AC Milan have had a very tough start to the season with just two points in the first three games. A completely different team must step onto the pitch next weekend but the roots of the issues are much deeper, as argued by Andrea Longoni.
The Rossoneri have struggled big time at the start of this season, not just results-wise, as the performances have been incredibly subpar. The game against Lazio was slightly better but only slightly, as the Biancocelesti didn’t exactly look great either.
In his latest editorial for MilanNews, the journalist Andrea Longoni discussed the situation and highlighted the corporate downgrades that Muilan have experienced recently. From Ivan Gazidis to Giorgio Furlani and Ricky Massara to Geoffrey Moncada, there is a huge difference.
“Furlani may be very good in other areas, but not in football. From Gazidis to him, there was a big downgrade in terms of competence.
“Furthermore, from Massara to the promotion of Moncada, the same as above. The French scout might be good at identifying talents (that said, even here, he might not be extraordinary), but building a football team is another thing.
“Then the transition from Maldini to Ibrahimovic. Maldini is a director who accumulated experience and contributed to winning a Scudetto. He started alongside Leonardo, then he was joined by Boban and Massara.
“He didn’t have the presumption of knowing everything from the start. The presumption that, instead, the Swede transmits. The former Milan captain, whose concept of being a guarantor of the fans has been mocked by many, aimed at the best for Milan, not the best for himself, as Zlatan does.
“The difference is sensational. The winning project that convinced Ibrahimovic to sign with RedBird, well, at least at the moment, we can’t even see it. The unfortunate statement ‘Cardinale wants to spend more, I say no’ was seen by many (and rightly so) as a big joke.
“In short, the feeling today is that Ibra accepted the American owner’s proposal purely for financial gain and not for the ambition to win. Zlatan is the perfect manager for Cardinale, not for Milan. If Maldini had thought about his own interests, he would have behaved like the Swede and remained attached to his seat.
“What now? Answering this question is very complicated. Reorganising the corporate structure would be a good and right thing to do, perhaps finally introducing an expert and competent figure. Only Cardinale can intervene. Will he do it? I really don’t think so…”
It’s clear that Milan will give Paulo Fonseca more games to prove that he’s the right man for the job, but at some point they might be forced to look in the mirror as well. Because ultimately, it is the job of the directors to build a successful project.
