But time waits for no man, and the current age of Clarence Seedorf is already 33, his condition not as good as before. Coupled with his recent poor performances, Seedorf's appearances have become synonymous with nightmares. In the match where AC Milan lost 0-1 to Roma, Seedorf was Milan's number one culprit. In this game against Udinese, Seedorf once again appeared on the starting list. This time we should not question Allegri's decision because Milan's midfield has indeed reached a point where there are no other players available.
As expected, Seedorf's performance in this game once again became a nightmare for Milan. In the first half, we could barely see Seedorf's presence in both attack and defense. In the second half, when trailing, Allegri instructed Seedorf to make more forward runs, but the Dutchman's execution was chaotic. Seedorf's through balls were completely out of sync with his teammates' thinking, and his forward movements did not bring any pressure to the opponents.
Seedorf has been an eight-year veteran at Milan. In the first decade of the 21st century, Seedorf's performance was commendable. In that era when Milan had an abundance of "number 10" players, Seedorf secured a place in the Rossoneri squad with his excellent awareness and skillful footwork. Even though his competitors like Rui Costa, Rivaldo, and Kaka were strong, Seedorf still managed to earn the title of a "midfield maestro."
As a player wearing the number 10 jersey, he should have become the team's on-field leader, but Milan's number 10 was an exception. In the match against Udinese, Seedorf aimlessly wandered for 69 minutes before being substituted off. More shockingly, when Seedorf left the field, he was met with relentless abuse from the South Stand fans!
Why was the emotion of the die-hard Rossoneri supporters so intense? The statistics have already given the answer. Seedorf made 57 passes with 49 successful ones, no key passes, only completed 2 tackles and 1 interception. Such data ranked last among Milan's three midfielders. Worse still, the route guarded by Seedorf was frequently breached by the opponents, and his slow backtracking speed was unbearable. In the slow-motion replay ratings, Seedorf only scored 5.5 points, the second lowest score in the entire game.
After aimlessly wandering for 69 minutes, Seedorf finally waited for the moment to be substituted. A surprising scene occurred when Seedorf left the field. The die-hard fans in the South Stand of San Siro rushed to the railing and relentlessly cursed at Seedorf! About five or six fans gathered around the railing, almost descending into the stands to vent their anger at Seedorf up close! It wasn't until the Dutchman fully entered the bench that the Milan fans slowly returned to their seats.