Stefano Pioli has been promoted after the departure of Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara earlier this week. He will remain the head coach of the team, of course, but he will also be more involved with the management.
At the start of the week, Gerry Cardinale decided to sack both Maldini and Massara, opting for a different path than the duo wanted. Chief scout Geoffrey Moncada has since been promoted and the same can be said for Pioli.
As reported by Corriere Dello Sport (via MilanNews), Pioli will no longer just be a head coach but rather a manager. This means that he will not just be in charge of the first team, but also be involved in the transfer market strategy planning.
Pioli is very enthusiastic about the role, as the report continues, and he will make sure that his voice will be heard. As was also highlighted by Gazzetta Dello Sport this morning, the gaffer is already making phone calls to some of Milan’s targets to convince them to join the club.
Pioli’s new role can be compared to Sir Alex Ferguson’s role at Man Utd, not just coaching the team but also having an important say in the signings.
So Pioli doesn’t integrate young players into the rotation, as we saw with Thiaw (before he had no other choice), Adli, De Ketelaere, Pobega, Vranckx, but Jerry’s plan is to find young cheap players. This is going to be a problem at some point.
My opinion is that Jerry wanted to fire Maldini so bad that he took the side of Pioli to have an excuse, but our coach is probably not going to remain at his position for long. And seeing what Toulouse just did, I think we are going to switch coaches/directors/players on a regular basis.
Funny the word “gaffer” is used here to describe him as the boss, since in French “gaffeur” means clumsy haha let’s see.
That’s how Fergusson used to be called.
I think we should resist the urge to compare Toulouse and Milan just because they are owned my same group. Two different entities with much different potential. Notwithstanding the fact that RedBird brought Toulouse to Ligue 1 in just 3 seasons.
Contrary to what you think, I believe the opposite is true. Cardinale is a businessman and therefore keenly aware of the optics letting Maldini go. What is more likely is that Maldini did not want to integrate into his new boss’s way of doing things, and therefore left him with no other choice but to let him go.
It’s really weird to me that so many people are suggesting that Cardinal sacked Maldini just for kicks, or because he has no respect for tradition. He bought the team and he and Maldini not agree on how to operate it. It’s a reasonable thing to occur and honestly Maldini has a black eye for himself for not resigning and allowing the club to at least save some face. He put his own reputation above the club if you ask me.
Exactly – and Maldini didn’t want any other role so it comes to a point where the gap in visions becomes too great and you’re forced to split. If a girlfriend says she wants to move to India but the boyfriend doesn’t – what are you going to do?
speaking of toulouse. Red bird been investing in them for 2-3 years now. They arent selling it off.. weird, right? They even went from ligue 2 to ligue 1 and won a cup
Are you trying to compare accessing D1 from D2 and winning a scudetto or the UCL?
Go check what the Toulouse fans and French journalists are saying since this morning and the news that the coach is fired. There were euphoria, like us following Ibra’s emotional retirement and our results of UCL semi-finals and UCL qualification, and now everybody (fans, media) is confused by this mess and mad at Redbird. Seems like it’s a trend for Jerry.
No that’s what you did.
thats what you did. you are the one comparing how toulouse is run with how Milan will be run..
Silly man
“My opinion is that Jerry wanted to fire Maldini so bad that he took the side of Pioli to have an excuse”
The owners don’t need excuses as they don’t have to answer to anyone. Napoli didn’t want to continue with Spalletti who just got them their first scudetto in decades. Did De Laurentiis need an excuse? Nope. Has he ever? Nope.
We definitely have an opposite opinion of football. I spent hundreds of euros this year to attend games so I expect more than despotic decisions just because he’s the owner so he can do what he wants. If tomorrow he decides to sell Leao, Theo and Maignan because he’s the owner and he does what he wants, what will you say? I don’t know you personally but I disagree with you on every point and still don’t understand you servile behaviour toward a guy who is making thousands of fans angry and confused right now.
“I spent hundreds of euros this year to attend games so I expect more than despotic decisions just because he’s the owner so he can do what he wants. ”
I’ve traveled a few thousand kilometers 5 times to Milan to see them play. So if this a competition on who spends most gets the loudest voice I think I’d have the upper hand.
It really doesn’t make any difference what I want or what you want. The club owner has all the power in the world. Like it or not. And I don’t. But I’m willing to give RedBird the chance ‘cos what else I can do? Boycott? LOL, like that’s going to help. Quite the opposite.
So… I will do what I’ve always done: keep supporting the team and watching every match I can and hope each time they’ll get the 3 points.
“still don’t understand you servile behaviour toward a guy who is making thousands of fans angry and confused right now.”
Well… Innocent until proven guilty. I’ll believe Cardinale is the devil himself once there’s actual proof of that. So far he hasn’t sold any of the key players. Sure, he got rid of one of my favorite players of all time and an idol but it seems there were good reasons to do that too. Everything isn’t black and white.
Boycotting will help the most because Mr Burger will be forced to sell
“Boycotting will help the most because Mr Burger will be forced to sell”
How long does it take for him to sell? A year? 5 years? 10? And mean while we’re still boycotting the club and wasting many years of our lives. For what? Because some people hate Cardinale. 😀
Here here.
@Fortamilan, there have been groups of Man United fans boycotting the Glazers since day 1 and 20 years later they’re still there. If you’re going to boycott the team you might as well give up football.
You’re confusing. If you bought a restaurant would you want to be the one making the decisions or the waiters?
If I have Gordon Ramsey running my restaurant and I have no knowledge about how to run one I would listen to him but Mr Burger did not listen to the Gordon Ramsey of footbal and fired him which is all gonna backfire . hopefully I get proven wrong but I don’t think I will
What do you mean Napoli didn’t want to continue with spalleti 🤣🤣🤣🤣ADL wanted to sell the top players and not invest anymore so that’s why spalleti left
Pioli will get at least a year to work with the players he deems right for his system. Or less if he pulls a Giampaolo, but given the core and the affinity of the established players for him, I see him stay the whole season.
Pioli isn’t the pinnacle of coaching and eventually I’d love a more flexible and astute coach. But so far Pioli has built something good at Milan worth continuing with. Just hope he has better in game management this season against Bus Depot teams.
@Bartholomeo.
“My opinion is that Jerry wanted to fire Maldini so bad that he took the side of Pioli to have an excuse.”
I believe Gerry doesn’t have Any excuse to be honest. We all now know Pioli and Maldini never had bad blood. The decision was pre-determined. I think Gerry already knew when he bought the club that his plans and our SDs plans are vastly different. Couldn’t fire him back then because of optics. but now.. In my opinion, he really needs to make money to appease the investors.
I really want to know who is in the ‘team’ that has taken up the duty of the SD that Furlani has spoken so highly of? I have a feeling Billy Beane is the center piece of it. No wonder all of our players are on transferlist. Player trading guru afterall y’know. Cant trade players unless they are declared sellable, otherwise no offers will be made.
I like this move. Now he actually gets to pick who he wants to work with which can only be a good thing imo.
Exactly. The old school way of here are your new players, now make it work, is outdated. None of the top clubs operate this way anymore.
At last a common sense comment
Only time will tell. One thing is fore sure, Pioli will definitely dig his own grave this time around and no one to hide behind whenhe messes up.
The report is saying “pioli will make sure that his voice is heard” hahahaha, it depends on what the voice will be saying, he is contracted as a head coach, he wasnt promoted to be a manager, jerry will never appoint a manager, he wont even appoint a technical director, he has AI for those roles
Yeah and pioli can’t convince anyone to come here. Look at the N’Dicka situation. Maldini would have had that closed in a minute
There is no player or director bigger than AC Milan . You can hate gery cardinale thats your own choice ( nobody can stop you ) but praying AC Milan fall down or relegating , saying bad mouth / mocking AC Milan . Ask yourself are you really ACM fans ? Look at latest news pioli have lunch together with Maldini & Massara talking friendly & no quarrel . If you want to get rid of gery then you must wait syeikh jassim or investcorp or other billionaire come to buy AC Milan 2bn euro, thats take time not instant
This man cannot perform as a coach and now u are adding more responsibilities. Milan is so finished