The interview Paolo Maldini gave to the newspaper La Repubblica a few days ago made quite a stir in the Rossoneri world. He talked about hix exit and relationship with the executives at the club.
Yet, there are those who speculate about his potential return to the club.
How is it possible to speculate, given what happened between Maldini and much of Milan's management, that the former captain might come back to the club? Let's start with the recent trip by Cardinale and Furlani to Bahrain, revealed by 'Repubblica' a few days ago.
Reportedly, RedBird's head and the Rossoneri CEO were there to meet investors from the Arab region in anticipation of a forthcoming restructuring of the Milan club. These were the rumors coming from the Middle East, which did not exclude the possibility of a 'reshuffle' in the Rossoneri management.
However, according to sports journalist Stefano Donati from 'TeleLombardia,' it seems that rather than the entry of new partners, the meeting might lead to an imminent change in the leadership of Milan. Investcorp, a Bahrain-based fund, is said to be ready to enter the club through the front door. Yes, the same Investcorp that in 2021, led by its Executive President Mohammed Bin Mahfoodh Alardhi, had attempted to acquire the Rossoneri club from Elliott, only to stall during the due diligence phase because Singer's fund preferred RedBird's offer.
This year, Investcorp showed interest in Inter but seems to have had no follow-up with Suning. How does Maldini's potential return to Milan tie into this high finance operation?
It appears that Investcorp, which two years ago stated its readiness to spend 300-400 million euros in the market to rejuvenate Milan, has already had discussions with Maldini to reinstate him as head of the technical area of the Rossoneri club if the club acquisition were to succeed. It's plausible that a company, when changing ownership, revises its managerial roster. It's also rumored that Maldini was in favor of Investcorp's arrival at Milan two years ago. It would certainly be remarkable to see the Rossoneri legend return through the main door of Via Aldo Rossi after being thrown out just six months ago.
On second thought, in that now-famous interview with 'Repubblica,' despite feeling hurt by the treatment he received, Maldini hadn't completely closed the door on 'his' Milan. "A bond of 36 years is too strong and will remain forever: history can't be erased.. The future? Alternatives to Milan are limited: never another Italian, perhaps only a high-level foreigner. I like winning and building. Saudi Arabia? Who knows, it could be an idea." Or perhaps a project in Bahrain, with the concrete possibility of coming back home in a few months. Like in the most romantic of movies.
Pianeta Milan, however, point out that RedBird doesn't have the intention to sell Milan, at least not right now. There's nothing of that sort on the horizon. Rather, Cardinale's fund might be seeking new investors for the Rossoneri club, not new shareholders and/or owners. This is because RedBird will have to repay, in 2025, the 'vendor loan' (a loan from the seller to the buyer) that Elliott granted to Gerry Cardinale and his group for the acquisition of the Rossoneri club last year, which amounted to 600 million euros and has seen a decrease over time.
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