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15th February, 2012. AC Milan 4 – 0 Arsenal. The English critics start doubting Arsene Wenger’s capabilities for the 1000th time. His team then lost to Sunderland the following weekend in the FA Cup. Amidst all this, the fans and the critics forgot one man – Massimiliano Allegri, AC Milan’s Manager who topped Arsenal without a hint of doubt.
Allegri’s past before Milan was modest. He was at Cagliari, a Serie A team struggling to stay on the league. After two safe seasons with Cagliari, Allegri was signed by AC Milan. It was a bold choice, a choice that was similar to the appointment of Brian Clough at Leeds United. Unlike that fateful adventure, Allegri has blossomed into one of the finest young managers in Europe.
Before his first season began at AC Milan, Allegri commented that his future will depend on how the senior players respond to him. After all, he is only 44. Unlike what a certain Andres Villas-Boes did, Allegri knew the art of managing a side. Although, they claim that a manager is the person running the team, it is always the players who play. Even a temperamental Ibrahimovic sided with Allegri and AC Milan won their first league trophy since 2004.
Ibrahimovic is a person torn between genius and stupid. He always comes with a pack of mixed reviews but on that night against Arsenal, he was simple superb. He lead a team which clearly outplayed Arsene Wenger’s 15 year old set of strategies.
Allegri does not have the flamboyance of Mourinho, the experience of Ferguson or players like Guardiola. But, what he has is a strong will to win. In his very first season at Milan, he defeated fierce rivals Inter Milan is both set of fixtures to claim the league.
So, what does this mean? Allegri doesn’t make the headlines, he doesn’t throw tantrums, he doesn’t blame the referees but he still does the job. In a world where Football managing has become a circus, people like Massimo Allegri are rare. In a world where Football Managers are too tough, Allegri is a shining example to state that humility is consistent with success, even at the top most level.
