After AC Milan overcame Sampdoria 2-1, they advanced to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. Allegri said: "The Coppa Italia is also a front we take very seriously." In fact, this was also a front that AC Milan had abandoned for many years. The last time AC Milan reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia was in the 04/05 season, when the team won the league championship that season. The last time AC Milan won the Coppa Italia was in the 02/03 season, which was the first Coppa Italia during Berlusconi's era.
To be fair, the Coppa Italia doesn't have much value, but it reflects the bench strength of a team. After AC Milan last won the Coppa Italia, they started a glorious "cycle". Starting from the 02/03 season, AC Milan won one Coppa Italia, one league championship, two Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup, and one Italian Super Cup. This was not a coincidence. Only with a strong substitute lineup can a team have enough strength to compete on multiple fronts during a long season. In the 01/02 season, Berlusconi spent heavily, bringing in Rui Costa, Inzaghi, Donati, and Pirlo. In the 02/03 season, they added Nesta, Seedorf, and Rivaldo. Winning the Coppa Italia with such a luxurious lineup was an expected event. Subsequently, AC Milan achieved countless honors with this lineup. Gradually, as the lineup aged, the team could no longer handle multi-front battles, eventually only being able to play in the Europa League in the 08/09 season, with the goal set at "top four in the league". During this period, even against lower-tier teams like Novara, Arezzo, and Brescia, AC Milan's substitute lineup struggled. They made a big comeback after losing 0-2 to Brescia, lost away to Arezzo, and Novara, then in Serie C, scored at San Siro. Not to mention the 3-0 thrashing by Palermo in 2006.
AC Milan's rapid strengthening of their bench was accomplished within a year. In this game, apart from Pato, Thiago Silva, and Antonini, the other eight players were not starters from last season. Moreover, Thiago Silva did not play his usual center-back position but rather as a defensive midfielder. Of these eight positions, Robinho, Emmanuelson, Van Bommel, Papastathopoulos, and Yepes are all new signings this season. On the bench, there were also Ibra and Cassano, who were also signed this season. AC Milan demonstrated the depth of their squad by using a completely renewed lineup with last season's substitutes. More surprisingly, AC Milan built up their squad depth in just half a year! From summer to winter, AC Milan brought in ten players: Yepes, Amelia, Montolongo, Boateng, Papastathopoulos, Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Cassano, Emmanuelson, and Van Bommel!
In fact, this AC Milan faced greater challenges in this match, with the club listing as many as 12 injured players! Although Ambrosini and Pirlo were about to return, they were unavailable for this match. However, AC Milan still managed to win away against Sampdoria without any major issues. The arrival of Van Bommel, Emmanuelson, and other new signings greatly enhanced the team's bench depth. Young players like Merk尔 also showed increasingly better performances, and Yepes continued to be reliable. Even in the forward line, there was a rotation of three out of four options: Ibra, Robinho, Cassano, and Pato. If those 12 injuries were previously considered, Ibra and Cassano making symbolic appearances off the bench, and Abate sitting on the bench, were deliberate rotations and conservation of strength by Allegri. The depth of this AC Milan squad indeed gave Allegri the luxury to rotate players. As Moggi said: "In the forward line, if Pato doesn't score, Robinho can come on. If Robinho is out of form, Cassano is also good. All players are performing well, and no tactical adjustments are needed. This is AC Milan's most powerful weapon."
Allegri's selection of young players is also an important reason for the increased squad depth. Youngsters like Straccia and Merk尔 have become key substitutes in recent times. In this match, even younger players like Calvano and Eli entered the substitute bench. Youth coach Stroppa strongly recommended to Allegri: "Merk尔 is good, and Calvano is also very good!"
AC Milan's brilliant cycle from 2003 to 2007 started with the Coppa Italia, and Inter Milan's brilliant cycle from 2005 to 2010 also began with the Coppa Italia. Although the Coppa Italia is not a must-win competition for Italian teams, it truly reflects the strength of the squad. Three seasons ago, Mazzola said: "Inter Milan's substitute lineup can already compete for championships." Now, the same applies to AC Milan. Through ten acquisitions, AC Milan has built a solid lineup, which was exactly what Inter Milan boasted as an advantage in previous seasons. In the same day's Coppa Italia match against Napoli, Inter Milan barely advanced through penalties, exposing their bench problems. The comparison of bench depth between the two teams seems to have "inverted"...