READY FOR FOOTBALL ON TV AGAIN... | OneFootball

There is already a huge appetite for football on TV, and the excitement around AC Milan is building. Today marks the first training session on the outdoor pitches at Milanello, but Rossoneri fans have already marked the dates and times of the summer friendlies in their calendars. When, what time, on which channel... That anticipation is expected, even if history has shown that summer friendly results do not always reflect a team’s quality or predict how the season will unfold. From a statistical point of view, pre-season is mainly about building fitness, getting minutes, testing physical conditions and helping new signings settle in. With intense training sessions taking their toll, teams often take to the pitch with tired legs and the tempo is usually lower than in competitive games. Many of the biggest names also return shortly before the start of the official season due to international commitments, including the World Cup this year. 

During the 2024 pre-season, Milan enjoyed a successful American tour, securing prestigious wins against the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Despite those impressive results, the official season that followed was marked by inconsistent performances. Some of the most iconic AC Milan teams, including those managed by Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti, had disappointing pre-seasons, with heavy defeats and slow performances, only to click into gear once Serie A and European competitions began. Summer successes, summer setbacks: there are two particularly striking examples. In August 1993, Barcelona defeated AC Milan 3-0 in Oviedo, a result that would later be followed by renewed confidence as the Rossoneri went on to win the European Cup Final in Athens on 18 May 1994. The opposite example came in August 1997: spirits were high after a 3-1 victory over Juventus in the Luigi Berlusconi Trophy, but the league campaign that followed proved disappointing. Such is the unpredictable nature of summer...

Match kits, clothing, accessories, gift ideas and much more: visit AC Milan online Store!