As we enter a pivotal summer for AC Milan, the exits of Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara have raised major uneasiness and concern over the future direction of the club.
As per Milan’s statement, Maldini’s time with the Rossoneri concluded last week in abrupt fashion, with Gerry Cardinale now ushering in a new era with a new management infrastructure that moves forward without the club legend.
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Admittedly, there were some ‘failures’ if you like and frustrations during the time Maldini and Massara operated as technical and sporting directors respectively, but ultimately with their guidance, we returned to the Champions League on a consistent basis, won a Serie A title and have established a much healthier financial position.
Further, the way in which the situation unravelled and Maldini left, lacked respect and integrity given the influence and history he has with the club, and subsequently it went down horribly with the Milan faithful and football fans alike.
Time will tell if Cardinale’s new strategy for the club works, with Giorgio Furlani installed as CEO and Geoffrey Moncada’s role expected to evolve and expand, but given the timing and manner of the announcement, it has raised real uneasiness over the club’s plan.
Having seen how such quick, fundamental changes after coming into a club have gone for Chelsea as the most recent example, we’ve yet to see enough to be fully convinced and reassured that Cardinale and his team know exactly what they’re doing, and importantly, whether or not they are capable of improving Milan on and off the pitch to take us to the next level.
Our first insight will come with the summer transfer window in terms of who we target and ultimately sign, as that will likely give us an indication of the ambition and desire to spend from ownership to make us increasingly competitive.
Success starts at the top with solid ownership who know what they’re doing and have the club’s best interests at the forefront of their strategy, and that then filters down through the management structure, coaching staff and players, and plays an influential role in the recruitment aspect and financial stability of the club.
It’s a fine balance that many owners have failed to find and it often leads to discontent and frustration amongst the fanbase. The decision to part with Maldini and Massara was undoubtedly hugely unpopular, but having made that call, the pressure is on Cardinale and Co. to show us that it had to be part of the ongoing evolution of Milan to get us to where we want to be. Back at the top of the tree in Italy and amongst the best in Europe.
Should they falter though and question marks begin to be raised over their plan if we fail to take a step forward and stall, this decision will be considered even more questionable than it already is.