AC Milan stepped out of the shadows of their crosstown rivals Inter last weekend when they lifted the Serie A title and it capped off a fantastic campaign.
A 3-0 victory away to Sassuolo meant there was no last-day drama and aside from collecting their 19th Serie A title overall, it was the first time they had lifted the Scudetto in 11 years.
What was perhaps even more remarkable, was that Zlatan Ibrahimovic hoisted the Serie A title for the second time in his career at the age of 40.
Ibrahimovic has enjoyed a decorated career with league titles won in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, and it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that he is a big personality both on and off the pitch.
In the wake of Milan’s Serie A title win, Ibrahimovic delivered an impassioned speech in the dressing room after the final whistle, but the Swede was quick to point out that he wasn’t retiring.
He said: “Guys, stay calm. I’m not retiring. It’s not a [goodbye]. Guys from Day One… when I arrived, and then others arrived after, very few believed in us.
“But when we understood that we needed to make sacrifices, suffer, believe and when this happened, we became a group.
“And when you’re a group, you can do the things we’ve done. Now we’re the champions of Italy.
“It hasn’t been easy but we’ve been a real group this season. Like I said, at the beginning of the campaign, no one believed in us but with these principles, we became stronger. I’m very proud of all of you.
“Now do me a favour: celebrate like champions. Because it isn’t Milan that belongs to AC Milan, Italy belongs to AC Milan!”
Milan is a club steeped in history and tradition, and after years in doldrums, they have shown they are a cohesive unit and they look more assured under Stefano Pioli, who has managed to prove many of his critics wrong.
Nevertheless, Milan has a big following all over the world and you can find plenty of futures bets as well as lines across a wide range of games across the regular Serie A season. This is the case at some of the most reputable sportsbooks, including bet365 in Australia, where you can form bet builders to spice up your slip and the site also provides one of the most complete in-play experiences for bettors.
For many of those connected with Milan, it was a defining campaign. For example, Fikayo Tomori enjoyed title success in his first full season with the Rossoneri after moving from Chelsea, while Daniel Maldini followed in the footsteps of his father and Milan legend, Paolo, by grabbing the title.
It is set to be an exciting summer with plenty of movement in the transfer market in Italy. If anything, Pioli doesn’t need to make drastic changes. A deal has already been agreed for Divock Origi, so it’s a case of whether Ibrahimovic wishes to hang around for another season with Olivier Giroud also an instrumental part of the side.
Of course, keeping hold of Rafael Leao, who weighed in with 10 assists in the Serie A last season, will be crucial with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid supposedly waiting in the wings
Whether Milan can create a dynasty remains to be seen, but they have raised the bar and now it’s up to the likes of Inter, Napoli and Juventus to provide a stiffer challenge next season. How Cultural Connections Made Vikings: Valhalla a Modern Hit