Former AC Milan sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli has said that he expected Frederic Massara and Paolo Maldini to resign rather than be sacked by the club.
Speaking during an interview with 1 Football Club (via Milan News), the former Rossoneri man appeared to show a lot of sympathy for Maldini and Massara.
He explained that people in that role cannot be judged only on the results of the team and he feels they had earned the right over the past few years to prove their worth in the job under the new ownership.
For that reason, it came as a surprise to Mirabelli that the managers were sacked rather than left on their own accord.
“You can’t call it a bolt out of the blue, the frictions were known. The path taken by Maldini, Massara and Pioli is absolutely positive. It’s not like because your name is Milan you are called to a compulsory path. Yet, the club has achieved important goals both in the league and in the Champions League,” Mirabelli began.
“For this reason, it is a choice I do not fully agree with. Managers should be considered for the results, and those collected in recent years are absolutely positive. The Rossoneri managers would, therefore, have deserved to be confirmed and to be able to continue to prove themselves in the Rossoneri. More than a dismissal, I would have expected resignations.”
He was then asked specifically about their performance in the transfer market and he used Charles De Ketelaere as an example of a signing that should not be judged after a single season playing for Milan.
“Absolutely, but not only that. There is a lot of talk about the disappointments of this year’s market, De Ketelaere above all. These are players who would need an understandable period of acclimatisation, as has happened before with other players,” he explained.
“On the other hand, the hard core of this Milan is made up of players whose arrival is a credit to Maldini and Massara. For me, the judgement is super positive, especially knowing the club’s lack of availability. When you call yourself Milan, you cannot think of competing by reducing the wage bill and focusing exclusively on young players. I would have expected, rather, a contract extension.”
-When you call yourself Milan, you cannot think of competing by reducing the wage bill and focusing exclusively on young players.-
But that is exactly what they did. Reduced the wage bill, brought in young talents with a mix of old exp ones and won a trophy and got far in CL in the last 3 years. If that is not competing idk what is.
even more so when you look where the club was 6-6 years ago.
Well unfortunately that is how they operate in US sports. In the past 5 seasons all the coaches who’ve won NBA coach of the year have been sacked immediately after winning the award which is something I’ve never understood. Loyalty is a suggestion in the United States, they treat everything like a revolving door, even in the work place you have 0 job security.
“When you call yourself Milan, you cannot think of competing by reducing the wage bill and focusing exclusively on young players.”
Well, the owner himself literally told Brentford and Brighton as models for his ideal project. Talking about setting a standard..
You know we’re f*cked when mirabelli has words of wisdom on our current situation
LOL.
Ha!!!!! So true
Lmao true
Well spoken Mirabelli. He has spoken as an experienced Director. They could have been a compromise between Cardinale and the directors.