The stunning developments at Milan will have immediate effects on a few negotiations and the transfer market plans, but not on their dugout. Stefano Pioli was blindsided by Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara’s ousting. The ownership signaled its trust in him, and he took a few hours to ponder whether to resign. He’ll ultimately stay on, Tuttomercatoweb informs.
The Rossoneri aren’t expected to bring in new executives to replace the outgoing duo, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs. CEO Giorgio Furlani, who substituted Ivan Gazidis last November, will be more involved in the technical matters. Head scout Geoffrey Moncada, who had long extended his contract, will take on more responsibilities too. He already coordinates ten people and has been instrumental in various signings.
Milan patron Gerry Cardinale is a big believer in stats and algorithms. The club will rely on those instruments more. He has a connection with baseball guru Billy Bean and with Luke Bornn, the founder of Zelus Analytics, which heavily contributed to Toulouse’s success, the other team owned by RedBird Capital.
The Rossoneri will target primarily U-25 players. The negotiations for Marko Arnautovic and Domenico Berardi are unlikely to continue. Instead, Daichi Kamada and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have better chances of joining. Pioli, who will be more influential, might push for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Our Take on Milan
American owners haven’t had a great deal of success in Italy in recent years. Some have been outright disastrous. The Rossoneri were an exception thanks to their dual nature provided by the presence of Maldini and Massara. Probably more will come out concerning the divide within the club, but it’s a huge risk.
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