Mazzara: Milan’s actions have alienated players and ‘shocked the entire football world’

Pietro Mazzara has claimed that the AC Milan players and the rest of the footballing world are baffled by the club’s recent actions.

To say that Milan have had a turbulent past eight days would be an understatement. It all started with the defeat against Cagliari at San Siro, which saw the hopes of a Champions League spot crushed within 90 minutes that saw the team drop from third to fifth.

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What followed less than 24 hours later was a complete clear-out at managerial level, with Massimiliano Allegri, Igli Tare, Geoffrey Moncada and Giorgio Furlani all losing their jobs. So far, nobody has been appointed to fill any gap, with conflicting reports about the candidates.

Milan ‘shock the football world’

Mazzara published his weekly column for MilanNews, one which understandably focused on the corporate chaos and confusion that seems to have dominated the headlines in recent days.

“A week has passed since the complete demolition of Milan’s management structure , and now it’s reasonable to expect something to be done to fill the gaps created by Gerry Cardinale with the dismissal of Furlani, Tare, Moncada and Allegri,” he said.

“The week has passed amidst a wealth of news and rumours, with doors slammed in the face by highly sought-after candidates such as Begiristain for the role of sporting director, and Andoni Iraola and Xavi for the bench.

“There are now two options: either Ralf Rangnick, his system, and the choice of Glasner as coach (who plays with a three-man defence. How come we weren’t supposed to be moving towards ‘Fabregas-style’ football?), or Ramon Planes as sporting director and a coach with a similar profile (Slot or Pochettino are being talked about).

“It’s an unedifying race against time, one that debases AC Milan’s reputation, battered by this situation, brought about by its owner and his trusted right-hand man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“But the bitter thought we’ve all had in recent days is this: once upon a time, it was Milan that said no to someone. Now there are people and professionals who have the strength to say no to Milan’s offers. Disturbing.

“In all of this, the players have learned from the media what was and is happening. None of the club’s operatives, at the time of writing, have given any explanations to the players under contract, and this is another significant sign.

“Emptiness and silence are, historically, two elements that only lead to confusion, and it’s no coincidence that even the agents are nervous. There’s no point in hiding it: many want to leave . Some, like Rafael Leão, have said it openly; some have asked their agent to start looking around.

“Others remain silent, observing, analysing and waiting. Obviously, wanting to leave, with contracts signed, puts Milan in a strong position in future negotiations, but when even some of your leaders, like Mike Maignan, have strong doubts about what’s happening, well, then the picture isn’t great.

“Listening to what Franco Ordine said yesterday from the stage at the SportMediaset event in Riccione, there’s reason to be even more concerned. Despite not having attended the meeting with Cardinale, the feeling that emerged is that good old Gerry truly doesn’t understand what he’s getting himself into.

“The Milan crowd is in constant turmoil without additional media support, given that we’re limiting ourselves to reporting what’s happening, what’s happening, and, more importantly, what’s not happening.

“The Cardinale-Ibrahimovic duo has attracted the attention of a fan base that has never been more united, and what’s happening at Milan has shocked (yes, shocked) the entire football world: from UEFA to the Premier League clubs, to the Italian football institutions (who called to remind players of the June 16th deadline to complete registration for the league), to the world of agents.

“Either Cardinale and Ibrahimovic are two geniuses and no one understands them, or we’re facing a dangerous situation for AC Milan. Revolutions usually start with a modicum of credibility, but not this time.

“And the club’s alleged de-Italianisation could be a resounding own goal. Let’s hope the acronym ACM doesn’t at least become AEM, or Association Entertainment Milan. Because this is where we should be talking about football, not what we’re talking about.”