Time is (apparently) running out. But Milan doesn't seem to think so. Even during the two-week league break for international fixtures, the club is not expected to make significant progress in planning for the upcoming season.
Efforts to accelerate decisions on two key figures—the sporting director, who will fill the void of the past two seasons, and the coach who will replace Sergio Conceição—remain ongoing.
The respective selection processes are still underway, and according to reports from Casa Milan, CEO Giorgio Furlani will be occupied in the coming days with a series of meetings with commercial partners in Dubai, where the Rossoneri inaugurated an office in 2023.
At least at the beginning of this week, no meetings are scheduled with potential candidates for the restructuring of Milan's technical department. As of July, Geoffrey Moncada will reassume his role as head of scouting after an underwhelming two-season stint as technical director. Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic appears to be facing an increasingly evident “demotion.” After Furlani's trip to New York to reaffirm to owner Gerry Cardinale his central role in all club decisions, including sporting matters, Ibrahimovic must now decide on his Rossoneri future. A more marginal role—as a simple consultant for RedBird and more of a brand ambassador than a key decision-maker in technical matters—may not suit the former Swedish star, who has also been much less present, even in media appearances, at Milan's recent matches.
Ibrahimovic and Cardinale had initiated discussions in past weeks, first with Fabio Paratici and then with Igli Tare, to identify a sporting director who would take charge immediately. This director would be responsible for selecting the best managerial profile to spearhead a new technical project and plan the club’s first moves in the summer transfer market. However, all of this was done without involving the club’s ultimate decision-maker, Giorgio Furlani, who has since reasserted his authority and effectively restarted the selection process for a sporting director from scratch. Former Juventus director Paratici—currently sidelined due to his ban related to the capital gains case from his time at Tottenham, which will expire on July 20—is an intriguing candidate, though he does not enjoy unanimous support within the club. With Tare falling out of favor, attention has shifted to other potential candidates, such as Atalanta’s Tony D’Amico, with whom Furlani has already initiated preliminary talks.
Logically, the choice of sporting director should determine the selection of the next head coach, who will be tasked with steering Milan back on track after a highly challenging season. The club has already missed out on significant revenue due to its failure to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage and the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States. Now, Milan also risks missing out on next season’s edition of Europe’s top competition. Beyond financial concerns, the Rossoneri must also regain sporting competitiveness, which has been absent since their last Serie A title in 2022. Milan is preferably looking for an Italian coach with solid Serie A experience, capable of revitalizing a squad considered to be of high quality but one that has never performed consistently to its full potential.
Massimiliano Allegri, who previously managed Milan from 2010 to January 2014—winning a Serie A title and an Italian Super Cup—remains a leading candidate.
However, he is not the only name in contention, and not all candidates share the same footballing philosophy. Another contender is Vincenzo Italiano, who is having a stellar season at Bologna. Despite the departures of key players like Calafiori, Saelemaekers, and Zirkzee, as well as the impending exit of coach Thiago Motta, Italiano has kept the team in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification, all while playing an attractive brand of football that has developed many young talents. Also in consideration is Gian Piero Gasperini, who is likely to leave Atalanta in June after a remarkable nine-year tenure. However, the most intriguing name is Antonio Conte. Passed over about a year ago in favor of more “exotic” choices like Lopetegui, Fonseca, and now Conceição, the Salento-born coach is currently under contract with Napoli until 2027 but is not guaranteed to stay under Aurelio De Laurentiis. At Milan, many would welcome Conte’s arrival, and he is seen as a trump card that Fabio Paratici—if he were to become the sporting director—would use to reignite enthusiasm at the club.
Time is pressing for such strategic decisions, as clubs typically begin planning their seasons between March and April. However, at Milan, everything is proceeding with extreme calm.
Source: Calciomercato.com
