Milan's futile win over Monza overshadowed by fan protests
MILAN: AC Milan wrapped up their disappointing season with a 2-0 win over Monza on Saturday, but the game was overshadowed by fan protests against the club ownership and hierarchy both before and during the match.
Milan's victory came thanks to second half goals from Matteo Gabbia and Joao Felix, moving them to seventh in the standings but not into the European qualification places, one point above Fiorentina who are at Udinese on Sunday.
Thousands of Milan supporters gathered earlier on Saturday outside the club's Casa Milan headquarters, after a season of discontent culminated in a protest asking owner Gerry Cardinale to sell up and leave.
RedBird Capital Partners bought the club in June 2022, with Milan having just secured their first league title in 11 years, but the only trophy won since then was this year's Italian Super Cup, far below fans' expectations.
Supporters had already made their feelings clear from the start of the campaign, unhappy with the selection of Paulo Fonseca as manager, and the Portuguese coach was replaced by compatriot Sergio Conceicao in December.
Milan were eight in the table at the time, and while Conceicao won the Super Cup in his first games in charge, there was little improvement in Serie A and they exited the Champions League at the league phase.
Along with RedBird chief Cardinale, club Chairman Paolo Scaroni, CEO Giorgio Furlani, senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic and technical director Geoffrey Moncada were all targets for supporters' anger in Saturday's protest.
The fans also called for the return of their hero Paolo Maldini to the club, after the former Milan defender was sacked from his technical director role in 2023, another decision which strained the relationship between supporters and owners.
After they marched to the San Siro, the Curva Sud fans positioned themselves to spell out 'Go Home' in a clear message to their American owner, and most left the sector in an organised walkout 15 minutes into the game.
"Among our fans there is disappointment, regret, anger and frustration, these are all feelings that we also feel. Do not think that this is not the case," club CEO Furlani told DAZN before the game.
"The season ends today and next week we start again."
Decisions will now be made regarding Conceicao's future at the club, but fans will expect sweeping changes at Milan if they are to see a return to the glory days.
—Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Ukraine keeps Russia guessing over participation in June 2 peace talks
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich KYIV/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Ukraine on Friday resisted pressure from Moscow and Washington to commit itself to attending peace talks with Russia on June 2, saying it first needed to see the proposals Russian negotiators plan to bring to the talks. After U.S. President Donald Trump urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a peace deal to end their three-year-old war, Russia proposed sitting down with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul. Kyiv responded by saying it was committed in principle to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals, which it had still not received. "We are ready for dialogue, but we demand clarity - clear and, most importantly, balanced proposals," the Ukrainian president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said in remarks aired on national television. The war, the biggest on the European continent since World War Two, began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Expectations for the talks are modest because the positions staked out so far by the two sides are far apart and work between them has yet to begin in earnest on narrowing the gap. Nevertheless, both Kyiv and Moscow are keen to demonstrate to Trump that they are on board with his efforts to end the conflict. Kyiv is seeking more U.S. military aid, while Moscow hopes he will ease economic sanctions on Russia. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian delegation would be travelling to Istanbul and would be ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning. "At the moment, everyone is focused on the direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations. A list of conditions for a temporary truce is being developed," Peskov told reporters. Reuters reported earlier this week that Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards. Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said earlier on Friday that Russia's concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was fair and the United States did not want to see Ukraine in the U.S.-led military alliance. Commenting on Kellogg's statement, Peskov said: "We are pleased that these explanations by the president are understood, including in Washington." TURKISH HOSTS Turkey's government hosted a previous round of Ukrainian-Russian talks in Istanbul on May 16 -- which ended with no breakthrough -- and has again offered its services as a mediator. Speaking on a visit to Kyiv, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters: "As long as (the sides) remain at the negotiating table, progress can surely be seen." If the talks go ahead in Istanbul, the next step would be to try to host a meeting between Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he added. But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who appeared alongside Fidan at a news conference, sounded a note of caution. "In order for the next planned meeting to be substantive and meaningful, it is important to receive a document in advance so that the delegation that will attend has the authority to discuss the relevant positions," Sybiha said. Sybiha did not spell out what Kyiv would do if it did not receive the Russian document, or set out a deadline for receiving it. "We want to end this war this year, and we are interested in establishing a truce, whether it is for 30 days, or for 50 days, or for 100 days," he said. Zelenskiy was later shown meeting and shaking hands with Fidan in Kyiv in footage released by the Turkish foreign ministry. Russia has said its delegation at the Istanbul talks will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide who led the Russian team at the previous round of talks. (Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Anna Pruchnicka and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Ros Russell)
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Stocks diverge as Trump tariffs go through the courts
LONDON: Stock markets and dollar trades diverged Friday as investors assessed the outlook for US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, which are under scrutiny by US courts. In the latest turn, a US appeals court on Thursday allowed Trump to temporarily keep his aggressive tariffs in place, a day after the US Court of International Trade barred most of the levies launched since he took office. That news saw Asian markets reverse gains as analysts warned that legal wrangling could add to volatility and throw uncertainty into trade talks between Washington and other governments. Hong Kong and Tokyo stocks were down more than one percent each by the close, while Shanghai also sank. European markets fared better, with London, Paris and Frankfurt all rising near the day's half-way mark. 'When it comes to global trade right now the only certainty is uncertainty,' said Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown. 'Just a day after US courts halted the lion's share of Trump's recent tariff increases, judges have temporarily reinstated the new border taxes. Little wonder markets are struggling for direction,' he added. The dollar gained against the euro and pound but fell versus the yen. The Japanese currency strengthened after figures showed May inflation in Tokyo -- a barometer for the rest of Japan -- came in above forecasts, ramping up expectations the country's central bank will hike interest rates in July. Oil prices rose Friday as traders turned their focus to Saturday's meeting of eight OPEC+ members, which are set to decide production quotas for July. Elsewhere in Europe, data showed that inflation in Spain dipped below the European Central Bank's two percent target, bolstering the case for more interest rate cuts in the eurozone. Investors are also looking ahead to the latest figures for the US Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, the PCE, for signs of the health of the world's largest economy amid tariffs. While the tariffs are set to go through the courts -- and possibly end up at the Supreme Court -- there are expectations the US president will find other means to implement them. The US Court of International Trade ruling on Wednesday barred most of the tariffs announced since Trump took office, saying that he had overstepped his authority -- a decision he labelled 'horrible' and said should be 'quickly and decisively' reversed. A separate ruling by a federal district judge in Washington also found some levies unlawful as well, giving the administration 14 days to appeal. Observers said the latest developments have led to speculation about trade negotiations, including those between the United States and European Union, and a deal it has already struck with Britain. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that negotiations with China were 'a bit stalled' and Trump might need to speak to President Xi Jinping, weeks after the economic superpowers agreed a detente in their trade war. All three main indices on Wall Street ended slightly higher on Thursday, with sentiment also dented by data showing the US economy contracted in January-March, albeit at a slower pace than first thought. Disappointing readings on jobless benefits and pending home sales added to the more downbeat mood, with investors also on edge over elevated bond yields and Trump's plans to ramp up the budget deficit.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Fiorentina terminate contract of manager Palladino weeks after extending his deal
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Conference League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Fiorentina v Real Betis - Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy - May 8, 2025 Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo (Reuters) - Raffaele Palladino has left his role as Fiorentina manager after the Serie A club said on Friday that they had terminated his contract by mutual consent, just three weeks after he had signed an extension. "Fiorentina can confirm that Raffaele Palladino's contract, as well as those of his backroom team, has today been terminated by mutual consent," the club said in a statement. Former Monza coach Palladino was appointed last June on a two-year deal with an option of an extra year. Fiorentina announced the extension until 2027 on May 7, the eve of the club's Conference League semi-final second leg with Real Betis. Fiorentina were knocked out of the competition by the Spanish club, having reached the last two Conference League finals, and then lost to Venezia in their next league game to leave them ninth in the Serie A standings. Two wins in their final two matches earned Fiorentina a sixth-place finish, qualifying for the Conference League, but despite leading Fiorentina to their best league position since 2016, Palladino's style has failed to win over the fans. Without a trophy since 2001 and after losing three finals in the previous two campaigns, Fiorentina supporters are losing patience with owner Rocco Commisso who bought the club in 2019. (Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
