Massimiliano Allegri asked AC Milan to put both Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic on the market, prompting Zlatan Ibrahimovic to step in.
Since Leao’s out-of-the-blue announcement that he wants to leave Milan this summer, his reasoning has been discussed by many of the fans. Indeed, while it might not be a surprising decision, exactly what went wrong is always interesting to know.
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Of course, as also explained by the player himself, there are many things that you can point to this season. The lack of consistency, playing out of position, struggling with an injury and so on. However, that wasn’t the final nail in the coffin.
Allegri’s decision and Ibrahimovic’s call
According to Daniele Longo of Calciomercato.com, it was in early April that Leao’s relationship with Allegri completely broke down. Everything started with the mercato meetings that the gaffer had with the management, discussing the moves for the summer.
After these meetings, Ibrahimovic immediately called both the No.10 and Pulisic. “The coach has asked you to be put on the market, but stay focused and calm, he will be leaving,” the Swede supposedly told the two Milan stars.
In the final months of the season, it’s clear that Allegri didn’t fully trust the duo and they seemed to be lacking motivation for his game too. Indeed, the two players – and especially Leao – felt betrayed after working hard to follow his orders during the season.
So he f*cked up Leao and Milan on purpose in the end?
How? He said win against Genoa but then put something in their drink for the other 10 games they lost? 😀
Stubbornly let the guy play (and out of position too, think of the 433 “experiment”) although you’re convinced he’s not good enough and will f*ck up. Bad for the team and bad for the player as we have seen.
That 433 game was a clear selfish sabotage from Allegri. Should’ve lost his job after putting his ego over the club.
Leao screwed himself when he stopped trying. Quit making excuses for the lazies player weve ever had
I don’t make any excuses. It’s just… a lot of things went bad which could have been easily avoided.
Yeah, they were going to sack Allegri no matter what. I think Leao’s time with us is over regardless, but so glad Allegri is gone. That troglodyte is now off to destroy Napoli. Better for us. Hopefully our next coach knows how to use the players at his disposal.
Amateurs. This is like Man United 2 years ago when there were constant leaks to the press. Keep your private business private.
Allegri and Ibrahimovic will argue over media for a few months 100%. One of them leaked this.
How good is a manager if he can’t find a way to effectively use two player who score about 30 goals between them and provide assists? Allegri is too inflexible and hurt the team because of it. Why was he hired? For all of the issues with Ibra, he knew who Allegri is. I believe looking back we’ll get a better idea of how destructive Allegri was to the team. Allegri will do better at Napoli as that team better matches what he does. But tactically he is a limited manager.
Depends what do you mean by inflexible? You mean as in tactics? From what I saw Ancelotti played defensive football with counter attacks at Real Madrid, it looked better as they have world class players in all positions mostly. Same formation, same tactics for years. They won a few of those CLs and La Ligas. But his man management is allegedly perfect. So that is what is more important, and of course, quality of players.
Allegri had to go as his team fell apart in 2026, not due to tactics, but bad man management.
You have to maximize what you have.
You’ll remember he forced A. Pirlo out of Milan back then
I remember that. Moved him to the left of the midfield 3 (it’s Pirlo ffs) to accommodate Van Bommel in the center. Even benched him a few times. Turned a genius footballer who was key for the club for a decade into a squad player.
We still won the Scudetto that season but that decision prompted a disgruntled Pirlo not to renew.
Citing his book “I Think Therefore I Play”, Pirlo said he never imagined himself leaving AC Milan & it hurt him when he did.
Eventually a disgruntled Pirlo left, joined Juventus on a free, won four straight Scudettis (ironically Allegri joined him at Juve & of courseplayed him in his favorite position) & was the league’s MVP in a few of them.
The record shows that in both of Allegri’s Milan tenure, he “destroyed” the club’s best players (Pirlo was arguably) by playing them out of position, to the point players that never imagined themselves anywhere else now decide they have to leave.
Good riddance.
Stop making sense Jim. Some people don’t like that.
I think the tactics were wrong. I believe all the coaches in the league figured out how to beat Milan. The worse of them managed a draw and the better teams beat them. Good coaches learn how to adapt bad ones don’t. Allegri’s style require players not on Milan. He could not change to suit the players available.
Sure allegri told them to sell them lol.
It’s ibra and furlani everybody knows that
I will sell both because they never will be great again.Just sell and buy yoinger
Yoinger players haven’t been our best buys lately. The best players we’be had have bern experienced like Modric, Giroud, Ibra, Rabiot. The exception has been Pulisic who was in between but also experienced. Leao was young when he came, just like Theo. After them we’ve almost never found any good young players.
So we have a new redbird tactic….. it’s not that is incompetent but it’s the guy that was here for one year, yeah sure….. good try redbird🤣🤣
I know we’re all mad at Ibra just now but my god Allegri is just the worst
For asking to sell 2 players who didnt fit his system??? Thats common sense. If ya didnt wanna sell them, then whyd you hire a coach who doesnt use wingers???????
Exactly, there much “research” and meticulous evaluation gave us a dinosaur coach, and they still complain? What were they expecting? You gave fireworks to a mad man, and rant that he burnt the house down. Who was the fool that gave him matches in the first place? He is still at his job!
Allegri used a 433 formation before in juventus i think
We need good players next season,some of us we eat when Milan lost
Luar biass anda masih ingat
Leao didn’t give his 100 %. NP with Alegri, zlatan should leave
Ibra could have just shut his mouth and allow the season to end in the best possible way, and veto the sale. But he chose to speak up and demoralize the players who were already struggling with a formation change? Is this guy 6yrs old or what?
Why not object to Allegri directly? Why the underhanded tactics? Or simply calm down and block the said transfers when it’s due if he was all powerful? Throwing tantrums around like a kid. His advice caused a mutiny and Allegri had a backup plan..He wasted no time in going to Napoli. A proverb says, when you sell you brother, you also lose the trust of the buyer. Who would trust an unprofessional player who would sabotage his own team just because he is not played in his favorite position.
If I was Allegri, I would also walk away..there is no telling what other chaos Ibra would cause I I stayed.
100 % correct. Ibra is not professional. We can change the coaches but as long as we have a loser like him we will fail. I think he tries his best as a player but he has failed in management. He is not interested in Milan as team but it’s all about him self . Cardinale need to get a legend who is an Italian eg Pirlo