AC Milan are looking for a new head coach ahead of next season, and the return of Max Allegri is an idea that is gaining momentum.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) reports that after a meeting in New York between the number one of RedBird, Gerry Cardinale, and the CEO Giorgio Furlani, the foundations of the new Milan were laid.
Having established that Sergio Conceiçao’s adventure in red and black will end (at the end of the season or sooner, if the streak of defeats continues), the time has come to act in advance so as not to experience, in 2025-26, another year like the current one.
Last summer, the directors looked at hiring Julen Lopetegui before then going with Paulo Fonseca. A winning coach was needed, someone who knows the league, because Stefano Pioli had celebrated a Scudetto and reached a Champions League semi-final.
There was a need for someone with greater appeal and ability (on paper) than the Parma coach. Like Antonio Conte, who not coincidentally revitalised Napoli, or like Allegri, who is still free after the sabbatical year following his farewell to Juventus.
Now that Conceiçao needs replacing and Max is free, the mistake of 2024 will not be repeated. Cardinale and his team have understood the lesson that the pitch is teaching in a season where the 50th trophy in the club’s history arrived, but there was plenty of disappointment elsewhere.
The right man?
Allegri has all the characteristics to be the right manat the right time. First reason: after such a troubled season (and we are not at the end yet), within Casa Milan they understood that a ‘normaliser’ is needed, but above all a winner who is inevitable to follow. I.e. not another gamble.
If a year without the Champions League would be in some way sustainable for a club with a healthy balance sheet like Milan’s, failing to qualify for the most important European cup for the second season in a row would become intolerable, for the accounts and for the fans.
Allegri is a guarantee: he has won six league titles and always finished in the top four (apart from the year of the points penalty given to Juventus). He didn’t do so with a beautiful style of play or with the dominant football, but through hard-fought performances and defensive resilience.
Second reason: he has already been at Milanello during the Silvio Berlusconi era, he won a Scudetto and at his side he had Mauro Tassotti, who could return to be part of his staff, and had Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a centre-forward. It wasn’t all roses and flowers between the Swede and Allegri, but time has sutured the wounds.
Objections and alternatives
The obvious objection is that Max’s return to Juventus was not full of satisfactions apart from the success in the last Coppa Italia, so why should Milan hire him?
Simply because when he returned to Turin they sold him the strongest player in the squad (Cristiano Ronaldo) and then he faced complicated situations especially off the pitch.
At Milan he would find a club with the accounts in order, that has been investing in the market for two seasons, that will be reinforced by a new manager for the sporting area (Igli Tare respects him, as does Fabio Paratici) and that is eager to hit the second star.
Third reason: Max is used to playing with all the formations. He has his demands, but he also adapts to the human material that is made available to him and brings out the best. In the current Milan there are players to relaunch.
Relaunching following a winner like Allegri would be easier. And if the Champions League is in Milan’s DNA, Max has reached the final twice in the most coveted European cup. Allegri is therefore a strong idea for Milan, but it also teases the person directly involved who said no to the money from Saudi Arabia and is waiting for an important call in Italy to take revenge after leaving Juve.
Alternatives to Max? There is no other winner like him and therefore another profile would be needed, like Cesc Fabregas or Roberto De Zerbi, both esteemed and appreciated for the brilliant work they are doing with Como and Marseille. In pole position now, however, there is Allegri.
I was a big fan of his when he worked with Cagliari. He won Scudetto with us, first after 7 years. As mentioned above, he is a winner. Having said that, I’d rather have De Zerbi. We need pure Milanistas. He would bleed for us. I really hope we hire De Zerbi and bring back Tonali and Maldini. With them we would have rossonero DNA back.
Yep I’d prefer DeZerbi Italiano Conte – most people actually …
They want a serial winner but they passed on Conte… Makes perfect sense.
At Cagliari there’s lots dangerous player like Antonino Langella. But time it’s change. I would rather de Zerbi at Milan dugout next summer for long-term than allegri / fabregas.
At this point, fabregas we should watch him 2nd season. Maybe in this season only one hit wonder for him. Milan need stability not gambling
Allegri is a good coach. I don’t understand why he got so much hate at Juventus but my only concern is that most past coaches never do well in their 2nd return to their former clubs.
Sacchi 2nd spell at Milan was horrible. Same with Capello 2nd spell at Milan but both times the club management was a big mess at the top.
So if Milan can get a good Italian sporting director to support Allegri and get him the players he wants it can work similar to Ancelotti 2nd spell at Real Madrid.
But if not then it be another disaster season in the making.
First choice is Gasperini who is available in the summer, second is Conte for guarantee and then Dezerbi or Allergy if we could not have the first 2 option
If Milan have clarity strategy on long term, they should hire Gasperini. Sell all the lazy players with big salary on the team. So the have the balance money. But with Gasperini, Milan and the fans should have more patient. He will work with youngsters and sign raw diamond from nowhere. That’s his job. In the past, Seri A have a coach like this type: Carlo Mazzone. And the rest his history, we can see now Atalanta already have progress on and off the pitch.
De Zerbi can be interesting, but he still don’t train big club, even he is a Milanista , there is a question if he is able to finish in top 4… and second question. In Marseille they fight for top 3 , i think he stay there next season. Alegri doesn’t has nice style of play but for now he is the best choice, with him we has bigger chance to qualify to CL and also bigger chance to win some coppa italia for example (also scudetto)
Rather play ugly and win every match then play “beautiful Fonseca style” and be for laught for everyone in Europe…
Have to start somewhere, isn’t it. Allegri was given a job back in 2010 and he had no experience in the big team. Allegri recently played ugly and also didn’t win, his Juve lost against an Israeli minnow.
Yes that’s true, everyone need to start somewhere, but let’s be honest , we give 1. Bigger experience to Fonseca who finish in Ligue 1 in 4th place and it was almost disaster. Then we give another 1th bigger experience to Conceicao and ( he is still for me good coach) for now Fonseca has better stats then Sergio… I don’t know if Fans want to third coach without experience. Everybody talks about beautiful de zerbi, but also last year everyone talk about Fonseca’s beautiful Football
Francesco Farioli is my preferred choice. He’s Italian and he’s doing great work with Ajax. He is young and tactically gifted as his team is very solid defensively and in attack
I watched him at Nice last season and if it wasn’t for injuries and club selling players in January he would have finished in the top 4.
But his team still had a good defensive record and only 4 points behind Lille who finished 4th last season.
No please. He had successes but fail miserably in 2nd stint with Juve. He played very boring football. Can get Gasp, De Zebri. Milan management is a joke, going from one end to another in a short time. He is not even a good care taker like Ranerei.
Brainless owner. If he choose Allegri than he will repeat the same blunder when he chose Ponseca.
No wonder Milan fall down in his hand.
Yesssss. Finally someone that can win or cuss the management out otherwise. Enough with those mediocre yes-men managers.
If allegri becomes coach im not even going to bother watching next season.
At this point no coach will survive under such a toxic environment. For a management who won’t sign Italians, who take forever to purchase players, who don’t buy the right fit 4 positions (we needed a DM n they signed fofana who doesn’t play like one). A management who doesn’t have clear identity. It’s all about merchandising milan. If we keep buying small players who don’t have winning mentality, they will give their all, n their all is what we are seeing.
Sigh. You get news from this website, but if you’re looking for insight, you won’t find it. I’m not sure how ANYONE can write an article about Allegri and not mention his biggest strength – developing young players:
MILAN
Shaarawawy – his best ever season was under Max
Di Sicglio – was promising under Max at Milan
Cristante – again, promising under Allegri
JUVE
Pogba & Dybala – played their best football under Allegri and become world stars
Fagioli & Miretti – given a chance due to the need to make the squad younger
Camarda, Zeroli, Liberali, Scotti, Barteshagi are likely to benefit under Allegri.
Milan fans won’t accept this fact due to what they have faced this season. But to me I want Alegri and a sporting director Tare
Are you drunk? Allegri prefer old players. He would prefer 35 year old van bommel over a up and coming Locatelli. He only started those young players because he didn’t have a choice. Pogba and dybala where already performing before arriving.
Allegri is the worst opinion we have. DAIDAIDAI not again please…
So u can only name 3 ? 1 a solid yes and the other two is promise lol 🤣🤣🤣. Great work Allergic. Remember that nickname for him because he was allergic to winning? Well if we hire him that’s where we’re going. Allegri is anti-football in the flesh.
I agreed with Gasperini, then De Zerbi or Ancelloti if we can.
But yeah news and reality are often be different. So, lets see
I think Mauro Tassoti will be a good option. I believe Milan will success with him
Lmao. This would be the worst hire if we go this route. Smh
Dear God…. Have they lost their minds?? Does no one remember the anti-football that Allegri played at Juve and put everyone to sleep?
What are we doing here?! “Normalization Coach” breeds mediocrity and irrelevance. What is the direction here – “let’s not s*ck anymore?” IS that a strategy moving forward? Because that’s not a viable club philosophy.
I’m all for an Italian coach, but there ARE better coaches out there. I would even go for Sarri over Max. Or Look at Italiano’s starless Bologna playing better than us. Baroni at Lazio. DeZerbi even with all the goals he concedes, at least it would be an exciting Milan to watch.
But Allegri??? His boring defensive football isn’t a “normalization” – it’s a philosophy.
Exactly! I hate this Italian coach nonsense. They wanna tell me that it Klopp or Guardiola wants to come to Milan they’ll reject them cos they ain’t Italian ? SMH. I think they’re dancing to the pundits and fans again instead of sticking to their convictions; that’s if they have one.
Btw, why are we talking about Allegri when Klopp is available? Why can’t we go for him ? I’m sure he’ll be excited about an opportunity to win in Italian league since he’s won in premier league and German league. We’re just filled with mediocre thinking management and fans.