Recently, Pato had become the most hardworking player in the entire club.
Ancelotti was well aware of what had changed with Pato — the kid was now training like a madman.
He was the first to arrive at the training ground every morning and the last to leave at night.
Sometimes, the security guards had to physically drag him out.
His dedication hadn't gone unnoticed. In fact, many of the old guard at Milan were deeply moved by his transformation.
At Milan, any young player with genuine drive was always welcomed with open arms.
During a training session, Gattuso punched Pato in the stomach.
Pato was terrified, thinking Gattuso was about to beat him up.
But instead, Gattuso followed it up with:
"Keep it up!"
Pato couldn't figure these old guys out — their way of showing support was just too weird.
The conflict between Šuker and Ambrosini?
It simply faded away.
Šuker returned to his usual self, and the locker room became lively again.
No one bothered to ask how they made peace. Everyone just cared that things were back to normal.
Meanwhile, some changes were happening within the Milan hierarchy.
Milan's vice-chairman, Galliani, ordered renovations to the Milanello training ground cafeteria.
To be fair, it wasn't a major renovation — mostly just replacing old equipment. The entire "project" took just an afternoon.
The old knight-style dining tables were removed.
In their place stood three long modern tables, symbolizing a new era for Milan.
This also served to diminish the influence of the so-called "knight's table."
Ever since Maldini began stepping back from first-team affairs, Galliani had been making slow but steady changes to the squad structure.
Ambrosini had no time to deal with Šuker now — he was busy fighting Galliani.
Ambrosini was a staunch Maldini loyalist and a beneficiary of the knight's table system, so he was naturally opposed to scrapping the tradition.
But with Maldini remaining silent, Ambrosini's influence was limited — he was no match for Galliani.
Especially since Milan's president, Berlusconi, subtly supported Galliani's approach.
Šuker simply watched all of this from the sidelines. He had no interest in getting involved.
Ever since his conflict with Ambrosini, the faction lines in the locker room had become increasingly clear.
Ambrosini led the Italian core.
Šuker, meanwhile, was at the head of the Eastern European group, which had absorbed the Brazilian contingent, forming a faction that couldn't be ignored.
Fortunately, Šuker didn't stir trouble, and with Maldini still officially active (albeit on the bench), the locker room situation remained relatively stable — for now.
As for the future?
Šuker didn't care.
He'd be gone by then anyway.
In terms of the league, the new Serie A season was about to begin.
And this year, the competition was fiercer than ever.
AC Milan's aging squad meant they no longer held the same dominance, and many teams were eager to take a crack at the Scudetto.
They were gearing up to end the Milan dynasty.
Of course, that wasn't going to be easy.
Especially now that the Bianconeri — Juventus — had returned to Serie A after one season in Serie B.
Despite being relegated, Juventus had sliced through Serie B like a hot knife through butter, securing promotion with ease.
Although they'd lost several top stars, many loyal veterans stayed, and with new generation players emerging, Juve entered this season with aggressive ambitions.
Right now, Serie A was still a bit chaotic.
Aside from Inter Milan, who looked stable:
AC Milan had an aging roster
Juventus had just been promoted
Roma remained inconsistent
Fiorentina was in a gradual revival
All of them were considered contenders.
That said, while Serie A was becoming more competitive internally, its overall European strength had declined — a reality no one could ignore.
Whether Serie A could perform well in Europe this season was still a big question mark.
And under these uncertain conditions, the Serie A season opener arrived.
August 26th — Juventus vs AC Milan.
Juventus, returning to the top flight, would face double-title holders AC Milan in their very first match back.
Naturally, this match drew massive attention.
It would serve as a litmus test to evaluate how much strength both Juventus and Milan had left.
Especially for Inter, Roma, Fiorentina — teams with championship ambitions — this game would be crucial to assess the state of their rivals.
Stadio delle Alpi, Turin.
This was the shared home stadium of Juventus and Torino.
But now, Juventus was trying to buy full ownership, with plans to kick Torino out and make it their exclusive home ground.
The stadium held 70,000 seats, more than enough for a huge crowd.
And for this opening match, Juventus fans flooded the stands.
A massive TIFO was displayed in the stands.
A giant Juventus crest with a bold slogan underneath:
"Serie A — Juventus is back!"
After a full year in Serie B, Juventus had tasted every hardship life had to offer.
With little media attention and a serious financial crunch, the club had tightened its belt just to survive.
It's said that many of the players agreed to pay cuts, all to keep the club afloat.
And now, after that year of struggle, they were finally back in Serie A.
It meant everything.
And now, their first match back would be against their longtime rival AC Milan.
This wasn't just a game — it was a statement.
In the player tunnel.
Šuker eyed the Juventus squad:
Buffon, Trezeguet, Del Piero — familiar old rivals.
These were the loyal warriors who had chosen to stay with the club through its darkest time.
"Welcome to the 2007/08 Serie A season opener: The returning Juventus faces reigning double-champions AC Milan!"
Commentator Aldo Serena didn't dwell much on the controversial past.
Serie A was trying hard to move on from the Calciopoli scandal.
"After a year in Serie B, how sharp are players like Trezeguet and Del Piero?Can Chiellini lead a makeshift backline to withstand Šuker's pressure?"
"On the other side, Milan's aging defense — how much fight do they still have?This match will give us all the answers!"
"Let's take a look at the starting lineups!"
Starting Lineups:
Juventus (3-5-2):
GK: Buffon
DEF: Criscito, Chiellini, Andrade
MID: Nocerino, Zanetti, Almirón, Nedvěd, Salihamidžić
FW: Del Piero, Trezeguet
AC Milan (4-4-2):
GK: Dida
DEF: Oddo, Nesta, Šimunić, Jankulovski
MID: Ambrosini, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf
FW: Kaká, Šuker
Compared to last season, Milan's lineup had undergone significant changes.
Especially in defense.
Veterans like Cafu and Maldini had faded from the starting XI, giving way to Oddo, Jankulovski, and Šimunić.
Maldini still sat on the bench, but now more as a symbol than a real defensive force.
Ancelotti rubbed his temples.
The summer transfer window had been disappointing, especially in defense.
The budget was too limited — top players were out of reach, and even good loans were hard to secure.
"No club's loaning out their best defenders!" So Ancelotti figured, why not develop what they already had?
Players like Šimunić still had potential — just not the kind that could restore Milan's once-legendary defense.
Right now, Milan's only winning card was Šuker.
If Šuker played well — Milan could win.
If he didn't — they'd lose.
Even if Šuker did his best, a leaky defense might still sink the ship.
That kind of collapse would likely happen in big matches later in the season.
For now, Milan could still hold the line.
Ancelotti was simply waiting for the winter window, hoping to snag a hidden gem.