The negotiation between directors Paolo Maldini, Ricky Massara and the Milan brass has gone on until the last day of their contracts. While nobody forbids them from striking a deal past the expiration date, they would no longer have any formal tie to the club starting tomorrow.
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, while there continues to be optimism about the outcome, the dialogue between the parties has had its ups and downs. The legend wants more autonomy. He does not wish to be a full-fledged CEO, as he is not interested in handling the financial part of the club. However, he demands to have the final say on the technical decisions.
The interview where he blasted Elliott for its inactivity on his contract was not well-received. The club is currently transitioning to RedBird Capital. But the Singer fund will maintain some shares, and Ivan Gazidis will still be in charge. Maldini and Massara appear to have hit it off with new Milan owner Gerry Cardinale. Although, he is not the only one pulling the strings just yet.
According to the publication, the lawyers of the parties traded revised drafts in the last few days. The icon desires to have the complete trust of the higher-ups and his mansions fully specified. In the meantime, the stalemate has completely stalled any acquisition.
Our Take on Milan, Maldini and Massara
It is an unfortunate situation, as the club should have taken care of the directors right after the ownership change. There might be deeper issues underneath the surface that have yet to come out. The two execs have been masterful in bolstering the squad with relatively cheap deals. They need to be retained since the strategy will not change that much.