MAX ALLEGRI ANGERED: MILAN REPEATS "SIMPLE MISTAKES" IN COPPA ITALIA EXIT
Max Allegri confessed Milan repeated their "simple mistakes" and failed to capitalise on control, leading to a Coppa Italia Round of 16 loss to Lazio.
Max Allegri admitted AC Milan missed key scoring chances against Lazio in the Coppa Italia and kept repeating their mistake of making cheap errors when it seemed like they were in control.
Milan had won 1-0 against Lazio in Serie A at San Siro on Saturday, amidst some controversy. This time, the situation was reversed at the Stadio Olimpico.
There were complaints about the corner that led to Mattia Zaccagni's winning header. Some believed the ball should have been ruled a goal kick because it might have hit Alessio Romagnoli after the Pervis Estupinan header.
VAR couldn't review this, but the marking was also weak, allowing Zaccagni a free header.
Allegri acknowledged Milan's recurring problem:
Lazio won a game where we had more issues compared to Saturday. We misplaced passes a few times, giving them opportunities, Allegri told Sport Mediaset.
It was a slow game. Whoever scored first would likely win. We didn't take our chances and conceded on a corner where we could have defended better. We were in control but made three or four simple mistakes, giving away free kicks and corners. This has happened against Cremonese and Pisa this season, too. When we are in charge but don't capitalise, it becomes dangerous. We have to get better.
Rafael Leao's missed shot felt like the turning point. He blasted a loose ball over the goal from eight yards, which allowed Lazio to regain control at 0-0.
Leao had a good chance tonight. He moved well inside and outside the area. When he's not near the goal, other players need to fill those spaces. He played for the team. We need everyone to keep doing that. It's a loss, but our goal is still to get back into the Champions League next season.
When asked if they needed a forward to score more, Allegri said, "Pulisic and Leao have scored 10 goals together." We also have Gimenez returning from injury. We need more goals from the midfielders, but we also need to be more focused during certain moments in the game.
Ardon Jashari, a summer signing who broke his leg in August, made his first start for Milan, with a lot of squad rotation.
Jashari and Ricci played well, and those who came on did okay. It's disappointing to be out of the Coppa Italia because we wanted to go all the way. But now we need to get ready for our next Serie A game in Turin.
Milan lost the Coppa Italia final 1-0 to Bologna at this stadium last season. This year, their tournament ended in the Round of 16.
Now, they can only focus on Serie A, where they are tied for first place with Napoli. When asked, is this a setback?
Allegri replied, "No, not at all." It's normal to be upset about being knocked out, but we need to look ahead. We have two Serie A games before the Supercoppa Italiana.
Allegri was reminded that Napoli had a similar season last year. They lost their first Serie A game and were knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the Round of 16, but then won the Scudetto.
The coach smiled and said, Do you know how many times Milan has won away against Torino in Serie A in the last 12 years? Once, during COVID, behind closed doors. So we need to focus on getting points in that game.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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