Gerry Cardinale will be at San Siro for AC Milan vs. Cagliari, but he is already at work on the plans for the future.
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According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, only a last-minute change of plans would stop Cardinale being at the game on Sunday. He hopes to celebrate qualification for next season’s Champions League on Sunday before turning the page and redesigning Milan for 2026-27.
This will start on Monday, and there are two key ideas already in his mind: keeping Massimiliano Allegri as the head coach and engineering a reshuffle of the management team.
Max trust
With a top four spot, Allegri will automatically receive an extra year on his contract, and Cardinale wants Max to have no doubts about staying at Milanello. He will speak to him and reiterate the project that sees him at the heart of the club.
He hasn’t changed his mind since last week’s interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. The victory in Genoa – which came at the team’s most difficult moment, with maximum pressure on the team and their coach – confirmed Allegri’s great qualities in Cardinale’s eyes.
With him in the dug out, the Rossoneri went from eighth place last season to the current third place, ninety minutes before the end of the season. The owner believes the decline since mid-March must not overshadow what Max has achieved previously.
He sees that Max has rebuilt a strong and cohesive dressing room, he made an important contribution to Mike Maignan’s contract renewal, and the 42 points earned in the first half of the season was above expectations.
If they complete the job by beating Cagliari, or at least secure a spot in the Champions League, they’ll have reached the finish line for the season. In such a scenario, it’s inevitable that they’ll move forward with the project to sew the second star onto their shirt by 2028.
They’d therefore have two more seasons to attack Scudetto number 20. This would put Napoli out of the running, who are eyeing Allegri as Antonio Conte’s replacement.
Goretzka, Leao and more
It’s clear that Allegri will ask Cardinale for a transfer window that will allow Milan to cope with their added midweek commitments. He wants to be listened to more and demands more quality and leadership in the squad.
The first ‘gift’ will soon arrive with the signing of Leon Goretzka on a free transfer. The German is on his way out of Bayern Munich and is waiting for the Rossoneri to secure Champions League qualification before committing to the Diavolo. He’s spoken with the coach and management and is convinced of his Serie A experience.
The priority remains the search for a Champions League-worthy striker. Allegri has mentioned Gonçalo Ramos, currently playing for PSG, as a potential name. It’s not an easy task, but an attempt will be made.
Also complicated by the costs is Serhou Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund (who wants to leave Germany), while Nicolas Jackson and Alexander Sorloth are also on the list. Plus, there’s Dusan Vlahovic whose renewal with Juventus now seems further away.
Speaking of the forward line, keep an eye on Rafael Leao’s situation. He’ll leave with a reasonable offer: his time at Milan is considered over, and his performances this season – where he hasn’t shone as a centre-forward – have raised no doubts with the management.
One of Fenerbahçe’s presidential candidates, Hakan Safi, has inquired about the Portuguese, who intends to carefully evaluate all options. He hopes Manchester United will make a concrete move or that Barcelona will be forced to replace Marcus Rashford. He won’t make a decision until after the World Cup.
Corporate reshuffle
Cardinale is expected to stay in Milan at least Monday for a few meetings at Casa Milan. He already met in London last week with consultants Massimo Calvelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, plus the CEO Giorgio Furlani, and Chief Brand Officer Montini.
That was the first opportunity to review the season, but discussions will clearly be further explored in the coming days. A change in leadership is in the air, meaning the appointment of a new CEO to replace Furlani.
The club categorically denied that the relationship had been severed yesterday. What happens in the coming days remains to be seen: it’s not out of the question that Furlani might step down or they might reach an agreement to part ways.
Calvelli is not interested in this position and intends to continue overseeing RedBird’s sports-related projects (the stadium, NBA Europe with the San Donato arena, etc.), so he will be in charge of the hiring of a new Chief Executive.
Allegri favours Igli Tare’s continued service, praising him in Saturday’s press conference. This could prove significant. Then there’s Adriano Galliani, who could play a significant role in the new Milan. He remains the club’s most successful director (29 trophies in 31 years) as well as a die-hard Milan fan.
His experience and strong relationship with Allegri could also be useful in avoiding tensions like those between Max and Ibrahimovic.