MilanVibes: Contact made with Nunez’s camp as Milan begin striker hunt – the situation

Attorney Auteri: “The AC Milan revolution
isn’t just about AC Milan, it could be about
the entire system.”
by Francesco Finulli

Camillo Auteri, a lawyer specializing in sports law, comments on AC Milan’s current situation.
Lawyer and sports law expert Camillo Auteri analyzed the shakeup that has affected AC Milan’s management : “It may be my profession that influences me, or perhaps it’s because I live with doubts, but I wonder if Cardinale was right; if the path he took wasn’t truly leading to a definitive and successful turnaround in the management of the club; if what was implemented wasn’t a mere clean sweep, the result of a disappointment and in the typical manner of a headhunter, but rather the foundation stone of a new construction, in terms of structure and management—in short, political and philosophical.
I’ve chosen to look at it from a presidential perspective.”

“So, the clean slate implemented by Gerry Cardinale at AC Milan in Milan has led, a few days later—in fact, several days after the timing announced by the President himself—to a “modernization,” rather than a true revolution, of the corporate structure.
A bit like when you change the furniture in a room to give it a so-called “fresh air” or a sense of rejuvenation, the American president has set his new managerial course within our country’s most illustrious football team.”

“In my opinion, however, even though many colleagues and insiders would interpret the term modernization with a negative connotation, camouflaging with this choice a clumsy reorganization or, even worse, a real incompetence, I believe instead that, as a good American (and therefore, always in a totally positive sense, a good visionary), the president has seized the opportunity to establish a working group of a markedly nonconformist nature, always considering the current Italian football system and the consequences of all past events.”

“The fans’ endless doubts and fears are now obvious and obvious, but as an outsider and modest industry insider, I’m also very curious to understand the real feasibility of such an innovative project for our football system.”

“We are on the heels of President Malagò’s fitting appointment as head of our system, announcing, among other things, a major reform for our youth system. This can only fit perfectly with the project AC Milan is implementing thanks to this mission, for which President Cardinale will receive both honors and responsibilities, criticism and praise.”

“The new AC Milan organizational chart will, as is now well known, be pyramidal and will answer solely to President Cardinale; there will be a highly strategic working group that will coordinate the president, management, and coaching staff.”

Massimo Calvelli has succeeded Giorgio Furlani as CEO, Ruben Amorim has been chosen as “manager”, using this term specifically (manager and not coach). He will be a manager with wide margins of action and evaluation, both in the scouting area and in the evaluation of profiles within the club, as well as the profiles that are and will be followed. Amorim himself will indicate the profiles to be integrated into the first team and, as mentioned, will have a specific weight and management à la Fabregas, so to speak. Transfer market negotiations will be the responsibility of Hendrick Almstadt (who will also occupy the top position in so-called player trading), with him Bobby Gardiner, Chief of Football Intelligence, also in the role of coordinating scouting activities, which will see Donato Lomonte as head. The youth sector will still have Kirovski as head of Milan Futuro and Vincenzo Vergine remains in charge of the youth sector. The financial aspects will be the responsibility of David Castelblanco, already a member of the AC Milan Board of Directors and a person very close to the ownership; Paolo Scaroni will remain President and Zlatan Ibrahimović confirmed as senior advisor to the owners and the president”.

AC Milan fans hope that filling all these boxes—by moving existing players around, adding new positions, and expanding or narrowing existing and new areas of responsibility—will achieve what every ordinary (but very special) AC Milan fan hopes for: the completion of a balanced and competitive squad that can put the coach at ease in developing his own playing philosophy. In short, an AC Milan that is competitive in Italy and Europe. It’s rarely talked about, but it’s worth remembering that AC Milan is effectively in its so-called phase 2, as phase 1 was admirably completed by the current ownership. Over time, the club took over a club with some financial problems, led it first to a break-even budget and then to a profit, and guided the club through a financial recovery process, the so-called “settlement agreement,” to brilliantly comply with UEFA’s FFP parameters. This was made official for AC Milan a few days ago.

The President’s approach to the club clearly goes against the grain of the last 100 years of Italian football, representing a unique entity within the national football landscape. It shares some similarities only with Como, a club that in just a few years has grown from a mere hamlet into a diamond, not even that rough anymore. Como, too, brought a few key elements to the table: a visionary president, boundless faith in the manager, the use of supportive (and not substitute) analysis, professionals all with a single, solid vision of renewal, and, above all, the peace of mind to develop and grow the project, both corporately and environmentally. But AC Milan is not Como, with all due respect; in fact, there’s no one quite like AC Milan. But overall, it’s certainly the Liverpool model that most closely resembles Cardinale’s revolution; let’s try to understand what positive aspects this approach could bring. First of all, few will remember that the good Cardinale, far from having woken up last week and suddenly overturned AC Milan’s organizational chart, already over a year ago, during the ESPN event at the 19th Sport Analytics Conference in Boston in March 2025, referred to the excellent example of Liverpool and how they had undertaken an evolution even in terms of football team management. Cardinale’s aim is to replicate the Reds’ Club/Management/Society compromise, thus finding a continuum to increase revenue, making the club’s financial flow sustainable and able to adjust it over the years as needed. Essentially, to generate annual profits that, with reinvestment both internally (facilities) and externally (squad strengthening), will enable new successes for everyone: Club, Fans, and Club. There’s a lot of talk (and bad talk) about player trading, but this tool shouldn’t be seen as a purely two-dimensional operation, attributable to a screen containing data that may or may not be received, interpreted, and used by the user. The aforementioned Como works and uses this analytical system to create a pool from which, beyond the macro requirements already analyzed with the system, it can certainly find an additional component (unknown to databases) of intuition, expertise, and experience that will undoubtedly complement the initial analytical analysis. That said, the existence of the bug, understood as the surprise, the unexpected element, the diamond in the rough, always completes that aspect of incredible beauty and romance of this sport. But we were talking about Liverpool and their system to import into our world. Last summer, the English team earned almost £100 million thanks to the sales of Alexander-Arnold, Kelleher, Nat Phillips, Tyler Morton,Quansah and Ben Doak. What do these players have in common? They all come from the English club’s youth teams. They cost little or nothing, but were expertly managed, brought all the way to the first team and made known to the public. Once their qualities were balanced with the club’s needs, they were either placed in the first-team squad (Alexander-Arnold) or sold to other top-flight clubs. Last season, their youth players accounted for 18.5% of the Premier League minutes played, a figure no other Premier League club has matched or improved. Obviously, the superficial, or simply unprofessional, reader is struck by the figure Liverpool spent last summer—nearly €500 million—and acquired all top-tier players, such as Isak from Newcastle and Wirtz from the German league. Yet, despite all this, Liverpool did not have to pay the price imposed by Financial Fair Play. How did they manage it? The answer is always the same: thanks to their youth academy, which continues to generate annual revenue. Over the past five years, the English club has earned over €230 million from its youth academy. The club’s investment in the Academy is enormous, and the proceeds come from the youth system itself, which, in addition to developing local youngsters, continues to skillfully integrate its academy with talent from across the globe to fill gaps and improve the sector’s potential. Proof of this is the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha, who, at 16, arrived from Chelsea, already becoming the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s Premier League history. Liverpool’s training facility, the Axa Training Center in Kirkby, was built for approximately £50 million just five years ago. The club is well aware that this is a veritable “Mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth sector, its development, and the profiles it generates. This keeps the English club consistently on track for success, maintaining a high level of financial stability and thus being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the right balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection ability inevitably leads to success. This is the goal Gerry Cardinale has set himself: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.But expertly managed, brought all the way to the first team and made known to the public, at which point, balancing their qualities with the club’s needs, they were either placed in the first-team squad (Alexander-Arnold) or sold to other top-flight clubs. Last season, their youth-trained players accounted for 18.5% of the minutes played in the Premier League, an achievement no other Premier League club has matched or improved. Obviously, the superficial, or simply unprofessional, reader is struck by the figure that Liverpool spent nearly €500 million last summer, acquiring all top-tier players—just think of Isak from Newcastle and Wirtz from the German league—but despite all this, Liverpool hasn’t had to pay the price imposed by Financial Fair Play. How did they manage it? The answer is always the same: thanks to their youth academy, which continues to generate annual income. Over the last five years, the English club has earned over €230 million from its youth academy. The club’s investment in the Academy is enormous, and the proceeds come from the youth system itself. In addition to nurturing local youth, it continues to skillfully integrate its academy with talent from across the globe to fill gaps and enhance the sector’s potential. This is confirmed by the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha, who, at 16, arrived from Chelsea, already becoming Liverpool’s youngest Premier League goalscorer. Liverpool’s training facility, the Axa Training Center in Kirkby, was built for approximately £50 million just five years ago. The club is well aware that this is a veritable “mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth system, its development, and the talent it generates. This keeps the English club on a path to excellence, maintaining a high level of financial stability, and thus also being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the key balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection skills inevitably leads to success. This is Gerry Cardinale’s goal: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri Club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.But expertly managed, brought all the way to the first team and made known to the public, at which point, balancing their qualities with the club’s needs, they were either placed in the first-team squad (Alexander-Arnold) or sold to other top-flight clubs. Last season, their youth-trained players accounted for 18.5% of the minutes played in the Premier League, an achievement no other Premier League club has matched or improved. Obviously, the superficial, or simply unprofessional, reader is struck by the figure that Liverpool spent nearly €500 million last summer, acquiring all top-tier players—just think of Isak from Newcastle and Wirtz from the German league—but despite all this, Liverpool hasn’t had to pay the price imposed by Financial Fair Play. How did they manage it? The answer is always the same: thanks to their youth academy, which continues to generate annual income. Over the last five years, the English club has earned over €230 million from its youth academy. The club’s investment in the Academy is enormous, and the proceeds come from the youth system itself. In addition to nurturing local youth, it continues to skillfully integrate its academy with talent from across the globe to fill gaps and enhance the sector’s potential. This is confirmed by the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha, who, at 16, arrived from Chelsea, already becoming Liverpool’s youngest Premier League goalscorer. Liverpool’s training facility, the Axa Training Center in Kirkby, was built for approximately £50 million just five years ago. The club is well aware that this is a veritable “mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth system, its development, and the talent it generates. This keeps the English club on a path to excellence, maintaining a high level of financial stability, and thus also being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the key balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection skills inevitably leads to success. This is Gerry Cardinale’s goal: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri Club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.Last season, their youth players accounted for 18.5% of the minutes played in the Premier League, a figure no other Premier League club has matched or bettered. Of course, the superficial, or simply unprofessional, reader is struck by the figure that Liverpool spent nearly €500 million last summer, acquiring all top-tier players—just think of Isak from Newcastle and Wirtz from the German league—but despite all this, Liverpool hasn’t had to pay the price imposed by Financial Fair Play. How did they manage this? The answer is always the same: thanks to their youth academy, which continues to generate annual revenue. Over the last five years, the English club has earned over €230 million from its youth academy. The club’s investment in the Academy is enormous, and the proceeds come from the youth system itself. In addition to nurturing local youth, it continues to skillfully integrate its academy with talent from across the globe to fill gaps and enhance the sector’s potential. This is confirmed by the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha, who, at 16, arrived from Chelsea, already becoming Liverpool’s youngest Premier League goalscorer. Liverpool’s training facility, the Axa Training Center in Kirkby, was built for approximately £50 million just five years ago. The club is well aware that this is a veritable “mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth system, its development, and the talent it generates. This keeps the English club on a path to excellence, maintaining a high level of financial stability, and thus also being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the key balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection skills inevitably leads to success. This is Gerry Cardinale’s goal: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri Club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.Last season, their youth players accounted for 18.5% of the minutes played in the Premier League, a figure no other Premier League club has matched or bettered. Of course, the superficial, or simply unprofessional, reader is struck by the figure that Liverpool spent nearly €500 million last summer, acquiring all top-tier players—just think of Isak from Newcastle and Wirtz from the German league—but despite all this, Liverpool hasn’t had to pay the price imposed by Financial Fair Play. How did they manage this? The answer is always the same: thanks to their youth academy, which continues to generate annual revenue. Over the last five years, the English club has earned over €230 million from its youth academy. The club’s investment in the Academy is enormous, and the proceeds come from the youth system itself. In addition to nurturing local youth, it continues to skillfully integrate its academy with talent from across the globe to fill gaps and enhance the sector’s potential. This is confirmed by the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha, who, at 16, arrived from Chelsea, already becoming Liverpool’s youngest Premier League goalscorer. Liverpool’s training facility, the Axa Training Center in Kirkby, was built for approximately £50 million just five years ago. The club is well aware that this is a veritable “mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth system, its development, and the talent it generates. This keeps the English club on a path to excellence, maintaining a high level of financial stability, and thus also being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the key balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection skills inevitably leads to success. This is Gerry Cardinale’s goal: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri Club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.Yet despite everything, Liverpool hasn’t had to pay the price imposed by Financial Fair Play. How did they manage it? The answer is always the same: thanks to their youth academy, which continues to generate annual income. Over the last five years, the English club has earned over €230 million from its youth academy. The club’s investment in the Academy is enormous, and the proceeds come from the youth system itself, which, in addition to developing local youngsters, continues to skillfully integrate its academy with talents drawn from elsewhere to fill gaps and improve the sector’s potential. Proof of this is the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha, who, at 16, arrived from Chelsea, already becoming the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s Premier League history. Liverpool’s training facility, the Axa Training Center in Kirkby, was built for approximately £50 million just five years ago. The club is well aware that this is a veritable “Mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth sector, its development, and the profiles it generates. This keeps the English club consistently on track for success, maintaining a high level of financial stability and thus being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the right balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection ability inevitably leads to success. This is the goal Gerry Cardinale has set himself: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.Yet despite everything, Liverpool hasn’t had to pay the price imposed by Financial Fair Play. How did they manage it? The answer is always the same: thanks to their youth academy, which continues to generate annual income. Over the last five years, the English club has earned over €230 million from its youth academy. The club’s investment in the Academy is enormous, and the proceeds come from the youth system itself, which, in addition to developing local youngsters, continues to skillfully integrate its academy with talents drawn from elsewhere to fill gaps and improve the sector’s potential. Proof of this is the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha, who, at 16, arrived from Chelsea, already becoming the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s Premier League history. Liverpool’s training facility, the Axa Training Center in Kirkby, was built for approximately £50 million just five years ago. The club is well aware that this is a veritable “Mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth sector, its development, and the profiles it generates. This keeps the English club consistently on track for success, maintaining a high level of financial stability and thus being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the right balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection ability inevitably leads to success. This is the goal Gerry Cardinale has set himself: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.The club is well aware that this is a veritable “Mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth sector, its development, and the profiles it generates. This keeps the English club consistently on track for success, maintaining a high level of financial stability and thus being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the right balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection ability inevitably leads to success. This is the goal Gerry Cardinale has set himself: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.The club is well aware that this is a veritable “Mint” for them, generating profits thanks to the growth of the youth sector, its development, and the profiles it generates. This keeps the English club consistently on track for success, maintaining a high level of financial stability and thus being able to capitalize on significant spending/investment potential. Finding the right balance between financial balance, sustainability, spending power, and selection ability inevitably leads to success. This is the goal Gerry Cardinale has set himself: not a simple organizational restyling, but a true ideological and systemic revolution that would not only bring success and the former glory to the Rossoneri club, but could also revive the fortunes of an entire football system that certainly needs a major overhaul, first of all in terms of personnel, then of the system, and perhaps even a full-blown revolution, including a regulatory one.
Gerry Cardinale has made a visionary change, and I personally believe the benefits will soon be evident, both for AC Milan and for all those clubs increasingly entering the world of football 2.0—an increasingly exciting, yet increasingly complex, game.
Keeping up will be the real skill.