Time for the Tifosi to give a helping hand!
As the big match draws nearer and nearer, the players and fans are getting more anxious. With Manchester United holding a slight advantage over Milan, Milan will need to go to the San Siro for the kill. And the Milan players know exactly what must be done.
Several Milan players have plead to the fans to guide them on Wednesday night. They have asked for an electric atmosphere, which will carry them through to the final. Seedorf has expressed how much Milan need the fans, and claims that the fans will be the 12th man on the field has been said.
Kaka too, has made an appeal. And he too wants the atmosphere of one that was at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, when Man Utd were 2-1 down at half time, the fans continued to sing and cheer their team on to fight until the end.
But as much as the Milan players have pleaded to the tifosi, no one has done it quite like Gattuso. He wrote a letter on il Corriere dello Sport to the fans to be there on Wednesday night. The article written with passion, and leadership was written beautifully. The snarling dog, is clearly determined to win, and he knows how much every little cheer means to the team.
Here is Gennaro Gattuso's letter:
HONOUR AND PRIDE4/30/2007 11:13:00 AM
Rino Gattuso has written an open letter to leading Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera highlighting the values of Italian football and calling on the Milan fans to get behind the team on Wednesday.
By Rino Gattuso
Milan will play a decisive encounter on Wednesday evening. Ever since I have worn this great club's shirt, I have played in so many of these high-tension games that I don't remember them all. Against Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Giggs we Rossoneri will hold the honour of Italian football high, but also render our history more prestigious because no one has played four quarter-finals in the last five years of the Champions League. If we manage to overcome last week's defeat at Old Trafford then we have the possibility to
play in a third final. Considering all the problems over the last year, it is a miracle to have arrived here. Milan were forced to start from the preliminary round which changed the preparation, with us world champions called back from our vacation. We paid for what was an injustice. Then we had lots of injuries (Nesta, Kaladze, Kaká, Inzaghi, me too), but in spite of everything, nobody has yet been successful in sinking us. Now we have a chance of knocking out a side like Manchester United and it will take something special: the help of our fans.
We will put in pride, passion and experience. However, our fans will have to give something more. We want an atmosphere like Old Trafford last Tuesday, heated and correct.
Manchester United were in difficulty and after the break the crowd got behind them and dragged them to victory. Also in the name of my team-mates, we call on the San Siro to give us that final push to Athens. Give us a hand in our difficult moments against a great side like [Sir] Alex Ferguson's, don't let us down. We can take this historical assault together, we will go to Athens together. Then if, even if we with our desire to do something special, Manchester United demonstrate they are stronger than us, we will accept that verdict sportingly. At the end, we have won something important. Remember the official communication from UEFA at the start of the season that they would keep an eye on our games and our behaviour? I, like the whole dressing room, still feel bad about that. However, it's wonderful that UEFA, in the person of Michel Platini, has acknowledged our efforts and our correctness. He said that the game at Old Trafford between us and Manchester United has
been a beautiful advert for football. We have taken a moral revenge and it would appeal to us to make another advert and turn things around at the San Siro, with our victory. And if you, fans and friends, get behind us for ninety minutes, then maybe we will make it.
Several Milan players have plead to the fans to guide them on Wednesday night. They have asked for an electric atmosphere, which will carry them through to the final. Seedorf has expressed how much Milan need the fans, and claims that the fans will be the 12th man on the field has been said.
Kaka too, has made an appeal. And he too wants the atmosphere of one that was at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, when Man Utd were 2-1 down at half time, the fans continued to sing and cheer their team on to fight until the end.
But as much as the Milan players have pleaded to the tifosi, no one has done it quite like Gattuso. He wrote a letter on il Corriere dello Sport to the fans to be there on Wednesday night. The article written with passion, and leadership was written beautifully. The snarling dog, is clearly determined to win, and he knows how much every little cheer means to the team.
Here is Gennaro Gattuso's letter:
HONOUR AND PRIDE4/30/2007 11:13:00 AM
Rino Gattuso has written an open letter to leading Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera highlighting the values of Italian football and calling on the Milan fans to get behind the team on Wednesday.
By Rino Gattuso
Milan will play a decisive encounter on Wednesday evening. Ever since I have worn this great club's shirt, I have played in so many of these high-tension games that I don't remember them all. Against Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Giggs we Rossoneri will hold the honour of Italian football high, but also render our history more prestigious because no one has played four quarter-finals in the last five years of the Champions League. If we manage to overcome last week's defeat at Old Trafford then we have the possibility to
play in a third final. Considering all the problems over the last year, it is a miracle to have arrived here. Milan were forced to start from the preliminary round which changed the preparation, with us world champions called back from our vacation. We paid for what was an injustice. Then we had lots of injuries (Nesta, Kaladze, Kaká, Inzaghi, me too), but in spite of everything, nobody has yet been successful in sinking us. Now we have a chance of knocking out a side like Manchester United and it will take something special: the help of our fans.
We will put in pride, passion and experience. However, our fans will have to give something more. We want an atmosphere like Old Trafford last Tuesday, heated and correct.
Manchester United were in difficulty and after the break the crowd got behind them and dragged them to victory. Also in the name of my team-mates, we call on the San Siro to give us that final push to Athens. Give us a hand in our difficult moments against a great side like [Sir] Alex Ferguson's, don't let us down. We can take this historical assault together, we will go to Athens together. Then if, even if we with our desire to do something special, Manchester United demonstrate they are stronger than us, we will accept that verdict sportingly. At the end, we have won something important. Remember the official communication from UEFA at the start of the season that they would keep an eye on our games and our behaviour? I, like the whole dressing room, still feel bad about that. However, it's wonderful that UEFA, in the person of Michel Platini, has acknowledged our efforts and our correctness. He said that the game at Old Trafford between us and Manchester United has
been a beautiful advert for football. We have taken a moral revenge and it would appeal to us to make another advert and turn things around at the San Siro, with our victory. And if you, fans and friends, get behind us for ninety minutes, then maybe we will make it.
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Written by a real leader. Gattuso knows how to get the fans started. And I for one can't wait for the game. The curva should be beautiful, the songs will be sung in full voice. The San Siro will be reborn again.
FORZA MILAN!!
Lets see an atmosphere like this again:
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