GdS: Four key figures at risk of sacking if Milan fail in minimum objective

It is probably something that goes without saying, but if AC Milan were to have a negative season then several key figures would find themselves in the docks.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) reports this morning, Milan have found themselves in seventh place in the Serie A table and even if they won their game in hand against Bologna they would not jump up any higher.

We don’t know how many places will make the 2025-26 Champions League, whether four as usual or five, but the Rossoneri are far from both the fourth and fifth spot anyway. Saturday’s match must provide a message that the minimum objective is not already in grave danger.

Neither Milan nor Juventus can really do without the UCL, because the sustainability of their respective projects would be at stake without the millions in revenues that the competition brings. Indeed, finishing outside the qualifying spots would force big reflections from the owners.

Paulo Fonseca will not be the only one to answer for a potential failure. Every coach is liable to be sacked in the event of repeated negative results and he will be no exception, but if the season ended badly, everyone would be in question.

Inside an American-owned club, with economics and data as its lodestar, the chain of command is primarily responsible. That means the CEO Giorgio Furlani and the special advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic would come under scrutiny.

They endorsed the choices and submitted them to the majority shareholder, Gerry Cardinale, for approval. Then there is Geoffrey Moncada who is the technical director and has a major influence on the signings and squad construction, so his work will also be judged come June.

A victory over Juve, after defeating Inter and Real Madrid, would certify the spirit of the group and reduce the gap in the standings to a mere question of adaptation to the new era. A defeat would see a new crisis open up, and probably end any title hopes before December.