AC Milan were dealt a blow by Markus Krösche, who decided to stay at Eintracht Frankfurt, and now they need to settle on a different candidate
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Krösche and his right-hand man, Timmo Hardung, appeared to be just one step away but the big brake in negotiations happened yesterday. After reflecting on his future, the German decided that it was best to stay at Frankfurt.
As highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport this morning (see featured image), Gerry Cardinale had hoped to fill the Head of Football position quickly after the Amorim appointment. It doesn’t look like it will happen now, though.
No dice
The failure to secure Krösche was largely a question of timing, as the paper continues. It’s the second half of June and Frankfurt have already begun planning for next season, with Krösche at the heart of everything given his massive role.
Frankfurt, as such, made it clear that they didn’t want to lose him even if there was a verbal agreement with Milan. There were intense meetings with the Rossoneri between Saturday and yesterday morning, when he eventually decided to abandon the idea.
The contract was the major issue, seeing as his current one runs until 2028, and Frankfurt’s request for compensation. Anyway, barring any unlikely U-turns, Krösche and Hardung will not be joining Milan this summer.
Candidates to consider
Krösche, in the meetings with Cardinale and his men, had identified Amorim as the right coach to replace Massimiliano Allegri. Milan, however, have made it known that the German wasn’t the only Head of Football candidate to express a favourable opinion on the Portuguese coach.
Amorim has already signed a three-year contract with an option for a fourth season, worth approximately €3.5m per season. This is a significant commitment, both in terms of the contract duration and the financial outlay, underscoring the ambition and long-term nature.
As such, it’s only logical to assume that the Head of Football will emerge from the select circle of directors that Milan have already probed, and specifically those for hiring Amorim. Among these, one could be José Boto, currently at Flamengo, but a compatriot and with a shared past at Benfica.
In recent weeks, Milan had also evaluated the young Devin Özek, who left Fenerbahce and has also been explored by several European clubs. Perhaps he will make a comeback now that the seemingly first option (the Krösche-Hardung partnership) has fallen through.
In the background, the former Borussia Dortmund player Sebastian Kehl is also a potential candidate. In the last few hours, an intermediary has proposed Jason Ayto, fresh from his time at Brighton.
Ayto speaks Italian, as does Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director, who spent his teenage years in Bergamo where he also became a huge Milan fan. That said, his departure from the Reds remains unlikely for now.
Time is running out
As you can tell from the above, there are many options but time is running out for Milan, who are already significantly behind in their planning for the summer mercato. This cannot be overstated, especially given the radical change in style and tactics with the hiring of Amorim.
Amorim has arrived alone for now, without a club to welcome him and with whom he can actively discuss the team. That’s not a good start, is it?