Arrigo Sacchi believes that AC Milan have hired a proven winner in Massimiliano Allegri, but shared concerns about his style of play.
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At the start of the week Milan did not (officially) even have a sporting director, but before the end of May they have managed to fill two major holes in the planning for the 2025-26 season, and hopefully beyond.
Igli Tare was announced as the new director on Monday and he quickly got to work, meeting with agents and the Roma management on day one. Then he tackled the coach issue, and his acceleration for Allegri proved to be a decisive one.
Multiple reliable sources are claiming that Allegri has put pen to paper on an initial two-year deal and that it will be announced today, marking a return to the Rossoneri 11 years after leaving the first time.
Allegri to Milan: Sacchi’s take
Sacchi has published a column for La Gazzetta dello Sport in which he gave a detailed analysis of Milan’s decision to go for Allegri, a coach who knows the club well and has won there before.
“Massimiliano Allegri’s arrival on the Milan bench marks a clear change of pace compared to the recent past,” he began.
“The club have decided to focus on a strong name, on a character who has won a lot in Italian football, on a coach who knows the Rossoneri environment perfectly – because he has already been there – and also the dynamics of Serie A: without international commitments, Milan, next season, will have to focus mainly on the league.
“Reaching an agreement with Allegri means aiming for the maximum and this move, in my opinion, can give enthusiasm to the people. It is an aspect not to be underestimated, beyond all the technical-tactical issues that can arise during the process.
“Finding optimism, for a club like the Rossoneri that came out of the season just ended rather depressed, is essential to regain the future. What do I think of Allegri as a coach? This is the usual question I hear repeated every time I have to talk about Max.
“I have great respect for Allegri and his work. He is a coach who has always done his duty wherever he has gone. I must admit that I like a different style of football than his. There is nothing wrong with that, it is a matter of taste.
“And, as the Latins used to say, de gustibus non disputandum est… I want to say something very clearly because in the past there have been too many misunderstandings: I have nothing against Allegri, it simply happened to me in previous seasons to criticise his football and his teams. That’s all, nothing personal.
“In Italy he has won a lot: 6 league titles (one with Milan and five with Juve), 3 Supercoppa Italiani, 5 Coppa Italia. I think I can say that he is a guarantee and I don’t think I’m wrong. Allegri is a coach who has perfectly followed the footsteps of Italian football history, based on defence, counter-attacks and high-level players.
“These are his ideas, and with these ideas he deserves credit for having achieved important successes. But if you ask me: have his teams played well? Well, then, I must admit that I enjoy seeing collective and attacking football, and not individual and defensive football. It’s a question of point of view.
“My observation is that in Europe, leading the strongest and most economically powerful Italian team, namely Juventus, he has not won any trophies. In any case, regardless of opinions, there are data. It cannot be said that Allegri is not a high-level coach, far from it.
“In Italy he knows how to win, he knows how to manage a group, he knows how to convince players to play his type of football. I hope he can improve it further, perhaps making it a little more European. Milan has always had a public accustomed to the stages and international successes.
“It is true that next season they will not be involved in the cups, but we must never forget that that is their DNA and must be respected. I believe that the hiring of the new sporting director Tare, who is a high-level manager, very experienced and with a deep knowledge of Italian and international football, and that of Allegri, certainly one of the best coaches in our country, demonstrate that Milan is serious.
“Evidently the mistakes of last season have been understood. It is essential that the club returns to the center of everything, because that is where ideas and strategies start. A clear project is needed and reliable men are needed who will put their heart and soul into making this project a reality.
“Now Allegri, in agreement with Tare and on the basis of the club’s financial availability, will have to evaluate last season’s squad, give indications on who should be kept and who should be sold, and who should be bought. This is the method for building a competitive team.
“But I am sure that Allegri knows him very well: he certainly has the experience to grasp, at first glance, the value of a player. He is also a very good motivator and I really hope that he can give psychological fuel to those elements that, in the last season, did not shine.
“In Italy he has shown that he is very good and I would be really happy if he brought my favorite team back to the top. If he also gives a style to Milan, that is, if he makes them play a more modern and more European football, the applause will be double.”