There has been a lot of talk about who AC Milan will hire as their next sporting director but the process has only just begun.
After Antonio D’Ottavio’s departure, Milan are looking for a new sporting director to join the current working group, as we reported. Geoffrey Moncada is the technical director on paper but remains the chief scout in practice, and would prefer to return to a behind-the-scenes role.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played a key role in recent transfer market operations, but has been met with criticism and has encountered some difficulties. The CEO Giorgio Furlani has full powers, and seems to want to bring in an experienced profile to help lead a summer rebuild.
Antonio Vitiello posted his weekly column for MilanNews and he gave an update on the pursuit of a new director, which might be one of the most important decisions the club has made in years.
“The casting for the sporting director has just begun, Giorgio Furlani in these days has started to meet the first candidates to find the right man to entrust the keys of Milan.
“With a year of delay in management they realised that a figure like a sporting director was needed, not only for the market but above all for the daily management of Milanello. Teams are not only made in the summer and winter transfer sessions, but there are many aspects that need to be taken care of during the year.
“The Milan CEO will have several interviews in the next few days and according to the latest rumours the choice will not happen immediately. The Rossoneri CEO will take all the time necessary to not hire the wrong director, after all, entrusting himself to the wrong man would further complicate the relaunch of Milan after a disastrous year.
“Igli Tare was one of the most quoted names in the past but now he is slowly decreasing. The candidacy of Fabio Paratici, a manager appreciated by Furlani, who worked at Juventus and Tottenham, has risen a lot. There have already been some initial approaches but there will be others in the coming days to delve deeper into the issue.
“It is not just the economic aspect at stake, but we want to understand how the next sporting director intends to act. How many changes he would like to bring to the team, if he has a revolution or a restructuring in mind.
“Among the names there is also that of Tony D’Amico of Atalanta and foreign solutions will not be overlooked either. Even if, to date, Paratici is the strong candidate.”
By that they mean take all the time neccesary for other teams to sign all candidates and have us end up with a random bundesliga or ligue 1 guy
The now supposedly omnipotent Furlani can put on a show and search the whole world over for a new Sporting Director, but he doesn’t need to waste his time and money doing that. The candidate who ticks all the right boxes and fits the bill is staring him in the face: that individual is the ACM legend who last helped put the club on the right upward trajectory, only for all his fine work to be wrecked after he was foolishly fired by the owner.
Bring Maldini back!
No one is claiming that Paolo was solely responsible for ACM’s improvement last time around. Massara also had a hand, as did others. But it was Paolo – the highly respected and talismanic figure – who was key and inspired players and fans.
Paolo wasn’t perfect; no one is. But he helped steer the team to a Scudetto and a CL semi-final after a long and intolerable hiatus – hard facts that cannot be denied. Only the mean and churlish will traduce him and try to denigrate his achievement.
A 5-times CL winner with the Rossoneri, including 2 as captain – a former Azzurri skipper – he played alongside some of the world’s greatest footballers during his long and distinguished career with ACM. You’d think, therefore, he’d have a good idea about who today has the required physical, technical, and mental qualities to wear an ACM shirt.
Furlani should stay in the background and stick to what he was trained to do: keep the club’s finances in order. He should leave the sporting decisions to Maldini. The classy and competent Maldini – not the gnomish Furlani, not the crass Ibra, not the out-of-touch Cardinale – should be the public face of ACM.
So, Milanisti: Please shout it from all the windows, balconies, and rooftops in Milan and elsewhere in Italy; please shout it at the San Siro; please shout it in front of Casa Milan: Bring Maldini back!
“Bring Maldini back! ”
LOL. So naive…
Even if Maldini said yes, you REALLY think the chemistry would be there? They’d all enjoy every meeting together and long look gazes into the eyes of the fellow management members. Holding hands while watching the sunrise? They’d live together happily ever after. Yeah. Sounds plausible.
He’d better NOT take all the time he needs as the new guy needs to be on board way before the mercato begins. ANd let’s not forget we’d need him to choose the next coach also and plan the mercato with him too. So… The sooner the better.