Huntelaar set to leave Milan

January 19, 2010

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar hopes to leave AC Milan during January’s transfer window. The Dutch striker was told several times that the club wants to keep him at Milan and he got playing time against Genoa and Juventus.

But that’s not enough for Huntelaar: the former Real Madrid forward has told his agent to look for another club.

“They told me this month that they insisted on keeping me at Milan and that they have much confidence in me,” Huntelaar told Dutch paper De Telegraaf.

“Since then I moved up in the pecking order from third striker to second striker. I also got more match action but it’s still not enough for me. I simply want more.”

Now, it seems like Milan is also convinced that an exit from the San Siro is the best solution for both.

“It looks like the club only wants to sell me but I prefer a move on loan because I still want to succeed at Milan,” said Huntelaar who has rejected a move to Shakhtar Donetsk, because he doesn’t want to play in Ukrain.

Huntelaar also excluded a return to Ajax. “I already spoke German and English and my Spanish and Italian is also pretty good. I prefer a move to one of the big four leagues,” added ‘The Hunter’ who said that there have already been six clubs that contacted his agent about a possible move.

Huntelaar joined Milan from Real Madrid this summer for €15 million. He failed to make an impact for the Rossoneri and has been warming the bench most of the time. Milan boss Leonardo prefers Marco Borriello at the striker position.

Tags: Ajax, bench, best solution, Borriello, de telegraaf, donetsk, dutch paper, genoa, juventus, klaas jan huntelaar, leonardo, MADRID, Marco Borriello, match, Milan, pecking order, playing time, real madrid, rossoneri, San, several times, striker

Stalemate gives Milan slight advantage

November 26, 2009

AC Milan and Marseille drew 1-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday to give the Italians a slight edge in the race for the knock-out stages.

With Real Madrid winning 1-0 at home to FC Zurich, they now lead Milan by two points with the French team a further point behind in Group C.

Marseille must beat the Spaniards in France in two weeks to have any chance of progressing but if they do win, Milan will have to beat Zurich in Switzerland or it will be them who crash out.

Milan were left holding on for the point at the end as the visitors hit the woodwork but coach Leonardo said it was a fair result.

“Maybe Marseille had the clearer chances but we also had chances in the second half, it seems to me that a draw was fair,” he said.

“I’m optimistic (about qualification). Marseille had played on Friday and had five days of rest, we only had three.

“They had more energy and that played a role. We wanted to qualify today but we drew, now we have to go to Zurich and play with a lot of concentration.”

The draw meant Milan failed to win any of their three home matches in this competition.

“It’s strange, in the past San Siro has been a fortress but this year we’re struggling,” admitted striker Marco Borriello.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps, who was a member of the Marseille side that beat Milan in the 1993 Champions League final, was not happy.

“It is not a very good result, because we needed to win,” said Deschamos, who guided Monaco to the 2004 Champions League final.

“Seeing what my team did here, there was every chance we should have won.

“However, the dream is still possible. We have a small chance.”

Milan went ahead on 10 minutes following dreadful defending from Marseille as Mamadou Niang gave the ball away on the halfway line, allowing Borriello to run at Gabriel Heinze and get past the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man with embarrassing ease before slipping the ball under Mandanda.

The lead lasted only six minutes, though, as more lax defending contributed to the restoration of parity.

Niang beat Massimo Oddo far too easily on the left and Alessandro Nesta came across to cover but seemed to pull out of the challenge, allowing Niang to hit a cross that goalkeeper Dida could only palm out to Lucho Gonzalez, who rifled home.

A couple of minutes later Lucho hit a left footer that had Dida sweating as he watched it fly just past the angle of post and bar.

There was more poor defending on 25 minutes as Thiago Silva’s long ball from his own half sent Borriello clear of the defence but Souleymane Diawara just managed to bend his leg around the striker and clip the ball as the Italian went to pull the trigger.

Niang was troubling Milan’s right and late in the half he got down the line but his cut-back was just behind strike-partner Brandao.

The second half was a calm affair until 65 minutes when Brazilian Brandao somehow contrived to miss an open goal.

Benoit Cheyrou slipped Niang in behind substitute Ignazio Abate and his cross picked out Brandao on the edge of the six yard box but with the goal gaping he somehow managed to direct the ball onto the bar.

Ronaldinho almost caught out Mandanda with a cross-cum-shot before Bakari Kone escaped up the other end on the break, but with Brandao unmarked at the back post, his poor control allowed Abate to clear the danger.

From the corner Diawara’s header agonisingly came back off the foot of the post.

MILAN, Italy (AFP)

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Berlusconi expects Ronaldinho to take centre stage

July 13, 2009

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi said he expects Ronaldinho to make up for the loss of Brazilian countryman Kaka this coming season.

Milan sold star player Kaka to Real Madrid for 67 million euros and have so far failed to attract any major signings to the club over the summer.

They had been trying to land a striker but missed out on VfL Wolfsburg’s Bosnian forward Edin Dzeko and are unwilling to meet Sevilla’s asking price for Brazil starter Luis Fabiano.

It has left fans frustrated, fearing the club will not be able to improve on last season’s third place finish in Serie A.

But Berlusconi, the Italy Prime Minister, says it is high time for Ronaldinho — Milan’s marquee signing last summer — to step up and show the form that saw him twice crowned world player of the year.

“He needs to be the extra man this season, that’s the responsibility of a sale we were forced into making,” Berlusconi told Mediaset.

“But this (sale of Kaka) will give Ronaldinho space. All the other players also want this to be Ronaldinho’s year. He’s 29 and in top shape physically.

“All he needs now is the desire to be decisive for this Milan team and I believe we can have faith in him.”

As for signing his compatriot Fabiano, Berlusconi is adamant his team will not be held to ransom.

Milan are rumoured to have offered 14 million euros while Sevilla want something closer to 20 million euros.

“I don’t know what chance there is of Luis Fabiano arriving but this season we want to concentrate on youth,” added the president.

“We’ve added Gianmarco Zigoni, who is a promissing young player and that’s the direction we’re pointing to.

“Then there’s (Marco) Borriello, Pato, (Filippo) Inzaghi; we’re not lacking in attack.

“We’ll see, we’re not going to spend silly money in a moment such as this when we are experiencing financial difficulties.”

ROME (AFP)