AC Milan director Paolo Maldini has admitted that the squad needs investments to go up a level and seemingly confirmed a couple of deals in the pipeline.
Maldini gave a long interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport during which he spoke about numerous topics including feeling disrespected over his renewal to the potential for new ownership. As part of it he was asked about the importance of the summer mercato, and conceded that there must be investment to take that next step.
“Today Milan with a high-level strategic vision can go on to compete next year with the biggest clubs. Instead we could choose a maintenance vision, without investments, without an idea that is Milan-worthy, and we would remain in limbo among the best six or seven teams in Italy to try to win back the Scudetto and qualify for the Champions League,” he said (via MilanNews).
“Elliott or the owners that could arrive, close the three years and understand what strategy you want for the future. With two or three significant signings and the consolidation of the players we have, we can compete for something bigger in the Champions League.”
There has been an abundance of speculation in the media suggesting that Milan are closing in on the signing of both Divock Origi on a free transfer and Sven Botman from Lille, and Maldini addressed each.
“We are talking to Origi and it is very well advanced. Botman? We have followed him, but there are many good players in that role.”
There is no doubting that Maldini has had a big hand in the resurgence of the past two seasons, and therefore fans and the leadership at the club have every reason to trust his assessments on what the squad needs.
Maldini’s words go to show that Botman is not as sure a deal as we’ve been hearing all year long.
“Today Milan with a high-level strategic vision can go on to compete next year with the biggest clubs. Instead we could choose a maintenance vision, without investments, without an idea that is Milan-worthy, and we would remain in limbo among the best six or seven teams in Italy to try to win back the Scudetto and qualify for the Champions League,” – he says it all right there. He knows we barely won this year and had to create some magic to make it happen. Not investing in Janaury was a huge risk. It paid off this time but Paolo knows it is unlikely to happen again. Are we going to continue to get by with minimal signings and hope that next season ends up like this one wherein a lot of bounces went our way so to speak. OR will we INVEST in key players/positions (RW, CAM, Striker) and take the next step to compete with CL powerhouses? Ball is in your court Redbird
it is obvious that Maldini must always be revered and loved for all he has represented and will always represent for Milan. His importance, both as a player, a director and above as a a stalwart, a living legend, is evidently priceless.
That said, in my view this interview was a huge mistake. If he has a problem with the board, it should be discussed behind closed doors, not exposed to the media’s birds of prey. This thing of sending messages to possible ‘enemies’ within the institution through the press is absolutely reprehensible and in a way unforgivable for someone with his life experience and reputation.
I confess that I am quite disappointed. I continue to admire our eternal captain, of course, but this reprehensible primadonna attitude is something I deeply dislike.
it is obvious that Maldini must always be revered and loved for all he has represented and will always represent for Milan.
That said, in my view this interview constitutes a very serious mistake. If he has a problem with the board, it should be discussed behind closed doors, not exposed to the media’s birds of prey. This thing of sending messages to possible ‘enemies’ within the institution through the press is absolutely reprehensible and in a way unforgivable for someone with his life experience and reputation.
I confess that I am quite disappointed. I continue to admire our eternal captain, of course, but this reprehensible primadonna attitude is something I deeply dislike.
primadonna?? LOL. Come on pal your way way off. First of all I wouldn’t question Maldini – where the hell would we be without him. Second he is 100% correct. Keeping The Elliot status quo of spending won’t get us anywhere. Like I said it made us an attractive investment but won’t make us a consistent winner. That is what he is saying. I also believe that if Maldini is saying this publicly it’s because he has tried privately and has gotten nowhere – hence the plea. What he an M&M has done is nothing short of miraculous on such a tight budget. Any other club would die to have Maldini run their club – he has proven he can do it. But he also warns don’t expect this same result every year if we don’t spend – and he won’t stick around with the club if the owners are content just to place top 6 in Serie A. This club deserves more. We either become an elite club again or don’t. It was right to make it public now. His deal should have been done long ago whether we had won the title or not. He obviously feels taken for granted and wants the fans to know who frustrated he is – just like we fans are – if the owners don’t share that same ambition and passion to win. Give Maldini the benefit of the doubt – of all ppl he has EARNED it.
No it shouldn’t. You think it is fine that him and Masara don’t know if they will be at the club in a month since their contract expires and no one spoke to them about? After their work brought the club to the title while REDUCING wage bill. If you do you’re an idiot and we understand.
This is what Maldini said:
The Rossoneri had not lifted the Serie A trophy since 2010-11 and achieved it with a very young average age squad and relatively few investments.
“I’d call it a masterpiece,” director Maldini told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It is a victory of ideas, of hunger, of team spirit. We were up there for two years, completely against all predictions. That’s what made us so proud.
“The enthusiasm we generated in the fans too was down to the football we played and the courage shown, both on and off the field.
“In January we had Simon Kjaer out long-term and Fikayo Tomori had a meniscus injury. We didn’t have a budget to bring in replacements, so we either could’ve got someone on loan to plug the hole or put faith in our young players, and we knew they could be relied on.
“Since 2019, we signed 21 players, a mixture of experienced lads and very young guys. Ricky Massara and I told all of them the story of this project that then came true. We were credible and that is an important part of our success.
“For example, we told Pierre Kalulu to just watch and learn for the first six months, soak everything in from the land of great defending, because your chance will arrive sooner or later.”
Kalulu ended up replacing captain Alessio Romagnoli and forming a solid centre-back partnership with Tomori that goes into the future.
However, keeping such a tight grip on the purse-strings is not something Maldini is prepared to do forever.
“The 21 players we signed under my tenure came at a net cost, between sales and purchases, of €75m. When I decided to stay after Leonardo left, I had in mind a higher budget, but if I can use ideas and let the club save money, I will. I realised young players need to be given opportunities and make them feel confident even in difficult moments. Many of them see me as a second father.
“What we need now is the club wanting to open up a new era. With a strategic vision, Milan could next season compete with the biggest clubs.
“However, if we were to choose a vision of maintaining our current level, without investment, without an idea worthy of Milan, we would remain in limbo among the top six or seven sides in Italy, hoping to maybe win the Scudetto again and qualify for the Champions League.
“This is the moment that the owners, Elliott or whoever could arrive, need to realise this three-year project is complete and figure out what strategy they want for the future.
“With two or three important signings, and the consolidation of the players we have, we can compete for something bigger in the Champions League.”
Maldini and his former colleague Zvonimir Boban famously protested they only found out about talks with Ralf Rangnick via the media, effectively torpedoing the plan and insisting that Stefano Pioli remain as coach.
It seems little has changed with regards to communication between the top brass and their directors at Milanello.
“We were told about talks to sell the club after it appeared in the newspapers. That wasn’t a problem, although a few of the players we were talking to about contract extensions said hang on, there might be more money coming in later.
“There is also the issue of my contract and that of Massara. Our deals are running down and we have not signed extensions.
“I must say, considering our journey, what happened and the crisis period involving Rangnick, I find it disrespectful that the CEO and Elliott representatives did not even sit down to talk to us. Not even to have a talk.
“They could happily say, ‘your work wasn’t good enough to continue,’ or we could say to them, ‘we don’t like your strategy.’
“I feel like I represent a sort of guarantee for Milan fans. I am not the right person if you want to build a project that isn’t aimed at winning. I could never do that.
“The truth is, the owners have never sat down to discuss that with me and that is not good.”
PROOF from the man Maldini that we NEED to invest and ADD more talent and SPEND $$$$$. Those on here that say keep that status quo of Elliot don’t know football and Maldini is basically telling you the same results next season without sizable investment won’t happen.
I was really hoping for Arab owners. FFP works amazing at PSG, we will allegedly compete with them or City with these US owners because they own Toulouse and make money from owning different things in some other sports. “They have experience” and the only club (in any sport) they really own and had to organize the management etc. is Toulouse. It was a club that fell out of Ligue 1 and was 3rd in 2nd. They would have gone back up even without them.
The only thing I regret in my comment is that I used the expression ‘primadonna’. A glaring mistake, it is obvious that Maldini IS NOT a primadonna. He’s a man of honor, and also a very inteligent and wise person.
That said, I stand by my opinion: almost never anything good comes from this kind of attitude, this ‘wash your dirty linen in public’ thing…
You see, I agree that he’s right concerning the sheer facts in discussion, but to me thats not the point, point is that delicate and ‘strategic’ matters like these must discussed behind closed doors, not exposed to limelight. This kind of thing only generates instability, unrest and tension, that is to say, negative fuss.
Well, we’ll see the next chapters of this tale, let’s hope it will be all for the better.
And as for the guy who called me an idiot, well, I don’t respond to that kind of ‘argument’, honestly… internet bickering is something that really doesn’t appeal to me.
An additional observation: today we live in a society that is characterized by a worldview where the public exposure of everything and everyone is practically a ‘dogma’. I don’t agree with that, I never will, also because this kind of thing has given unprecedented power to the media, and by extension to Big Tech’s, which manipulate the imagination and feelings of the crowd in every possible and conceivable way. But anyway… I digress.
I like this player. Origi may not be a big ‘star’, but he’s smart and can deliver the goods at the right time, at the decisive moment. Also, he has great attitude off the field, he is an athlete that corroborates w/ the team. We’ll be a very good signing.
Ops wrong place haha, I was intending to post that on a topic about Origi LOL.