Paolo Maldini was sacked by AC Milan at the start of the summer earlier this year, along with Ricky Massara, and Stefano Pioli was given more power. As a journalist claims, the club legend had suggested sacking the manager.
Milan are currently going through a very difficult period, having been knocked out of the Champions League and drawing 2-2 against the last-placed Salernitana. Pioli’s position is now truly in danger and he could be sacked by the club next week.
As highlighted by the well-known Italian journalist Fabio Ravezzani on X, Maldini suggested the sacking of Pioli before he was let go by the Milan ownership. By sacking Pioli now, therefore, Gerry Cardinale would admit to making the wrong decision in the summer.
“Two considerations on Pioli. Maldini had suggested his sacking. The current management kicked Maldini out and expanded Pioli’s powers. To sack him in December would be to admit that they did everything wrong. Which isn’t a bad thing. Provided you resolve the situation brilliantly.
“To those who say: ‘Maldini renewed his contract!’. It’s true. But Pioli had done excellent things until a year ago, it would have been absurd not to renew. On the other hand, almost all the big clubs experience a sacking. That said, Maldini (who made serious mistakes) had flagged for the issue in time,” he wrote.
If you are a paid subscriber on our substack, you will know that we wrote about Maldini’s ‘hunch’ back in September. There is truth to what Ravezzani is saying, in other words, but whether Maldini would have replaced Pioli with the ‘right’ manager is another question.
