Riyadh, day 1 - Our arrival.

Whatever the distance, we’re never truly away, even if we travel many kilometres for you. It was only a short trip to Monza on Saturday, a journey that was even possible by moped. Today, an aeroplane was required: accompanied by Qatar Airways, we made our furthest trip, one that will keep us away from Milano, our city, for a few days.

So many stories of love, of friendship. And Riyadh will, once again, be the setting for a new one. A year ago, in this very city, our incredible 2023 began. It started with a derby, a wonderful 3-0 victory and a Supercoppa Italiana triumph that we got to celebrate with our fans.

The rays of the beautiful, warm sun filtered through the windows and joined the team on yet another journey. This is a tight-knit group, a family, as Hakan Calhanoglu pointed out after Monza vs. Inter. Travelling is second nature to our boys, whose habits are ingrained. And they were also on display today, when the time spent in the air was almost twice as long as usual.

It’s a five-hour trip from Milano to Riyadh, where we’re ready to cross the bridge that splits our season in half. Starting tomorrow, yet another countdown will begin in the streets of the Saudi capital and on the pitches that will be our home away from home for a few days.

The sun has left us and the night has set in. But it’s not dark, for we’ve been welcomed by the lights of a city we now know well.

Riyadh, we have arrived.