The words of Paolo Maldini against the Super League could have lasting effects inside of Milan. The technical director directly attacked the project proposed by Ivan Gazidis, whose position is not as solid as in the past. The two had a vehement argument earlier in the day when the CEO suggested explaining what was happening to the squad, but the ex-defender blocked him to avoid distractions, Repubblica reports.
The two executives had already clashed last season when the former Arsenal director pushed to hire Ralf Rangnick, while the club’s legend defended the work of Stefano Pioli. The latter prevailed again on another key topic. Gazidis still has the trust of the Elliott fund that owns the club and had okayed joining the breakaway competition, but his departure would no longer be seen as stunning, Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
The outlet also indicates that the Rossoneri adhered to the Super League with a caveat. They wanted it to be approved by the Italian Football Association and UEFA first, something the founding clubs believed could happen down the line. Gazidis was reportedly among the main supporters alongside Florentino Perez, Andrea Agnelli, and Ed Woodward.
Milan will now have to mend fences with the continental federation, which hired their former official Zvonimir Boban in an apical position. He was fired for cause in March of 2020 because of disagreements with Gazidis. He won in the ensuing court battle as the reasons for his dismissal turned out to be unfounded, and he is entitled to a €5.7M reparation.