If AC Milan fail to get into the Champions League, the impact on the plans moving forward will be significant, and not in a good way.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, Roma’s win over Fiorentina on Monday night means that Milan are now just three points clear of fifth. The Rossoneri have always been in the top four this season, except for the first three games, yet they could ruin everything.
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There would be a knock-on effect across multiple fronts. In short, Milan in the Europa League – and not in the most prestigious European cup – would bring more of the ‘Akanji case’. Last August, the club wanted the Swiss but he chose Inter, to play in the Champions League.
Allegri in doubt
If they finish in the top four, Massimiliano Allegri’s contract would automatically extend until 2028. Otherwise, it would remain with a deadline of 2027. The expiry date, however, does not feel as important as the plans with the coach.
Without the Champions League, Milan’s firepower on the transfer market would be reduced by around €100m. Since Allegri agreed to return with the assumption that he would be able to fight for the title in year two, the chances of him staying without top four would drastically reduce.
This is especially the case if, at the same time, he were to be offered the prospect of leading the national team’s resurgence. At that point, a new coach would also need to be chosen: finding someone more successful than Max would be difficult.
Modric and other top players
While there’s a sense of confidence that Luka Modric will remain at Milan should they qualify for the Champions League, finishing outside the top four would dash the dream of keeping the Croatian for another year.
Luka accepted the courtship of his favorite team (as a boy) with the goal of winning a trophy. A Milan without the ability to invest significantly to improve the current squad would almost certainly ruin his dream in 2026-27.
It would also diminish their chances of signing the players currently considered crucial to building a stronger, more leadership-focused team like Leon Goretzka in midfield, and one of Alexander Sorloth, Gonçalo Ramos or Nicolas Jackson as a centre-forward.
Wages and the balance sheet
This year’s budget will close in the red unless one of the most valuable players is sold by June 30th. On that note, Strahinja Pavlovic has admirers across the Channel, while Adrien Rabiot could ask to leave if Allegri does.
Without the money that guarantees Champions League qualification, next season’s budget also risks going into the red. Solutions? Limited investments or a significant reduction in wages and amortisation.
Therefore, the players who earn the most (Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Mike Maignan) or who cost a lot of money to sign (Christopher Nkunku, Santiago Gimenez, Youssouf Fofana and Ardon Jashari) could be sold to give oxygen to the accounts.
Milan’s absence from the Champions League would further widen the gap with Inter, who on the day of the Rossoneri’s defeat in Reggio Emilia celebrated their 21st Scudetto after winning the second-star title in the derby (in 2023-24).
This is a another gut-punch for the Rossoneri fans who have long dreamed of returning to consistent winning ways and who, without the Champions League, risk seeing their ambitions dashed.
If missing out on top four were to mean getting rid of Allegri and bringing in competent owners I think I’d take it…
The problem is competent owners are not coming
This will not mean Cardinale will sell. This will mean gutting the team of high wages players and star players, bringing in low caliber players. Allegri will leave and probably another dinosaur or lower caliber coach will come in. A then a cycle of another banter era failing to reach top four.
All in all, we need Milan to achieve champions league, yet I truly cannot see how we will manage wins vs Atalanta Genoa and Cagliari if we can’t score…
We need to end this season get the money buy better players and start year 2 of allegri era
Yeh – we’re screwed..
Unfortunately they won’t sell before the stadium is built. We are stuck with the financial Scudetto team until the Americans maximise their profits from Milan.
True talk
They do not maximise profits. Stop lying. They don’t take ANYTHING out of the club. They ensure there is enough money to keep the club out of debt, which is why these profits you speak of are no more than €5 million a year.
Dejan I’m open even if we are heading to seria b as long alegri won’t be here next year i believe we can come back but alegri won’t take us far it’s for sure, now I know the reason juventus fans were laughing at us last year when we were appointed alegri
I was laughing at Juventus then when he joined us I starting to gag..
Sudah Pasti Musim Depan Milan Gagal Untuk Liga Champions. Milan vs Atalanta,Milan sudah Pasti Kalah. Genoa vs Milan,Milan Sudah Pasti Imbang. Milan vs Cagliari,Milan sudah Pasti Menang. Dari Sini Milan Mesti Mereset dari Kepemilikan CARDINALE, FURLANI, SCARLONI Dan Manajemen Terendah harus di jual dan di ganti total. lebih Baik Allegri dari sekarang mengundurkan diri dan ALLEGRI menerima untuk melatih Timnas Italia.
You realise you’re talking about one of only three managers to deliver a Scudetto for Milan this century?
If you can’t bring yourself to respect a man who delivered YOU a Scudetto what is the point of you supporting this club?
What is the thing you’re hanging around for?
If it’s whatever you’re doing in your computer games that’s not going to happen.
You don’t want that. Last time missing CL two years in a row lead to 7 years total until the return. Every good to decent player sold. It is a very brutal reality.
Every player with name value will be sold and it’s no bad thing if they are forced to stop wasting money in the EPL and Belgium and look for cheaper targets in Serie A.
With fans like you who needs Inter fans.
Based on our results in second half of the season we wouldn’t even be top 10 so yes it is the coach fault when 5 different forwards can’t score goals it’s not like they forgot how to score it’s the system. Get Maresca or Sarri and pray we reach top four as Roma won yesterday and have easier games than us
I understand there has been very little service to the forwards this second half the season, but look at the misses in the past games. Leao vs Sassuolo, salaemakers vs Juve. Pulisic multiple misses.
I remember articles the first half the season saying we scored most of our only or first shots on goal. Now, we don’t even shoot on goal and when we do we rarely score. So, it somehow worked before but now all our players are struggling. So I would say the players are at fault too
I believe there was an article in late 2025 before it went south for the American where it was made clear that Pulisic had either his best or second best half of his career in g/a pr match so its pretty safe to say that it goes beyond the formation and I’ve personally never been a fan of the 3-5-2. Allegri wasn’t my choice for coach either but as long as we qualify for CL I definitely prefer us building on what we got rather than starting from scratch again.
….half season of his career….
Cardinale fire Maldini and he brings his incompetent workers..
Who cares now about balance sheet. Let him pay bills this way.
“It would also diminish their chances of signing the players currently considered crucial to building a stronger, more leadership-focused team like Leon Goretzka in midfield, and one of Alexander Sorloth, Gonçalo Ramos or Nicolas Jackson as a centre-forward.” Stronger team with Nicolas Jackson? Sure.
Allegri having 3 different strikers (gimenez, Fullkrug, and Nkunku kind of) and still insists on starting leao and puli up top at all times is stupidity beyond sense. Neither of those 2 have been remotely useful in MONTHS. Yet he keeps doing it as if hes delusional and thinks one day its gonna work…
They are not going to sign Jackson. Use your brains and stick to realistic targets. After Nkunku flopped, why would they go back to another EPL reject? They’re not going to keep making the same mistakes, that is clear from the way they have kept changing directors.