELLO – Milan will have a training session this afternoon at Milanello, starting at 16.00 CET. As part of the practice, a match between the first team and the Berretti will be played at 17.00 CET.

Mino Raiola is looking forward to some explosive football when Zlatan Ibrahimovic sparks a fusion with the Brazilians.

Inter plan Kaka move to get Milan back in the transfer war after the Rossoneri signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Andriy Shevchenko believes Alexandre Pato is set for great things with Milan and will become a fans favourite.

MILAN – Euro 2012 qualifiers: goals and victories for Andrea Pirlo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In group C, following their defeat of Estonia last Friday, the Azzuri beat the Faroe Islands 4-0 in Florence. The last goal of the match was scored by Andrea Pirlo from a free-kick. Italy is first in the group with 6 points. In group E, Sweden beat San Marino 6-0 in Malmö. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, playing in his hometown, contributed to the Scandinavians’ victory with a brace. Just like Italy, Sweden leads the group with 6 points, along with the Netherlands. Group F: Croatia-Greece 0-0, Papastathopoulos was in action for the hosts.

MILAN – The friendly match between Barcelona B and Brazil finished 0-3. After the break, Fernandinho scored for the South AMericans.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is confident that he can play alongside Robinho, Pato and Ronaldinho at Milan.

MILAN – The first half of Barcelona B-Brazil finished 0-2. The South Americans’ second goal was scored by Alexandre Pato.

MILAN – The Ibra-Ro effect continues to heavily influence season ticket sales. 5.773 season tickets for the Champions League were sold today, for a total of 38.506, meanwhile for the championship 476, for a total of 25.389.

MILAN – Rossoneri players Pato, Robinho and Thiago Silva all started Brazil’s friendly match against Barcelona B, as coach Menezes’ national team is closing its training camp in the Spanish town.

MILAN – Today’s matches, in which Rossoneri players will be involved, are the following: Pirlo (Italy): at 20.50 CET in Florence – Euro 2012 qualifier – Italy-Faroe SIslands; Ibrahimovic (Sweden): at 20.00 CET in Malmö – Euro 2012 qualifier – Sweden-San Marino; Papastathopoulos (Greece): at 20.30 CET in Zagreb – Euro 2012 qualifier – Croatia-Greece; Boateng (Ghana): Friendly match – Zimbabwe-Ghana; Yepes (Colombia): in Monterrey – Friendly match – Mexico-Colombia.

Denmark legend Brian Laudrup has been diagnosed with lymphoma.

MILAN – The Milan Glory team, formed by Franco Baresi, Simone Braglia, Angel Carbone, Stefano Eranio, Maurizio Ganz, Daniele Massaro and Pietro Vierchowod flew to Kuwait to play an exhibition game against a selection of players participating in the “Al Roudan Tournament”. The friendly match was won by Milan Glory (3-2). The goal of this visit is to raise funds for the Milan Foundation, a non-profit organisation. Also Nelson Dida wanted to join the group, bringing with himself the FIFA Club World Cup won in Yokohama in 2007.

Click here to view the pictures of the event!

Remember that registration to ACMilan.com is needed to view the photogallery.

Since Berlusconi delivered Allegri two shiny new toys at the close of the transfer window, the hot topic across Milan tifosi has simply been, can Max play them all? So far this has generally divided the tifosi into two camps, the first being of course he has to play them all, and the second being much more rational and logical stating that it would be impossible. We haven’t even factored in old senile Berlusconi’s choice, which will most certainly be something to the effect of, “Allegri is a great tactical mastermind, and while he knows only a bit less than I do, any great tactician, such as myself, can see that playing all four of our great champions is the only way for Milan to move forward!” Senile…CHECK.

All in favor…

Initial reaction of any fan should be that playing all four of those offensive minded player is suicide. To provide balance you would require not one, but two Rino Gattuso’s circa 2005-2007. Now if you consider a 4-2-3-1 as the viable formation this may actually work, but having Dinho and Robino in the wide positions of the offensive line would almost require that the LB and RB stay pinned back and render Pirlo a man without a place because Allegri would have to turn to two solely defensive minded midfielders to play in front of the defense.

Now before you say, oh that would work. Let’s take a closer look. If Allegri chooses Ambrosini and Flamini/KPB, it would require either of those two players to provide consistent high percentage passes to the attacking group of four. Because neither is an elite passer of the ball it would actually force our attackers to drop a bit deeper to receive and give our opponents a bit of breathing room in their defensive third. So much of the success against Lecce in week one was predicated on Milan’s ability to keep the field compact in the opponents half, so losing that would be foolish. It also leaves the team highly exposed against a team that likes to play a horizontal possession game. Can you imagine Ambro and Flamini chasing pass and after pass in the midfield against Barcelona!? It would be like watching men against boys, while we had four players waiting statically for our team to win possession, it is not conducive to the high pressure high tempo game Allegri proved this team was organized and capable of in their first match.

All against…

The key to a successful team is depth. With a crowded fixture list and potential for injury it is imperative that the team has players capable to step in and fill key roles while others are hurt or rested Last season the team struggled when Pato was injured, and even more so with the loss of Nesta, losing close games and being embarrassed in others. This season while midfield depth has not been addressed, there seems to a bit a bit more strength on the bench with Sokratis, Yepes in the back and now Robinho in the attack. The versatility of a guy like Robinho means he can play on either flank in the pseudo 4-3-3, with Pippo able to spell Zlatan in games where the big man may need a be rest. With a smart rotation of those five players up top there is no excuse for a drop in pace or tempo of any player. Ronaldinho/Pato is struggling or dogging it in a match, have a seat, Robinho in, it is that simple and now the same goes for everyone in the attack!

Historically strong Milan teams have always had strong benches and while this is not the strongest, it is better than it was just a few weeks ago. With the additions we can now seriously consider compete on two fronts, scudetto and the CL, if not three with our youngsters in the Coppa Italia. The added depth also pushes players to their limits in training, stay motivated, and allows Allegri to have the choice of who is the strongest man for the match. This is very good, in fact, much better than forcing a mix of players that may not prove the most efficient route to a result.

So while it may not be the best option to play all four players, it certainly doesn’t mean it will be impossible to get them all on the pitch. If the 75th minute comes and we are down in a match, there is no reason we can’t chase a goal with all four attackers flying at the opponents’ defense. Maybe Pirlo gets injured or needs a break and Seedorf is not effective deep, so Allegri morphs into a 4-2-3-1. These are all versatile options that make a team both dynamic and difficult to plan against because they have the ability to evolve with a simple substitution.

As a coach, I have a strong admiration for Jose Mourinho, simply because of his tactical awareness and ability to plan for his opponents. There is no better manager on the planet for putting his players in a position to earn a result, with that said I think he may actually be scared of our very own AC Milan. How does a master mind like Jose prepare Real Madrid for AC Milan now? Does he prepare for a 4-3-3, if so Allegri can mix it up and change the shape or tactic, something Leo didn’t have the luxury to do with a lack of players or even the tactical know-how as a rookie coach. Leo’s idea of solving a problem, throw more attackers at it! Things just a got bit more interesting for us and in the process a bit more challenging for our opponents! So let’s not go crazy, especially Mr. Berlusconi, by throwing caution to the wind an attacking like mad men, when keeping “a card up our sleeves” may actually be the ticket to some silverware this season.

MILAN – The official website of Cesena reported that there had been a rush for tickets for Cesena-Milan, the first home game of the season for the team from Romagna, yesterday morning as sales had started. In the meantime, tickets for the guest sector are still available. For purchase, however, fan card of Cesena or Milan is required. Click here!

MILAN – The number of visits on the September 1 edition of Milan Web News reached 11.140 so far, setting a new audience record for Milan Time, Milan’s web-tv. Click here!

MILAN – A sea of friends! And all of them are Rossoneri! The number of Milan fans on Facebook reached one million, when Adriano Galliani started negotiations for Ibrahimovic in Barcelona, on Wednesday, August 25. Today, we reached number one million and seventy thousand… Milan’s Facebook page is the most popular among all the clubs of Serie A: click here!

MILAN – Umberto Gandini (organisational director of Milan) was elected first Vice-president of the European Club Association’s (ECA) Executive Committee. ECA is an independent organisation boasting 103 members, that represent football clubs on the European scene. ECA is recognised by UEFA as the official representative of the European professional football clubs, while ECA recognise UEFA as the only governing body of football on a continental level and FIFA as the worldwide governing body.

Massimiliano Allegri is certain Silvio Berlusconi’s tactics on delivering a high-profile team will ship a haul of trophies.

MILAN – DJ Ashba, guitar player of Guns ‘n’ Roses put on the official Milan shirt of the 2010-2011 season on the occasion of the group’s concert in a sold-out Mediolanum Forum in Milan, on September 5. The musician wore the Rossonero shirt, as Axl Rose’s band performed Sweet Child o’ Mine, the song played at Milan’s home games during the pre-game warm-ups. Click here to view the video!

MILAN – The Round 1 game between Milan and Varese in the youth championship has been postponed to Sunday, September 12, 2010. The match is scheduled for 15.00 CET at the Stadio Chinetti in Solbiate Arno (Varese).

Milan are ahead of Inter in the wage bill league table, claims La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ready to shoot Milan to European glory.