Milan's Real Hero

May 2010 was a painful month for all A.C. Milan fans. It was a month where their fierce rivals Inter won an historic treble, and looked set to dominate the next decade with their team of champions. A.C. Milan however, were a team in decline. They finished 3rd in the Serie A, 12 points behind Inter, and lost in the early rounds of the Champions League 7-2 to Manchester United, and the average age of the team was 29.32, meaning that there main players had passed their peaks. As if those problems weren't enough, Milan's ultras called for Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi to leave the club as they blamed him for all the troubles. But there was one man who had the busiest summer of all the European clubs top officials, and that man was Adriano Galliani, Milan's real hero this season.

The Milan vice-president signed some of the best young talent in Europe this summer, bringing in the likes of Robinho and KP Boateng for less than £15 Million, even though they cost more than double the price for their respective clubs. His most important achievement this summer was bringing in Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona, signing him for a reported £22 Million, despite the fact that Barcelona wanted £80 Million for him. His negotiation skills allowed him to cut the price by over half, and this was coupled by his hard work convincing him to leave the Spanish champions to join what was the 3rd best team in Italy.

Galliani's magic did not stop in the summer, his dealings continued in January. He performed one of the shock transfers of the season, by signing Antonio Cassano for a meager £4 Million, along with other cheap buys in Didac Vila and Urby Emanuellson. These signings not only bolstered Milan in the short-term, but also for the long-term as the average age of the squad is now at 26, a very healthy number. The number would be much lower if we do not include the goalkeepers, who are all above 30.

Milan now sit safely atop the Serie A table 5 points ahead of 2nd place, and 7 ahead of rivals Inter. The Diavolo have come a long way from last season, and while people might thank Ibrahimovic for this turnaround, let us not forget who's hard work and dedication brought him to Milan. Adriano Galliani is owed a huge debt.

Jassim