While on the pitch, over these two weeks, Milan are fighting for qualification to next season’s UEFA Champions League, in the boardrooms of the ownership another hugely important match is being played, one that will determine the future of the Rossoneri club. Peppe Di Stefano, live on Sky Sport 24, gave a long and detailed overview of the current state of the power struggle taking place at Casa Milan. It is an extremely important discussion, given that the current uncertainty is not only about who will coach Milan, but above all about who will run Milan.
As Sky’s correspondent explains, it is certainly no secret that this situation intensified three years ago, with the dismissal of Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara. Until recently, the Rossoneri club was still owned by Cardinale, but because of the vendor loan (a loan from the seller to the buyer at more favourable rates, editor’s note) granted by Elliott to the RedBird Capital Partners fund, CEO Giorgio Furlani has always held considerable decision-making power.
A few months ago, Cardinale refinanced the vendor loan, thereby paying off the debt he owed to the fund managed by the Singer family. As a result, for the first time in three years, the head of RedBird could realistically shape his own Milan during the summer.
Here are all the scenarios:
Di Stefano outlines three scenarios, which we report in random order and not by importance.
One of the few certainties is that the current sporting director, Igli Tare, is out regardless of which scenario unfolds at Milan.
Furlani resists...
Scenario A: CEO Giorgio Furlani withstands these upheavals and continues to maintain an absolutely central role. In this case, according to Sky’s correspondent, there would be a new coach, a profile in the mould of Vincenzo Italiano of Bologna FC 1909, as well as a new sporting director in the style of Tony D'Amico.
Authority to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Casa Milan?
Scenario B: Zlatan Ibrahimović, who in this period has been very active in making it known that he intends to take control of the situation again, would head the technical and sporting project together with Geoffrey Moncada. The Swede would choose a new coach, thereby moving on from Massimiliano Allegri, as well as a new sporting director, a profile similar to Paratici, who at the moment is contractually tied to ACF Fiorentina. While awaiting a final decision from Cardinale, Ibra is already actively working on planning ahead: in recent days, yesterday, and the day before yesterday, meetings were held at Casa Milan with several departments of the club in an attempt to begin a new cycle.
Galliani's return to AC Milan?
Scenario C: the scenario of an almost total revolution. Cardinale would choose a new CEO for Milan, replacing Giorgio Furlani, and would involve Adriano Galliani (already close to returning last summer), who would work alongside Scaroni (responsible for the new stadium project), with Massimiliano Allegri confirmed as coach and a new sporting director replacing Tare. The names mentioned by Di Stefano are Tognozzi or Giovanni Rossi, former sporting director of US Sassuolo Calcio.
Scenario C, involving Galliani’s return and Allegri’s confirmation, would above all bring a great deal of experience back into the club through the former Rossoneri CEO from the Berlusconi era, and would also provide a major boost in terms of “Milanismo” and identity, two factors that supporters currently feel are sorely lacking.
The main question, however, remains this: will the head of RedBird really have the power to remove CEO Giorgio Furlani from the Milan project? Will he truly have the freedom to reshape the Rossoneri club’s organisational structure as he pleases? That will become clear in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, the team have two matches to secure Champions League qualification: "all" they need are two wins from two, against Genoa CFC and Cagliari Calcio. This was relayed via Milannews.it.
