It was a surreal and eerie atmosphere at San Siro last night during the game against Lazio, a defeat that adds fuel to an already hostile situation.
The defeat against Lazio means yet another nightmare night for Milan, overwhelmed not only by the result but also by the impatience of their fans. In truth, though, the air at San Siro was already tense before a ball had been kicked.
The reading of the starting line-up by the stadium announcer received no response from the fans, while the banners were hung upside down, a strong signal of protest against the team and the club.
The beating heart of the fanbase – the Curva Sud – went on a silent strike: until the 15th minute of the first half, the central part of the Secondo Anello Blu remained deserted. Only then did the ultras take their seats, but not to support the team, but rather to chant in protest.
Performance fuels negativity
If the atmosphere was already tense in the stands, the situation on the pitch was no better. Already in the first six minutes of play, after two chances for Lazio, the rest of the stadium began to boo every back pass, every mistake and every bit of indecision.
The atmospheric pressure had a clear impact on the team, who showed a real lack of conviction at both ends and appeared to be running with heavy legs. This was while Lazio – who had the pressure of trying to get back into fourth spot – played with clarity and fluidity.
Rafael Leao also had a heated confrontation with a fan in the stands who clearly directed some criticism at him, a sign that everyone is on edge at the moment but also that even the stars of the team are feeling the heat.
After the game, Sergio Conceicao admitted that in his eyes the squad are suffering from the effects of everything around them being so negative, as he revealed in his interview with DAZN.
“We always talk about the same thing. We prepared the match in a very short time, we talked about this atmosphere and it was strange: first time it’s happened to me in my career. The players feel it: I was a player and we know that when it’s like this the boots are hot.
“It’s not easy: when a dribble, a pass and the opponent scores a goal… The team showed great character when they were left with ten men, we could have even won. In the end this penalty happened.”
Theo in the crosshairs
The protest did not spare anyone, not even the supposed ‘leaders’. Theo Hernandez – who against Lazio reached 250 appearances for the club – was jeered even when the line-ups were read and then during the match.
The Frenchman appeared unrecognisable, the protagonist of glaring defensive errors. The most emblematic episode was the red card received by Strahinja Pavlovic, caused by his defensive indecision that paved the way for Isaksen.
The full-back’s contract expires in 2026, but the lack of negotiations for the renewal and the drop in performance suggest an imminent farewell. However, he is not the only culprit of what is a negative moment.
Conceiçao’s team, net of the Supercoppa Italiana they won in January, have shown no signs of growth and now seems devoid of identity. The last time the Rossoneri had experienced a similar crisis was January-February 2023, when Lazio had begun a dark period under Stefano Pioli’s management.
Today, history repeats itself, with a Milan in free fall, a disillusioned fan base and an increasingly uncertain future. San Siro quickly emptied at the final whistle, perhaps with the same speed with which the team should have played.
Aiming at the top
The figure that was the subject of the most frequent and vocal protests was Gerry Cardinale. The fans have been constantly and unequivocally chanting the American: “Cardinale, you have to sell, sell, go away!”
It is clear that the Rossoneri fans were mainly concentrated at the top of the hierarchy before they then cascaded down to all the other roles, including management, the coach and the players. The chants against Cardinale, though, went on for almost the entire game.
The Curva Sud also seemed to point back to the firing of Paolo Maldini two seasons ago, as a banner displayed read ‘Milan for the Milan fans’. Although it is difficult to imagine a return of Maldini under the current ownership, his name continues to be used to indicate the beginning of the collapse.
