CorSport: Relations between Allegri and management at ‘total freeze’ – what could happen

Relations between AC Milan and Massimiliano Allegri are at a low point, a report claims, fuelling the rumours he could leave after just one season.

As Corriere dello Sport recall, one year ago, Allegri was on the verge of becoming Milan’s new head coach. The official announcement eventually came on May 30th, but the groundwork for the move was already being laid in April.

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The contract was set to run until 2028 with an option for the following season, but today, it’s more in the air than ever. There’s a distance between Allegri and Milan, with the paper speaking of a ‘total freeze’ between the parties.

The league table has nothing to do with it: rather, it’s the relationships that matter. The team have always hovered near the top and are still third on 63 points. With top four the minimum objective would be achieved, but without it everything could topple.

Another revolution?

If Milan surrender a Champions League place, Milan would be unlikely to continue with him and Igli Tare. There’s confusion: while Allegri is rallying around the team, Giorgio Furlani, Geoffrey Moncada and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are questioning their options and making moves.

Even the role of the sporting director Tare isn’t clear. Allegri was (and is) the first choice, but if the coach were to leave, the fate of the director would be the same. Agents are already talking about it, so much so that many names – from Benatia to Giuntoli – are being floated as possible successors.

If the Diavolo were to finish in the top four, or even maintain their current podium position, Allegri could step aside and choose something else. He has not felt the support of management enough this year, despite Milan never having been outside the top four and being in the title race for most of it.

To the Azzurri

Once the new president of the Federation is chosen, Allegri could be contacted to become the new head coach, and he would obviously be flattered. Napoli, on the other hand, have him on their list if Antonio Conte were to take the Azzurri job.

Is everything already written, then? No. Milan wouldn’t mind (in fact, they’d greatly appreciate) the duo of Vincenzo Italiano as coach and Tony D’Amico as the new director, but they would have to free themselves from Bologna and Atalanta, respectively. Both were also explored last summer.

It’s highly unlikely that, in the end, a way to mend relations will be found. The current chill is undeniable: if Allegri were to secure Champions League qualification and Milan provided him with a worthy, deep and quality squad to compete on multiple fronts, the gap could be narrowed.

The coach’s (and the club’s) goal was clear from the start: return to the most prestigious and richest competition in the first year and then aim for titles. Things changed during the season, highlighting a clear incompatibility between the parties.

The most serious problem, however, lies in identifying who at Milan is capable and qualified to make decisions. Without establishing that, nothing can be in order.