Contrasts: Balotelli v Pogba

The contrasting fortunes of AC Milan forward Mario Balotelli and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba reflect their teams’ fortunes ahead of the Coppa Italia final, writes Adam Digby…

Recent seasons have seen the Coppa Italia – Italy’s only domestic cup competition – return to prominence, the final restored to its traditional end-of-season place on the schedule and become a one-off showpiece at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

Having previously been shunted around the calendar and played over two legs, this year’s edition arguably sees the nation’s two biggest clubs go head-to-head in an encounter that both teams will be desperate to win.

Milan have not reached this stage of the competition since they lifted the trophy in 2003, a victory which came just a few days after they beat Juventus in that year’s Champions League final.

The Rossoneri would, of course, repeat their European triumph in 2007 and be crowned Serie A winners at the end of the 2010/11 campaign, but the current team pales in comparison to the one which contained Alessandro Nesta, Andriy Shevchenko and Cafu.

With owner Silvio Berlusconi no longer willing or able to invest as heavily as he has in the past, Milan have gone from perennial contenders both at home and abroad to a jarring role as also-rans.

The last three seasons have seen the once-feared San Siro giants finish eighth, 10th and seventh. A loss on Saturday would see them endure a third-consecutive season without European football.

Continually chasing a quick-fix, they have repeatedly failed to appoint a coach worthy of the club’s stature, quickly firing former players Clarence Seedorf and Pippo Inzaghi when they failed to improve the fortunes of the side.

It seemed that would end last summer when Berlusconi finally began to spend in the transfer market, bringing in former Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca and prized young …

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