After bringing Igli Tare in as the sporting director, AC Milan have turned to Massimiliano Allegri to try usher in a new era.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning that for everything to change, Milan went back to 4154 days ago, Allegri’s last Monday as the Rossoneri’s head coach. After all, if the club want to become great again, it must inevitably look back, take inspiration from history to inspire the future.
Allegri will be the coach of the new era also because of its glorious past. Max is a winner and the club want to be one again. So, they have given the reins to Allegri for at least the next two years, with the option to extend the agreement for another two seasons (2+1+1 in the event of the Scudetto).
It is a clear signal that the management wants to plan the long-term future. A future, they hope, full of satisfaction. Allegri will earn €5.5m plus bonuses per season, which is comfortably more than Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao got.
One of these bonuses – which the club would be very happy to pay – concerns the victory of the Scudetto. There is no bonus for Champions League qualification, which is instead considered the bare minimum.
Back to the future
On 24 June 2011, Allegri walked up to the sanctuary of Montenero to thank the Madonna for the 18th Rossoneri Scudetto. He said: “It would be an honor for me to become the coach of the second star.”
A step forward was made under the guidance of Stefano Pioli, who brought the count to 19. Max just has to run towards the finish line. The new story with Milan began yesterday, with the signing of the contract, and will officially begin today with the announcement.
It will be 4,154 days since 13 January 2014, the day after the defeat against Sassuolo which was followed by the sacking of the coach. A lot has happened in the meantime: Seedorf, Inzaghi, Mihajlovic, Brocchi, Montella, Gattuso, Giampaolo, Pioli, Fonseca and finally Conceiçao have all been and gone.
Last night, a statement from the club confirmed Conceicao’s exit, an ending that has been written for days now, allowed by a clause inserted last December in the Portuguese’s contract. He signed a deal until 2026 but bilateral possibility of terminating 12 months in advance.
In one week, Tare and Allegri both arrived, a double move that certifies the will of the Diavolo to quickly remedy the mistakes of 2024-25.
The decisive summit
Yesterday afternoon there was a meeting at Corso Magenta, in the law office of Giovanni Branchini, Allegri’s agent. The signatures were placed on the contracts, in the presence of the CEO Giorgio Furlani, who had promised the first announcements for the week and was absolutely true to his word.
Tare was there too of course, another main architect of the choice of the coach. A top-notch coach, an experienced winner: an identikit drawn from the beginning and to which Allegri responds perfectly. President Paolo Scaroni also stopped by to say hello.
In the end everyone left without speaking, including Max with some papers in hand, presumably the Rossoneri-headed papers with his signature on them. While waiting for the precise definition of the staff, these are some of the men who will follow the coach.
His assistant Landucci, collaborators Dolcetti and Trombetta, athletic trainer Foletti, the physiotherapist Stefano Grani and the scouts Bosco and Doveri will all come with Allegri.
Max hopes to be followed by the players – from today the telephone conversations will begin – and above all by Rafa Leao, who could be decisive in the new Milan.