Are you kidding me? I wake up and this is the news I get? Sheva? Why should any Rossoneri forgive him? This is very personal to me. I already liked what he did in the past but his time is over. He's 32 years old. Now we'll really get the image that we want older players... a retirement home as some say. Sentimentalism can really mess us up... what if Sheva does not recover from his horrendous slump? What if he gets injured?

I'd much rather keep Paloschi instead of this guy. He betrayed Milan in the worst way possible and some are discussing what kind of formation they want... it's irritating.

What about our central defender? If Sheva takes up the non-EU spot... that'll be one less. I sure that both Uruguayos have EU status.

You guys remember Ramaccioni don't you ... The 60 yr old guy who was always on the bench with Milan as team manager and was promoted to a position in the Milan structure a couple of months ago ...


Ramaccioni: "We are close to completing the deal for Shevchenko's return"




The news about the return of Andry Shevchenko has been collecting some momentum, and after Carlo Ancelotti's remarks in a press conference, here is the confirmation from the Milan top management.


Where the former team manager, talk about his imminent return: "We are close to completing this deal for Shevchenko's return. I hope that what I have read is right., we are very close to closing this deal and we are hopeful of finishing up the minor details in a quick manner. We will be happy if Sheva came back to Milan, and I am ready to hug the Ukrainian champion once again, from my part he is coming back to his first home."

Like Tennie and Giancarlo i am against Sheva returning but i'm ready to forgive if he apologies and scores more than 20 goals.

This is going to turn into a nightmare... I've read polls taken amongst fans in Italy that they are mostly against him coming back. Sheva is in his 30s, not 20s anymore...

I usually defend Berlusconi every time and he's a hero to me, but please don't do this...

If we have to use our non-EU option please use it for Thiago Silva or something.

u r wrong only one of them had after sheva there wont be EU spot left

You need to provide proof for that.

That's all I ask. But most Uruguayos do qualify for EU status...

If you're right, the only defender I can see us getting is Stendardo. Forget this business about Kovac (as he doesn't have EU status either). We may do a trade of Brocchi for Stedardo as regards to the central defender position. But we will lose out on the possibility of getting Thiago Silva and that will upset me.

as long as we get the defender we DESPERATELY need whther it may be ivanovic, thiago silva or alex silva then getting a striker wont bother me too much although i would have preferred a center forward/inbox striker which sheva isnt. if he does indeed come back then he just be another player on the team and he wont have the same respect i once had for him, that said i still remember him fondly for all those goals and i wont forget that.

Here are links indicating that Viudez has indeed taken up one of the two non-eu spaces.

http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/index.php?a...d&id=118412

http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Calciomercat...8ivanovic.shtml

http://www.calciomercato.com/index.php?c=12&a=92400

I think 3 sources are sufficient.

That's fine by me. I just asked for proof and you certainly proved it.

But it would be a huge mistake for us to use the last spot on Shevchenko.

Does anyone know if two more spots open for the winter transfer season?

^ i'm pretty sure it's 2 non-eu per year and not per transfer market.

well if this is true then galliani and company truly are idiots for not getting a defender.

Well, we would have to settle for a European defender in that case, or a South American one that has EU status... Cardacio for sure does have EU-status... so it won't be difficult finding someone like him (or speeding up the process for his status)...

It still can be worked out if we manage to get Thiago Silva EU-status somehow... or someone like him.

While I think Galliani has done a great job with the transfer market, this would be the one blemish for me of the transfer season. I've been against Sheva come back from day one.

I read that both had EU citizenship, i guess my source was wrong (stupid source). If he comes then there is no more space for anymore Brazilians, which is good. As long as Dida and Emo are still on the payroll i am against any more coming. Santacroce and Curci anyone?

You took the words right out my mouth...
In one mind I would love to see Sheva succeed at Milan once again and possibly for the fans to forget the past and embrace him again like they all once did.
But I also know in the back of my mind that the possibilty of him failing here (or at least not living up to expectations) could actually make things worse, and I certainly don't want that.

I just wish he can rejuvenate he his career and end it as a Legend (imo he already is) that will be remembered.
As opposed to one whose legacy was tarnished because of his failure afterwards.

me too + If I'm not mistaken Sheva's STILL NON-EU
Berbatov
Nilmar
Sobis

are all better options....Hell I'd even take Saviola from Real OR we could beef up our defense and try getting Santacroce

I'm sorry Sheva, But NO!!

Berbatov is very expensive...

But still there are better people out there than Sheva. And Sheva is still non-EU? What has been doing all these years? He could have applied for the status like Ronaldinho?

So every fan is against Sheva! I think Galliani just wants to use him as a free quick fix
I prefer Paloschi to him

Shevchenko has had the opportunity to get an EU passport (namely an Italian one) but has always refused to do so, stating (more or less) that he's proud to be Ukrainian.

I'll be honest here... if he does come, I'll not be happy but I'll hope that he does well. For our sakes he better do well if he does come.

My opinion is that Paloschi isn't ready yet. Sheva will do well here I don't think that's too much of a gamble...but I am against it in principle

Can you do your magic on this one Tennie?

I will like sheva and am quite certain he will work out for us

But if he does come,I'll hope he fail and don't score any goal,we have another strikers and we can buy a new great one in the January transfer window

Because he's one of the greatest players ever to wear the red and black. Anyways, I still think he'll be a good player in Italy and I'll be happy to have him back.

He stabbed us all in the back and he took money over his team. He went for a team I really don't like and can't stand. He went for a mercenary team with little home grown talent...

I am, too, against this in principle. He may score quite a few if he comes back, but we are not the kind of team to let back in backstabbers.

Agreed, like I said before, he's a really smart player that can re-adapt his game. Yes he has lost his pace but in Serie A you can make it if you're a tactically aware player like Sheva is. And unlike the EPL, in Serie A a player does not necissarily need to be fast to be succesful

Yes what Sheva did was very hurtful especially after all the pounding on the badge and pledging his future to Milan. Personally all I wasnted him to do was fail at Chelsea. But now all I feel is sorry for him. He made a mistake and I think these last 2 seasons have been payback enough for him.

Personally I'm ready to forgive and forget. And we don't actually know if he left just for the money, many say that his wife wanted to move to England and with Abramovic constantly waving an escape route plastered with diamonds it isn't that shoking that he left. If you personall were to be given an ultimatum of either your family or your job I'm sure you would choose your family. And at the end of the day this is the player's job, yes it's much more different to working in an office, but when it comes to certain things your job might not be important enough, family imo is one of those things

You can look at it whatever way you want to. Do you not think maybe he's unselfish and picked what his wife wanted (A move to England) over what he wanted (To become a Milan legend)? Or maybe that he wants his kids to grow up over here since we have some of the best schools in the World?

Chelsea have no home grown talent? John Terry, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole are all from London. I think you could argue they're all in Chelsea's top 5 best players, so that one's a bit of a miss.

You can label him a traitor or whatever you want. He's not a Milan fan, or even Italian, so it's not like he had an attatchment to this club in any way. He didn't leave in the best way, no. But if this happened to Darmain, I don't think people would care. The reason people hate him so much is because he was that damn good. Look at what we've done without him the last few years. It's not a coincidence at all. Calciopoli? That may have hindered us, but using that as an excuse is a joke, Juve were punished harder than us and they've coped just fine. We miss Sheva, in my opinion.

excellent +1

Anyone remember when Hernan Crespo left Cheslea for Inter 2 seasons ago...and when he arrived in Milan? the first thing he said when he returned was that transferring to Chelsea is career suicide for a striker..he hated his time there..the team is built around Drogba and Lamps and nobody else up front..blah blah blah..he could'nt understand why anyone would go there. I believe it was right around the time that Sheva left us...and when Hernan returned to Serie A, he immediately showed his old form scoring headers and poaching goals like nobody's business. At Chelsea he was a starter and managed only 24 goals in 5 seasons..Sheva is an example of a striker who was not employed correctly in his time there..


now, excluding the emotions of it all. The shevchenko transfer is perfect for us. We were all hoping for some reinforcements up front. Defensive reinforcements are still coming, as Carlo said sheva coming doesn't end the market. People in this forum were throwing names like Crespo around...Sheva is not a bad solution. The guy still has world class finishing ability (always scores for Ukraine, and shows flashes in England). The problem was the service he got. Drogba gets ALL the service...and other strikers have to scrap for the rest..ususally it was sheva setting up lamps or drogba. Same as crespo, which is why Crespo "flopped" there. Immediately Hernan was able to readjust to the movement of Italian football and recaptured his form...Sheva left for his wife and kid. Not any other reason..If wives did not influence their men, then Sheva would be in Milan..and Beckham would still be in Europe. For a man, family is more important than anything else in the world..and that's why Sheva and Becks did what they did. Abramovic made the transfer possible offering his astronomical wages and huge transfer fee, so it happened. The only reason Sheva was so coy about telling us he was leaving in the first place was probably because he didn't want to leave..and really wasn't sure if he was until it basically happened.


Sheva could easily come back and have Crespo's success. Plus, the last time he was here Kaka wasn't as good as he is now. Sheva could bag tons of goals. He can be Pato's mentor..and now we have a proven hit man and we're not relying on Pippo, unproven Marco, or the undeveloped Pato/Palo. Pato will now see minutes when it's appropriate. Marco can learn on the job from Pippo..and we'll be SET 2 seasons from now when Marco and Pato peak in our system and Sheva and Pippo hand over the reigns..

Mentors for the youth.

Palo/Pato - Pippo/Sheva
Viudez - Dinho/Kaka/Seedorf
Cardaccio - Flamini/Pirlo/Rino/Ambro
Antonini - Zambro/Janku
Darmian - Captiano, Nesta, Kakha, (Kovac)

We have youth in all the right places and the perfect mentors for each of them..If milan complete the Sheva/Kovac signings..we'll be back in business SO Quickly. The only reason Inter was better than us was better defense and better strikers..Now our midfield will still be the best in Italy..Our attack would be at least 2nd best..and our defense would be reinforced. Milan are back in business if we pull these last two transfers out.

The ONLY THING i would additionally want to see would be the loan of - Brocchi! and then looking long term...When Clarence leaves..recall Gourcuff!

England has the best schools in the world? Are you kidding me? I seriously think he should consider where he is living. If he was unselfish he would have stayed at Milan. He can go play for mercenary teams in the EPL... I'm over him.



That's three players. That's nothing compared to Milan or most Italian teams for that fact. And frankly I don't think any of the three are that great.

How was any thing I say a miss? Chelski is still a mercenary team that relies almost entirely on foreign talent.



He threw himself away. He messed up in Chelski and he took dirty Russian oil money. Not like I care. I think Sheva should just stay FAR AWAY.

Work's biting me right now han, but that looks like the Gazzetta article. Which basically says the same thing as the others, focusing a bit more on the 'prodigal son' aspect to it all. I can do a full translation when I get home.

Good post and excellent points however there could be long term and far reaching implications:

1) We essentially disrespect the fans who all - for better or worse feel betrayed

2) Milan's insistence on 'results now' could hamper Pato's growth/confidence. I think Sheva will fit in to our system quite well....possibly better than Pato who is still developing. This may tempt Carlo to play Sheva more than Pato

I think Pato will do fine in the future, with or without Sheva. But... I don't feel it is right on principle letting him back.

Thanks Tennie, an no problem, translate it when you have the chance

No, I'm not kidding you: Hence celebrities moving to London to send their kids to provate schools here. Or maybe they are spending all that money to make their kids stupid?

Some people pick their familes over their football. Sheva being one of them. To say he's selfish because he decided to do what his wife wanted, as opposed to him playing football in Milan is.. I can't even think of a word for it.



That's 3 of their best players. They have Ashley Cole and Scott Sinclair also from London. Sinclair is somebody they have high hopes in the future for and Ashley Cole is another top player.

You can say Joe and Ashley, JT and Lamps are all not great players all you like. That does change the fact that they are great players. Or did the other Chelsea players have to drag these to 2 league titles and the Champions League Final?


He messed up in Chelsea? I think you'll find he just doesn't suit this league since he doesn't have the pace for it.

But if you honestly believe he moved for money and only money, then ask yourself this: Are the Milan management stupid for not matching Chelsea's offer? If Sheva is such a great player, don't you think the management would believe he's worth paying that much for? If you don't believe that the Milan management are incompetant and stingy, then you'd have to use common sense and understand that it wasn't money he left for. It can only be one or the other.

Kurt, out of curiosity, did any of those players you mentioned above come through the Chelsea youth team?

that may not be a bad thing. The fans will cheer if we're winning. Pato needs work. He still needs to learn when to hold the ball and when not to, and needs to develop his striking instinct a bit more. I was actually in favor of Dunga benching Pato..cuz Pato loses the ball a lot...Pato is VERY young. I have no problem with Pato seeing minutes when he deserves to, and only starting to play more regularly once he's 20/21. Pato is still developing. If we play him IMMEDIATELY, he could peak early..like so many Brazilians before him..Sheva is capable of doing MANY things Pato cannot yet do. If Sheva arrives..Pato has an example of someone who he should strive to be like..and given Sheva's kind heart, he would be a great mentor/example for Pato on how to play, and be professional..Removing the emotions of transfers...Sheva is a classy individual, we all know this much..he was crucial to Kaka getting his confidence..he could solve more problems than he poses..

I'm not much peeved with Sheva moving to Chelsea cause he gave us some good cash for it. But I was pissed off as hell when I saw him kissing the Chelsea badge in his first ever game for that club. THAT was like a slap on my face. And I hate him for that since that proves where his loyalties lie. Nowhere.

A few of them. But they are still home grown aren't they? I missed another one actually in Shaun Wright-Phillips, but he's not all that.

I presume that's what GianCarlo meant anyways, otherwise Milan only have Maldini, Ambrosini and Oddo (to an extent) in the senoir team that came through the ranks.

This is a bit of a myth actually, he never did that. Unless Chelsea have their badge in a very unusual place on the shirt..

He still kissed the shirt.

As for doing what his scary wife wanted...well, I've never been a fan of the scary wife and am prepared to blame a lot of it on her. Even so, I can't say I have much respect for Shevchenko anyway, given the manner in which he left.

I know a lot of folks may disagree with me on that last point but that's how I see it.

Okay you're not. But I don't agree with you on that one. Why would one want to move to London? The schools? The school system is good there? Really?

I understand the reason for his wife wanting to move... but I'm NOT going to back down from my statements on Sheva. He's not welcomed back.



3 of their best? Their best players are foreign. Those are sub-par players.



Chelski mostly relies on foreign players and that's a fact. While these players may have a hand in it, Chelski's most prominent forward is not English. Most of its midfield isn't English. Deco is a recent purchase. I do not think they are great players. Stop stating opinion as fact.



Yes absolutely. He moved for money. I don't think Sheva is a great player because of his lack of character and he can stay in England for all I care. I hope this "deal" falls through so we don't waste a valuable non-EU option on a washed up Sheva.

I'm over it. The sentimentalism I used to have for the player is gone. He moved to a traitor mercenary team.

Exactly. Schools is a pretty pathetic excuse for moving. Now that I think of it, the most pathetic, probably. As if there are no good schools in Milan, or Rome, or whatever. If he was so concerned about his kids he should have sent them to some high-class boarding schools, and then Oxford or Cambridge university.

Schools.

In what way are the bolded statements above consistent with the statement in red above?

Actually I'm not stating these things as fact.

Everything I say is opinion, unless it is direct quotation. Everything.

Notice when I spoke about Sheva in that one sentence I said "I don't think"... meaning my opinion.

I'm with Giancarlo on this one.

It's not good to start nit-picking player's personal affairs. That is completely his prerogative. Being a family man is nothing to be ashmed of or criticise. It was no secret that it was important to his wife that his kid learn English. Sheva made the decision for his family over his own interests, it was rather self-less of him. Even Berlusconi made cracks at him about how he is his wife's man. (cheap shot) When Sheva left he sat in the stands in the Curva and soaked it all in sitting with the fans. He clearly loved his time here..Left in a regretful manner...Tried to be his best at Chelsea, be a professional, said all the right things..but always made some occasional comments about how he loves Milan, cheers for them, and so on..he wants to come back, and we should let him..it only helps us to have him too..he would produce more than palo would..