Liverpool clinched the title three rounds early, and the team was filled with joy.

But in Milan, Italy, a storm was brewing.

After losing 0-2 to Liverpool on the road, Ibrahimović blasted Allegri's tactics after the game, pushing the head coach to the forefront and focusing everyone's attention on AC Milan's internal conflicts.

《Allegri and Ibrahimović in Frequent Conflict!》

《Discord Between Coach and Star Player is the Main Reason for the Team's Away Loss!》

《Ibrahimović Shouts: It's Him or Me!》

《Tactical Problems or Negative Avoidance of Battle?》

……

Various headlines appeared on the front pages of Italian newspapers.

Ibrahimović's words were like a fuse, igniting the powder keg, and reporters dug up all sorts of shocking stories.

Everyone realized that Ibrahimović had been unhappy with Allegri for a long time...

Currently, public opinion is on Ibrahimović's side because the team lost the game, and lost badly—defending desperately for ninety minutes at Liverpool's home stadium, being beaten by Liverpool with only parrying ability and no ability to fight back. Even the number of shots was very few. As AC Milan, a traditional Italian powerhouse, a former European football overlord, when has AC Milan ever been so humble?

Losing the game like this was considered "wimpy" by many AC Milan fans.

Reporters criticized Allegri's conservative tactics, defending desperately even when they were behind, and no one knew what he was doing, making it incomprehensible.

Some people even mocked Allegri for saying that the team still had a chance to advance to the final after losing the game, either his brain was burned out, or he was deceiving the public...

Some legendary players published articles in the newspapers stating that it was completely unacceptable to say goodbye to this season's Champions League in this way.

Voices calling for Allegri to be dismissed rang out among the fans.

Everything seemed to be developing in a direction favorable to Ibrahimović.

As long as he persisted for a while, Ibrahimović could kick Allegri out and dominate the AC Milan locker room. At that time, no one would be able to shake his position...

※※※

While the outside world was enthusiastically speculating about Allegri's future, Allegri was meeting with the team's general manager, Galliani.

"Mr. Berlusconi is very dissatisfied with the team's 0-2 loss to Liverpool in the first leg, with no ability to fight back. He hopes you can give a reasonable explanation, Massimiliano," the bald Galliani said expressionlessly to Allegri.

Although he called Allegri by the nickname of his name, "Massimiliano," Allegri didn't think that the bald man in front of him was showing affection.

Galliani is one of the top foxes in Italian football, a figure as famous as Juventus's general manager Moggi. Later, Moggi was banned from participating in football-related activities for life due to the telephone scandal, and Galliani became the most cunning general manager in Italy.

In fact, Allegri was not surprised by Galliani's question at all. As early as when he lost the game and returned to Italy from England, he had already thought about it and how to answer it.

He admitted that the scene was indeed not very good. As a powerhouse like AC Milan, when facing another powerhouse, they would choose to defend desperately without attacking. This kind of tactic should only be seen in AC Milan's opponents. When could AC Milan use it themselves?

But this was a last resort.

"The score of 0-2 is a true reflection of the gap in strength between us and Liverpool, Mr. Galliani," Allegri said respectfully, while carefully observing Galliani's expression. He didn't want to anger the old man in front of him. He was not afraid of Ibrahimović at all, he was afraid of this person. Seeing that Galliani's expression didn't change, he continued.

"I think the media is deliberately misleading everyone when discussing this game—they think Liverpool and us are teams of the same level. But in fact, I think Liverpool is already a team of the same level as Barcelona and Real Madrid..."

"Are you saying that we are not as good as Liverpool?" Galliani asked, but there was no dissatisfaction in his tone.

Allegri spread his hands: "This is the truth, Mr. Galliani. But the truth is usually not very pleasant to hear. Not only us Milan, the entire Italian football has fallen behind the Premier League and La Liga, but many people have not realized this, or they have realized it but are unwilling to admit it... But we ourselves must admit it, keep a clear head, so that we can usher in a revival."

"Go on," Galliani nodded.

"I think AC Milan has reached the time to update its blood. We have many talented players but we have never been able to win the Champions League. I think the root lies in the control of the locker room. The Swede has obtained too many privileges, which makes it difficult for me to manage, thus forming a very bad influence among other players..." Allegri said his purpose little by little.

Replace fresh blood, increase the strength of signings, and at the same time clean up a group of current players. Of course, the Swede Ibrahimović is the first to bear the brunt and must be cleaned.

"His existence makes our locker room uneasy. In fact, when I said at the post-match press conference that we still have a chance to advance to the final, I was not bragging, nor was I deliberately mystifying. I really have this confidence. But he broke the contradiction to the news media, which suddenly put the team in a very passive position, and the preparation was also affected... My suggestion is not to renew the contract with the Swede. If he wants to leave, send him out while he can still be sold for some money."

After he finished his plan, he quietly looked at Galliani, and then waited for the result of the trial.

Unexpectedly, Galliani shook his head: "Now is not the time to say this, Massimiliano. Don't you understand? It's not a question of who is right and who is wrong between you and Ibrahimović. It's that Mr. Berlusconi doesn't want to see his team lose to Liverpool without any ability to fight back. He believes that a dignified Serie A powerhouse should have the atmosphere of a powerhouse. So he is very dissatisfied with your tactics at Anfield... He hopes to see a brave AC Milan in the second leg, not the AC Milan that continues to defend passively."

Allegri was stunned for a moment before realizing that Galliani came to him not because of Ibrahimović. People don't care about such trivial matters. Whether or not to drive away Ibrahimović can be decided by Galliani with a nod of his head.

It turned out that it was just because Berlusconi himself was dissatisfied...

Allegri also knew something about this AC Milan boss. This is a boss who is very good at and likes to interfere with the team's tactics. From the Ancelotti era, he kept interfering in the team's internal affairs, feeling like he was an expert in football tactics and wanted to dictate the team's tactics—not only him, all Italian men are like this, they always think they are more knowledgeable and better than professional football coaches.

But he could not accept Berlusconi's evaluation and arrangement of his tactics.

"But, Mr. Galliani. If we attack Liverpool head-on at home, I think we will die even more miserably..." He tried his best to defend himself.

"Mr. Berlusconi knew you would answer like this, so he had already prepared the answer. He said, how would you know if you didn't try?"

"We tried it! At Anfield, when we were scored the second goal, we once pressed out to attack, but what did we receive? It was the opponent's more violent fire! It was a post from Hero..."

"Yes, yes, but wasn't that away? We didn't have an advantage in the first place. But the second leg is our home game. At our home game, the team's strength will be greatly improved—these are Mr. Berlusconi's words."

"This is impossible, Mr. Galliani. You also know that home advantage is not a stimulant that can give the team an immediate effect, not to mention in the current public opinion environment—I really don't know how many people's minds are still on the second leg..."

"Massimiliano, you'd better think clearly about your current situation before rejecting this request in one breath," Galliani said.

Allegri noticed that Galliani's pupils shrank when he said this, and he shuddered.

Sure enough, it was still related to Ibrahimović's matter!

Obviously, if he was unwilling to carry out Berlusconi's decision, then he would be fired even before the next semi-final round arrived. He believed that Berlusconi could do such a thing, and Galliani would definitely carry it out without hesitation.

If he didn't comply, he would be fired. If he complied... he could foresee that AC Milan would be defeated by Liverpool and miss the final.

What to do?

His brain was running fast, thinking of countermeasures.

Suddenly, an idea emerged in his mind.

He thought of a past event, which had nothing to do with him, and was completely unrelated. But everyone knew it, so he also understood it very well.

The most important thing is that this matter is somewhat similar to his current situation, and it seems to have a guiding effect...

That was back in the 2010-2011 season, when former Inter Milan coach Mourinho transferred to coach Real Madrid. Before the first leg of the El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, the media, fans, and club executives all shouted out the slogan that they hoped Real Madrid would attack the powerful Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

But Mourinho knew very well that with Real Madrid's strength at the time, attacking Barcelona head-on would only lead to death, not to mention that it was still at their home stadium, which was simply the worst of the worst...

But he couldn't change club president Florentino's stubborn ideas, nor could he change the ideas of the media and the fanatical fans who were incited by the media.

It seemed that he had to lead the team to attack Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

If that were the case, once he lost the game, his unstable foundation at Real Madrid would inevitably be greatly impacted, and he didn't even know if he could continue to coach at Real Madrid.

What was the result? He complied and Real Madrid lost a shameful 0-5 at the Camp Nou.

But strangely, Mourinho did not lose his position as coach of Real Madrid because of this. Not only that, after this shameful defeat, he also consolidated his prestige in the locker room and his power in the club. At the same time, no media ever shouted that Real Madrid should attack Barcelona again. Even if his team sometimes performed slightly conservatively, the picky Real Madrid fans did not boo at all. On the contrary, they also composed a "José Mourinho Song" that was frequently sung on the south stand of the Bernabéu—all indications showed that Mourinho's power in Real Madrid was rising.

Why was this?

Later, media reports said that this was Mourinho's strategy of playing hard to get. In order to let Real Madrid executives, Real Madrid fans, and the media completely realize the gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and realize the mistake of their previous attacking football, he cooperated with everyone to play this game.

In the end, Real Madrid's disastrous defeat at the Camp Nou gave everyone a head start, and also realized that Mourinho's previous defensive tactics of "three defensive midfielders" were correct.

In this way, he used the failure of one game to clear all obstacles.

It laid a good foundation for him to hold power alone at Real Madrid.

Thinking of this, Allegri knew what he should do.

I can learn from him too!