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Notes Version: FM 2006 (6.0.3) Managing: AC Milan (Italy) and AC Lugano (Genetically-Modified team in Switzerland) Story: Will be based on my management at AC Milan
I am currently in my second season, so will give you a brief report to bring you up to date with where I am and then regular reports as I progress.
Season 1 - 2005/06
Signed young American Freddy Adu from DC United for £1.5m on a youth contract fighting off the likes of Juventus an come June put him on a pro contract when he turned 17, again fighting off Juventus.
UEFA Champions League
Celtic (A) 1-0 - A last minute Andriy Shevchenko goal providing all three points to get off to a good start.
Monaco (H) 3-3 - From 3-1 up contrived to drew and drop two points, Italian Marco Di Vaio gave me the run around scoring the last two goals.
Benfica (H) 3-0 - No such problems this time around at the San Siro, two goals from Alberto Gilardino and one from Shevchenko.
Benfica (A) 2-3 - First defeat despite goals from Gilardino and Shevchenko.
Celtic (H) 4-2 - The goals just keep on comin', Shevchenko, Pippo Inzaghi (2) and an own goal.
Monaco (A) 1-2 - A stoppage-time header from a corner from the left headed home by Sebastien Squillaci after Marco Di Vaio gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot and Andrea Pirlo equalised but AC Milan were knocked out at the first group stages, dropping into the UEFA Cup however.
UEFA Cup
1st Knockout Round
Middlesbrough (A) 2-0 - Shevchenko and Gilardino.
Middlesbrough (H) 2-0 - Amoroso and Gilardino.
2nd Knockout Round
Sporting Lisbon (A) 1-1 - Shevchenko in first half stoppage time gave AC the lead but straight from the restart a deflected cross fell kindly from Deivid.
Sporting Lisbon (H) 1-1 - Leidson gave the visitors the lead and with fifteen minutes remaining Kaka produced an equaliser. Extra-time could not seperate the teams, so it came down to penalties. 4-2 to the Lisbonites. European competitions ended in mid-March.
Coppa Italia
Victories over Parma (4-1 on agg), Udinese (3-3 on away goals rule (2-2 away and 1-1 at home)) took AC to the semi-finals where they faced off against fierce and city rivals Inter Milan and two 1-0 defeats left the Trophy Cabinet looks decidedly empty thus far.
[I]Serie A[/I}
Took a while to get going in the league but performed well in the big matches when it mattered:
Roma (A) 0-0
Inter (H) 3-2 - Shevchenko gave AC the lead but was soon wiped out by Juan Sebastian Veron and David Pizarro put Inter ahead on 63 minutes. Late goals from Kaka (86) and a stoppage time winner from substitute Pippo Inzaghi ensured the red and black half of Milan gained bragging rights, at least until the Coppa Italia defeats that is.
Juventus (H) 3-0 - Goals from Gilardino, Shevchenko and Pirlo.
Roma (H) 3-0 - Two goals from Pablo Aimar (thank you very much Chairman) and a late Alessandro Nesta goal.
Inter (A) 2-3 - Again the home side win it 3-2, home side, what home side I hear you cry. Shevchenko cancelled out by Cesar, Kaka cancelled out by Adriano, who then struck the winner.
Juventus (A) 3-0 - Gilardino twice, Nesta sent off and an Alessandro Del Piero penalty miss proving costly as Pirlo struck a late penalty for the ten-men.
In the end finishing nine points clear of Inter Milan to win Serie A first season out.
Transfers
Chairman and all round nice-guy (he's not a crook!!) Silvio Berlusconi requested that the club make some renowned signings and after I failed to find the right targets, he decided that Pablo Aimar was the required man. Thankfully a £32m transfer for Lucio fell through as he could not agree personal terms. £14.25m was the fee on deadline day in January for the pint-sized Argentinian to sit on the bench behind the Brazilian Kaka. Already I had signed Ledley King for £10m early that month to shore up an aging backline. A deal was also struck for Argentinian centre-half Gonzalo from Villarreal in the summer for £16m. Young Argentinian Leonardo Depetris arrived on a free from Brescia, Robinho from Real Madrid for £11m and Filipe also from Real Madrid for £1.2m, a left-sided player, who was swiftly loaned out to AC Lugano for more game-time to prove his worth after seeing very little at the Santiago Bernebeau.
Departing the San Siro were 30 odd yongsters at the end of their contract and deemed not good enough to retain. That still left about another 30 in the Under 20's squad. Jaap Stam's pre-arranged move to Ajax was completed for a sizely £7.25m and Serginho departed for Nurnberg for £170k. Rui Costa left for Hamburg seeing as the arrival of Aimar meant that his previous bench slot was taken. Christian Brocchi left in search of more games to AC Lugano, who were looking for a ball-winning centre midfield for £750k.
19/08/06 - Italian Super Cup Final
vs Inter Milan
Team: Abbiati; Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Jankulovski, Aimar, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
Five minutes in and Gilardino put Shevchenko through on a break away he made tracks into the penalty area before unselfishly squaring it for Aimar to slot home, who was in for the injured Kaka. Five minutes later and Gilardino tucked in the second. Just before half-time and Walter Samuel was sent off for kicking out at Gilardino. Pirlo converted a penalty early in the second half after Dejan Stankovic had held back Clarence seedorf. Mid way through the second half and Seedorf converted a penalty for himself this time after Veron handled in the area. AC Milan 4-0 Inter Milan
30/08/06 - Serie A
Roma (H)
Team: Abbiati; Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Jankulovski, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
A Kaka free-kick from the left found Shevchenko who spun his marker and slotted past Gianluca Curci inside 5 minutes. Kuffour tripped Kaka in the penalty area for Pirlo to convert the penalty on 12 minutes. Damian Duff cut the ball back from the byline to Mathieu who found Crespo in the area, Abbiati came and was stranded in no-mans-land, allowing an easy finish for the Argentinian. 2-1. On 30 minutes, Nesta volleyed home a Kaka free-kick and that was all she wrote. AC Milan 3-1 Roma
10/09/06 - Serie A
Juventus (H)
Team: Abbiati; Gonazlo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Jankulovski, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
On 5 minutes Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave Juventus the lead converting a penalty after King was adjudged to David Trezeguet. Gilardino robbed a wondering Gianluigi Buffon late-on for a point in a game in which AC dominated throughout. AC Milan 1-1 Juventus
12/09/06 - UEFA Champions League, Group A
Porto (H)
Team: Abbiati; Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Jankulovski, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
Fairly comfortable game, started off in fashion by an Andrea Pirlo curling free-kick after 12 minutes. Just before half-time the lead was doubled through the Ukranian Andriy Shevchenko, spinning his marker and placing it in the corner after being fed by MOM Seedorf. Substitute Inzaghi brilliantly brought down a long raking ball from Ledley King and slotted into the corner.
20/09/06 - Serie A
Lecce (H)
Team: Abbiati; Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Kaladze, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
6 minutes in and Alex Pinardi crossed from the left and young Serbian striker Mirko Vucinic nipped in to give the visitors the lead. Nesta dithered on the ball too long at the back, before being robbed by MOM Vucinic who's initial shot was saved by Abbiati but whom could do nothing about the rebound. 0-2. Just after the break Shevchenko crossed from the left for the diving Gilardino to nod home. Unfortunately the fight-back ended there and despite rained down shots upon Vincenzo Sicignano, AC fell to their first defeat on the season. AC Milan 1-2 Lecce
23/09/06 - Serie A
Fiorentina (A)
Team: Abbiati; Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Jankulovski, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
From the AC kick-off, Fiorentina took the lead after 29 seconds, Karagounis crossed from the right and Luca Toni beat Abbiati to the ball to head the Viola ahead. On the half hour Gilardino was put through and Per Kroldrup hauled him down, receiving his marching orders. The resulting free-kick produced another trademark Andrea Pirlo curling efford to level the scoreline. 43 seconds into the second half Marek Jankulovski crossed from the left, repeating Toni's goal with Alberto Gilardino beating Bogdan Lobont to the ball to head the visitors ahead. Jankulovski again got down the left flank and slipped it across for Shevchenko to finish. Aimar's corner from the right was half cleared, his second attempt found MOM Jankulovski at the back stick, his shot was saved by Lobont but Seedorf was on hand to convert. Fiorentina 1-4 AC Milan
27/09/06 - UEFA Champions League, Group A
Fenerbahce (A)
Team: Abbiati; Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Jankulovski, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
Demirel Volkan, the Turkish goalkeeper, half cleared a Gennaro Gattuso through ball, but his clearance was poor and Kaka chipped into the empty net from 35 yards. Just before half-time, Andrea Pirlo stepped up again from the edge of the penalty area and produced another curling effort for 2-0. MOM Pirlo converted a penalty after Kaka was fouled by Serkan. Fenerbahce 0-3 AC Milan
01/10/06 - Serie A
Ascoli (A)
Team: Abbiati; Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Pirlo; Jankulovski, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf; Shevchenko, Gilardino.
Gattuso crossed from the right and Shevchenko headed home. Australian Scott Chipperfield crossed from the left and Fabio Quagliarella beat Abbiati at the near post for the equaliser 26 minutes in. Just after half-time an Abbiati goal-kick was flicked on by Shevchenko for strike-partner Alberto Gilardino to slot past Coppola in the Ascoli for his 5th of the season. Gattuso headed clear an Ascoli corner on 65 minutes and MOM Shevchenko outpaced Francesco Carbone before scoring his 5th of the season. Ascoli 1-3 AC Milan
The Rossoneri Report 
Linear Mode
