goodbye to Maldini, the ‘Moneyball’ arrives

Lon the afternoon of June 5 everything was blown up in the ‘rossonera’ part of Milan. Following a meeting in a Milanese hotel with the club’s ownership (RedBird’s Americans, led by Gerry Cardinale) They announced to Maldini and Massara that they would stop being the top managers of the club’s sports area. A swerve to the project that began in 2018 and that brought Milan the ‘Scudetto’ of 2021/22 and their return to the Champions League with three consecutive qualifications, in addition to the semifinals of this season.

At first, although the break between the parties dates back almost a month, the decision has an impact. If on Sunday night the withdrawal of football from Zlatan Ibrahimovic He left Milan fans with tears in his eyes, this Tuesday the farewell of another legend: Paolo Maldini. His life is Milan… and Milan is the Maldini. But adding more successes than failures, being a living myth, ‘connecting’ with the dressing room… they have not saved him. Neither did Massara, his right hand.

The responsibility of managing the market and the workforce It will now go to Geoffrey Moncada, who was the head of scouting for the ‘Rossonero’ club. With him, Furlani, CEO of Milan since the departure of Ivan Gazidis. A change of address that responds to RedBird’s new ideas: making the club viable through revaluations. Sign cheap, sell expensive. Bet on young talent.

The causes of the breakup

The friction already began in 2022. When RedBird bought the club from the Elliott Fund, the renewal deal for Maldini and Massara took weeks to arrive. In fact, they were days away from being unemployed waiting for a new signature. Cardinale, when he arrived, promised to return Milanism to its most golden era… but this has been far from being true and If the Champions League semifinals have been played, it is more because of the high sporting performance of those who were already there than because of the investment made by the Americans.

In fact, there could be a lot of debate about ‘new ownership’: to buy the club they asked Elliott (the sellers) for a loan that would allow them to face the payment. And Gordon Singer, representative of the former owners, is still linked to the club.

Another season has passed. Now is the time of the transfer market. We want the quality leap

Statement from the South Curve of Milan

“Another season has passed. Now is the time for the transfer market. We want the leap in quality”, is what the Curva Sud demanded of the board after the Milan – Verona game on the last day. AND Although it is true that the 50 million euros (plus sales) that Milan has for this market is one of the highest budgets in Italy, it is something very poor for a team with the history of the San Siro.

“They should remember that they are involved in football in Milan, not my friend Lele’s San Marino team. They are at Milan, a club that, after Real Madrid, has won the most European Cup titles”, is Cassano’s reflection. “If Maldini leaves, it is because the club is not going to spend a single euro. Surely Cardinale is crazy because Maldini is leaving Milan. If I were Cardinale, I would tell Maldini to sign for ten years”, is what ‘Bobo’ Vieri thinks.

If Maldini leaves, it is because the club is not going to spend a single euro

Christian Vieri, ex soccer player

Maldini, like the fans, asked for more money to sign knowing that Milan have their accounts healthy. In addition, he is committed to a transfer policy in which to mix seniority with youth: Kjaer or Ibrahimovic with Tonali and Leao. His sentence? A bad 2022/23 at the market level: the signing of De Ketelaere (35 million) has been disastrous and others like Origi, Dest or Adli have followed the same path. Only Thiaw has worked. And Cardinale, it seems, has not missed the opportunity to strike down Maldini.

The dressing room, annoying

Although Stefano Pioli will continue to lead on the bench (has ownership support), some very important players in the locker room such as Rafael Leao, Theo Hernández or Mike Maignan have not taken Maldini and Massara’s departures well. In fact, they have been very surprised with what happened.

Leao’s reaction on social networks is an example. And it is that Maldini and Massara were fundamental in their stages in Milan: first, signing them; then renewing them. The Portuguese winger, in fact, was the last to sign an agreement until 2028… just a few days ago.

The ‘Moneyball’ arrives

But… what does the future hold now for Milan? A bet… with its consequent risk. As ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’ explains, Billy Beane, the ‘Moneyball’ guru who revolutionized baseball and inspired the famous movie starring Brad Pitt, is one of the pillars on which Milan will increasingly rely with a view to the market: he was already collaborating with RedBird at the ‘rossoneri’ club but now his influence will increase.

Cardinale wants to bet on the use of ‘big-data’ to work in the market knowing that it has worked in other places: Brighton, for example. Besides, His defense is that in Toulouse (a club he owns) he has done well.