Next Monday night’s meeting of AC Milan and Roma means more than most football matches. The two clubs are not traditional rivals, but they are in direct competition with each other as the leading challengers to Juventus’ Serie A throne. And they are also opposites in a strategic sense.
There are many ways to build a football team, though there are two very obvious methods. One is to utilise the transfer market to buy and sell players, aiming to generate profit which can then be reinvested in the team-building process. In complete contrast to that, another way is to focus on internal improvements with an emphasis on youth development.