From last season’s protests to the new enthusiasm the Rossoneri have managed to generate around themselves, right up to today’s standing ovations
It was Max’s doing. To paraphrase Sorrentino, one can highlight just how much and in what ways Allegri’s arrival has impacted the Milan world, bringing back enthusiasm across the board. From the field to the stands. Indeed, because with the fans, the task was more arduous: getting the stadium to sing for its idols again, after months of harsh protests and banners against the team and the club. Now the world has turned upside down; it feels like a lifetime ago. Today, the Rossoneri beat Verona 3-0 and close out 2025 at the top of the table—awaiting Inter’s match in Bergamo—and they do so in a San Siro decked out for the occasion.

In the first half, the stadium sang and cheered the team on. Then, in the 45th minute, after Pulisic’s goal as the first half drew to a close, the first chant began. “Christian Pulisic la la la” and so on. Then, at the start of the second half, it was Nkunku’s turn, a surprise first. In the league, the Frenchman had never scored before, but more importantly, he had never delivered a performance that would win over the hearts of the Rossoneri fans. At the first whistle, the Frenchman inflated his red balloon under the South Stand and gave it to the fans, who five minutes later dedicated the first chant of the season to him.
standing ovation—  From there, Luka Modric took center stage. First on the field, then in the stands. Throughout the match, the Croatian lit up San Siro with exquisite plays, two bursts of speed, and his usual class. In the 70th minute, Allegri substituted him, bringing on Jashari. The Curva thanked him with a standing ovation: such open applause hadn’t been seen at San Siro in quite a while. And that wasn’t all. A minute later, the Curva began singing “Mamma, mamma, mamma, do you know why my heart beats? I saw Luka Modric. Oh, mamma, I’m in love,” the famous chant dedicated to Maradona by Napoli fans. Finally, the stadium also sang for Saelemakers, before returning to applaud Pulisic as he left the field. The same chant as after the goal. Then, at the final whistle, everyone gathered under the stands. Lots of smiles, Nkunku hugging Maignan, and open applause. The Rossoneri’s calendar year ends like this.

A world turned upside down—  If you think back just ten months, the scenario has completely flipped. At the end of February in Bologna, the Curva had unfurled a banner that left no room for interpretation. “We’re not here for the team, for this team.” And again, “Get the a**es out.” In short, a hostile atmosphere toward the players and the club. Seven days later, yet another confirmation. Lazio arrived at San Siro, and the fans deserted the Curva for the first 15 minutes of the match. Then, the booing began. Every mistake, every misstep, everything. And so it will be in the weeks to come. The past year has been a complex one on all fronts. The club itself has also been a target. “Incompetent executives, without ambition, you’re not up to our history,” “We’re not Americans,” and so on. Even at the club’s 125th-anniversary celebration, there was no shortage of protest chants, banners, and boos, so much so that Ibra and Furlani had to enter through the back to avoid the fans. Today, however, everything has changed. Max and his boys have turned the Milan world upside down. And the photo of the team celebrating under the stands is the happiest proof of that.