A journalist has made the claim that Paolo Maldini could return to AC Milan as the president with an Arab group interested in buying the club.
It became apparent within 48 hours of the last game of last season against Verona that club icon Maldini and his right-hand man Ricky Massara were being relieved of their duties as the technical and sporting director, plunging the project into disrepute.
Maldini gave his side of the story during a recent interview and he did not shut the door on the idea of a potential return to the club, while in recent weeks there have been stories regarding Gerry Cardinale meeting investment groups in the Middle East.
According to what is being reported by Andrea Longoni, a journalist who works for several different outlets, Maldini wants to come back to Milan and become president which he would do if an Arab group who are interested in the club take over.
Last weekend, there was a long meeting in Milan which also involved the former Milan director Leonardo. The Brazilian is held in high esteem by Maldini, given that he learned under him when he first returned.
Obviously Cardinale will have to be convinced with an indispensable offer to buy the club and everything will depend on this, but there is ‘great determination and willingness not to wait too long’. If the deal goes through, Ricky Massara would also return as per the report.
We recently did an interview with Andrea Longoni for our Substack series ‘Meeting the Milan Media’ in which we spoke to him about what life is like covering the team and his journey to this point.
AC Maldini fanboys wrote this
It’s so funny how you are so against Maldini in every article that is written about his. Was he the best technical director probably not but how much influence did his name hold in the world of football…and that idiot cardinale got rid of it…as an Italian this new Milan is like watching France play…
Please go follow toulouse.
Who me? Why?
I’m a huge fan of Maldinis work, but he did not exactly stay out of France during the Mercato…
With all this Super League and new UCL format to “make football better” they overlooking the easiest solution.
From next year, to play in the championship league, start requiring players to be fron the country the club is from. 2 on the lineup, 5 on the squad from next year. Add one per year till 4 plus keeper, or 5 (half) outfield players are in the lineups, and less than half the squad is foreign.
In the domestic league, start requiring the same, but add a requirement for 1, 2 and then 3 youth academy players being in the squad. Lineups can’t be dictated beyond nationality, I think, but squads absolutely can.
Then, over time, secondary citizenship should not count unless primary citizenship is relinquished. If you were born Brazilian, you have to relinquish you Brazilian passport before you play for Italy.
Otherwise we end up with Jorginho’s – Brazilians playing in England, representing Italy. And that. Makes. Zero. Sense.
Maybe call it whatever citizenship a player has on his 18th birthday…
still better than AC Cardinal
Bro all of you plastic fans just shut the hell up you all know nothing about Maldini
Don’t tease us like that with fake news…
If they bring back Leonardo after what he’s done to this club 2x now? If ypu can’t have Maldini unless you get Leonardo?????? No way!!!!
It’s fake man, the source is Longoni
It would be different because new owners would bring more revenue to the club.
It is obvious that Red Bird doesn’t want to lose the money on loan, so wants to close that account ASAP.
Either way, for Milan, is always best to be sold sooner than later, because if club must be sold, for club results is always best to do it now.
Yeah we need some continuity and long term project. Not a bl00dy investment firm looking to turn a profit, an investment firm who borrowed the money to buy the club from the vulture fund they bought it off, the same vulture fund who repossessed the club from the last lot who couldn’t pay their loan.
How did a great club like AC Milan end up in the hands of these people?
Gerry, Furlani and Scaroni have already proved they are untrustworthy back stabbers
It was an American investment firm that got this club out of massive debt, brought it it’s first Scudetto in a decade and returned it to Champions League. Why don’t you just say thank you and shut the F up.
This is what I think most people miss when they talk about Maldini.
Elliot came in with VERY strict criteria for salaries and transfer budgets. I’m not sure how many Directors could come in and have the results in such a short period of time that M&M had. They were prudent in hiring them and in turn, we as fans were rewarded with a team that started competing again. Elliot was rewarded with a large profit.
So true. For some reason those simple facts can’t get through to those brain dead folks that troll here.
People here forget that it was the Americans who came in and cleaned up all the debt and dead weight after decades of negligence by Berlusconi and the Chinese after that….
If it wasn’t for Berlusconi Milan was going Bankrupt in 1986 . May God bless Berlusconi soul , he took Milan in 2 years on top of the world! Nobody could of done it !
This would indeed be a Christmas miracle!
FFS, they leaked this story 3,5 months too early!!!
Face it, this club is being tossed between vulture fund and US investment firms like a back alley hooker. It’s a big money laundering machine.
Besides everything else, that would be a hilarious turn of events – for all of us, pro or against Maldini. Someone is trolling us.
Better Boban than Leonardo. Leonardo is a traitor and incompetent. Boban is pure class
I can absolutely get behind that. I think Boban cares more for the club than Leo.
We need Braida he is free
Leonardo? You must be off your rocker. What do they want to turn us into PSG 2.0?
Leonardo is the worse GM ever. I believe this is fake news. If he returns then we have no hope. He was a failure at PSG and they had money to burn.
If this happens then Milan is like a circus show full of clowns who don’t know what they’re doing.
Lol 🤣🤣🤣😂🤣🤣 that would be hilarious but this is likely made up
That would be a great move Milan history needs to be kept intact .
Respect what was achieved before
History makes the future
Please don’t forget Boban !
That would be such a boss move from Maldini though. Straight after being fired he goes to a Saudi group. Convince them to buy Milan and let him run the club… brilliant no matter what you think of the man
Wouldn’t that be great. But mostlikely it’s fake news. However, us the fans can only hope.
Maldini, Boban, Leonardo etc. they are all super incompetent as managers. Luckilly, this is a fake story and they will not be back anywhere near AC Milan, ever. Better bring back Galliani (and clone him) who was a true mastermind of Berlusconi’s ACM. Imagine what Galliani would do with funds from Arabs?
They’re so incompetent they only got Mike, Tomori, Theo, Thiaw, Kjaer, Kalulu, Tonali, Bennacer, Leao, Ibra and Giroud or as they call it ….the core of the current team (apart from Ibra). Also got us a Scudetto and a UCL semi in the process…..very, very incompetent
Imagine what Maldini could do if he didn’t have the restraints on the transfer budget that Elliot and RedBird gave him. Galliani could spend more money on 1 transfer than Maldini had for the entire transfer window.
I agree it’s a fake story but get your facts straight.
I always wondered about this. We’d be lined up with Mike/Donnarumma; Kalulu, Tomori, Botman, Theo; Kessie, Tonali/SMS, Leao/Puli, Brandt/Forsberg/Chalha, Berardi, Scamacca?/Thuram
Speaking of facts, do you know how much debt Berlusconi/Galliani had when they sold the club to fraud Li? Anyone can just spend money.
I don’t see RedBird offloading the club so early after the purchase. They are shopping abroad to refinance Elliott’s loan and take them out of the equation. Hence the Arab money stories.
Gerry wouldn’t (at this point) sell of a majority stake at the club to do it. on the other side, for the money he is trying to raise, no Arab investor will want a minority stake in the club.
So this will go on for a while until either:
1. RedBird raise the capital to refinance through various parties VS one wealthy investor.
2. RedBird doesn’t get very far and is forced to sell off a majority stake to another fund/investor.
3. RedBird fails altogether, Elliott repossesses the club (again) altogether and sell it to another buyer. Foreign or not.
If Somehow a Middle Eastern fund/investor does buy the club, then it is completely reasonable to think that Maldini and Co would be brought back to run it.
Maldini and Co could only run the club the see fit under a wealthy owner who won’t micromanage and set a tight budget like RedBird. And it is highly possible that Paolo would thus restore the club to its former glory when the wallet is always open.
FFP would then be another thing altogether for Milan depending on the sponsorships in place.
who would say, here, 570 million take my money? he cant afford that, then they will lean in for the k*ll and buy the whole team. no point offering 500 million to be a minority holder, anyone with that kind of money will want it all
2 has already happened when RB purchased the club. Gary couldnt raise the funds needed hence, the loan from Elliot. The scenario hasnt changed, at all and wont change till a complete sale is done. No one wanted to invest for a minority share back then, no one wants it now either.
Gary, if he has any business acumen, by now knows he wont be able to keep the club for long before defaulting on the loan, which will effectively land the club back into Elliots control. So, a sale is much better option than losing both the investment and the club.
Gary thought Moneyball is gonna REVOLUTIONIZE football till he realized, it’s only suggesting players Moncada, a relatively young scout manager.. had in his crosshair for a long time. In fact, its suggesting players that’s beyond our reach. Gary couldnt predict the fact that there are too many much bigger and more powerful players in this game unlike pro baseball in USA that is basically a regional sport. Pro league and second division are completely different ballgames.
They are bringing back Carlo and Kaká too. I heard Gattuso would if in for Pobega and Seedorf would cover for Bennacer while he’s at afcon.
Please tell me none of this is true. Please please please.
All these sensational “journalists” should stop making stuff up for clicks. It basically brings the Maldini hate bonkers out of their caves and let them reel out their wild baseless narratives.
I hope this is not a fake news, if Arabs are interested to buy the club, Milan will be GRAT AGAIN, and Maldini should be part of it….money buys everything…!! This owner and the previous one were after the money (Not to spent, but to earn)…so Bring it on…common Milan, is our HEART !!!!
Wishing AL FALASI!!