Zlatan: Against all odds, God wins.

At 38, with over 500 goals to his name, a devastating MLS goalscoring campaign behind him, a recurring Achilles problem to ponder and no football for over 3 months, Zlatan has been transferred to Milan . The talismanic mercenary had played for every historic club in his storied career, leaving broken ribs, tattered egos and short climaxes in his wake. However, for the first time, he was in no hurry. This giant man, who until then had done nothing in his life except conquer new lands, dreamed of the glory of a perfect return.

Surprisingly, the return of Zla tan was met with ridicule by the mainstream press. At the time, the prevailing wisdom was that "Zlatan went back to Milan to eat" - "which is understandable as well. When Zlatan got off the jet at Linate, AC Milan weren't in top form. Fans had endured a decade of banter, years since the last trophy, a failed takeover, a slew of subprime talent, and constant change and no success.

In December 2019, Milan suffered a five-nil beating at Bergamo. Just weeks earlier, the club's sporting directors Maldini and Boban were forced to terminate Marco Giampaolo seven games into his tenure after 3 wins and 4 losses (including embarrassing performances against Inter and Fiorentina), and a grand total of four red cards. Milan was collapsing.

To reverse the trend, the club turned to Stefano Pioli. Prior to his appointment, they had openly courted Spaletti after his work with Internazionale but failed to secure his signature due to issues with his existing contract. Stefano Pioli, the humble bald man with a priestly reputation and a quiet expression who, until now, had been an almost-man. Almost with Lazio, almost with Inter, and so many times at Fiorentina  defined more by the tragic disappearance of Davide Astori than by anything that has been achieved on the pitch. In response, #PioliOut ranked third on Twitter for an entire day —  such was the fury of the Milanisti.

Pioli's stay in Milan started with a bad surprise. Milan picked the game against Lecce by the skin in a way they simply couldn't under previous management. One, two assists: Hakan, Leão, goal clearance and Paquetá with a rebound over the bar were the first moves on the pitch. The pace was quicker, the steps lighter, and the players were in their real positions. However, despite Milan dominating, Marco Calderoni's piledriver ensured that I...