Journalist Andrea Longoni has joined the crowd of those criticising the way that AC Milan are being run, starting with the ownership and filtering down.
As it stands, Milan are heading for a very forgettable 2024-25 campaign as they sit eight points away from the Champions League places and were knocked out of Europe by Feyenoord.
As we reported, some changes are planning to the managerial structure. For example, Milan intend to hire a new director to insert into the management, allowing Geoffrey Moncada to return to being predominantly a chief scout.
There could also be a change in head coach as well given the doubts about Sergio Conceicao’s future, and no doubt not having Champions League football would force big changes within the squad too.
Longoni published his weekly column for MilanNews and he – like a lot of the Italian media – has taken aim at what he perceives to be a flawed structure at Milan.
“Will Gerry Cardinale understand that he made a mistake in choosing the management? The answer to this question will greatly determine the future of this team.
“Will he understand that the chain of command must be completely eliminated or will he simply add the figure of the sports director? And then, will he be a real, good and experienced sports director, or the usual figure with a ‘revisable’ curriculum?
“The paradox is that even by introducing a new, well-prepared coach and a new, perhaps even good, field manager, there is the risk that it will not be enough to turn Milan around. A football CEO is needed, because this is a football team, and it must be remembered every now and then.
“We need a real, experienced point of reference, appropriate to the role, not an influencer disguised (badly) as a manager. Ibra’s interview with GQ cries out for vengeance in terms of content and images. In short, it must be a total revolution and not a partial modification. Otherwise the decline will continue to be unstoppable.
“It all started from there. It wasn’t all Fonseca’s fault, just as today it’s not all Conceicao’s fault. Indeed, both have paid for shortcomings above their heads. Just as the team is to blame, but they are consequences of an upstream problem bigger than them.
“Cardinale took over Milan at the best moment of the last 15 years, after having won the Scudetto. It was not easy to ruin everything like that. If Inter fans in their mocking chants ask the American owner not to sell the Rossoneri, as Juventus fans do with the Torino president Cairo, then the situation has also become humiliating.
“Milan can no longer go on like this, but there is a real risk that it will continue like this. The Rossoneri horizon today is all black, there is no reason for hope: to create it, a radical intervention is needed and no more mistakes in half a choice.
“And it will be long, getting to the end of May will be long and not painless. And unfortunately this year in the championship there is nothing left to save. The Champions League is gone, with all the damage that will also affect next season.
“Perhaps the only hope is not to end up in the Conference League: for the history of Milan it would be humiliating. Yes, but what do they know about the history of this Club…”
I believe it was Ralf Rangnick who once said about Manchester United that “this team doesn’t need a doctor, it needs open heart surgery”. The same goes for our Milan.
They too were once a great club.
Then the Americans came.
A Football CEO?? lol
haha.. I thought this is a baseball or basketball team. hahah 😉
been following Milan but up until now this season I’ve learnt that
Paul singer clearly has more competence than Gerry Cardinale in managing football club.
Btw, where has our president went? He doesn’t seen at all when the club in perilous situation
That says it’s all. Of what kind of Owner he is…. From this you can see that he doesn’t know about MILAN’S story… Gagliani was always there and Berlusconi too… Those were the days..
They don’t want Arab owners but open arms to American owners who run the clubs as if it’s Walmart. Enjoy the show and enjoy Manchester City and PSG.
It’s a mid table team with a mid table mentality with a baseball league management.
“but what do they know about history of this club” sums it all
What Milan needs is a new owner. Not this scam Cardinale that he deos not give a damn of Milan’s history….!!! #CARDINALEOUT
Dear Mr. Cardinale
It is clear to all of us that you are unsuitable for football and sports where skills, sector knowledge, love for the team, and talent in selecting collaborators come before money. I am not asking for the moon; I simply ask you to acknowledge this and return the team to the Elliott fund, which managed it well before your arrival.
Sincerely,