American's firing of beloved team leader rocks AC Milan
On the surface, everything looks fabulous at AC Milan.
Things have finally turned around for the Rossoneri after a decade of heartbreaking underperformance. The club made it to the Champions League semifinals and won its first Italian championship in 11 years in 2022. The architect of this turnaround was Paolo Maldini, a club legend as a player and an invaluable asset to Milan's leadership team.
Maldini became Milan's technical director in 2019; his role was to ensure Milan signed the best players. He was instrumental in securing talent such as Rafael Leão, Mike Maignan and Olivier Giroud, players who did more than just about anyone to change Milan's on-the-field fortunes. Thanks to his shrewd negotiation tactics, Maldini was beloved by fans and recruits alike.
But on Tuesday, AC Milan announced that he'd been fired.
The "why" behind Maldini's dismissal—disagreement in long-term vision between him and Milan's new American owners—is all too common. With soccer club values soaring across the globe, American investors have turned to Italy for its friendly financial environment, bargain-basement prices and sky-high potential. AC Milan isn't the only big Italian club to have new American representation—AS Roma, Spezia and Genoa were all bought recently, too.
Several Milan players, many of them Maldini signings, are reported to be horrified by his sacking. Italian paper la Repubblica reported that the squad is "in revolt," with Maignan, Leão and Theo Hernandez said to be angling for an exit.
Fans, too, are livid, accusing Cardinale of cultural insensitivity and a lack of soccer knowledge.
"As always, these Americans arrive without understanding anything about football," former Italy player Antonio Cassano said. "I hope for Paolo that he can send them to [expletive] and start over elsewhere."
The final disagreement between Cardinale and Maldini stemmed from control. Cardinale wanted more decision-making power with regard to player signings and coach appointments, while Maldini and his team insisted upon visibility given their deep roots with the club.
Cardinale clearly wants to oversee a new era for Milan. But by firing such a beloved club figure, it looks like that new era may be one of turmoil.
More must-reads: