After setting Milan's management on fire and burning everything to the ground, Gerald Cardinale finally found a new manager and appointed a CEO, as well as promoting people to do the roles-formerly-known-as Technical and Sporting Directors. So, after welcoming new manager Rúben Amorim to Milanello and presenting him to the press, it was time to welcome back the players and get back to work. After a scrimmage with Milan Futuro on July 19th, Milan headed to Scotland to face Celtic on for their first friendly of the season. Their next stop was Australia, where they played a 1-1 draw with Inter, then on to Indonesia, where they were destroyed 3-0 by Chelsea. Back home to Milano for a couple of days of rest, and then off to Poland to humiliate Manchester United, Amorim's former club, to wrap up Milan's preseason. Press restart.
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| Milan's restart includes a new manager and a (hopefully) a returning young talent. |
The Summer of Doom
Milan have suffered a Year Zero each year that Gerald has tried to prove he can run this club better than those who actually know football, since the summer of 2023 when he suddenly sacked Maldini. Each year since, they have replaced up to 2/3 of the squad, as if Milan were a pair of dirty socks rather than a football team that needs consistency and th opportunity to build and grow together. But this summer, Gerald chose the nuclear option, sacking the CEO, both the Technical and Sporting Directors, as well as the manager.
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| Tare got us Modrić. On a free transfer. He deserved to stay, maybe forever. |
If he had a plan in place, this would have been a risk. Because plans for next season had been in the works for months, and an entire new regime meant changing the regime at the point when it was time to execute those plans. But Gerald had no plan. Instead, he spent an entire month, reportedly interviewing prospective candidates like the guy we already knew was wrong for Milan, Ralf Rangnick.
This meant that there was no one to negotiate transfers in or out with. As is in, if our players wanted to leave, they could not. Or if other clubs were interested in loaning or buying our players, they could not. There was no one to even speak to about transfers. For a whole month. In a transfer window that is only two months long, losing an entire month is catastrophic. Not to mention that they barely registered the club in time, just a few days ahead of the Serie A deadline. Season tickets went on sale late. Everything was late or did not even happen.
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| With 10 Milan players at the World Cup, this was a horrible year to lose a month in the mercato. |
And while Gerald promised (threatened?) to spend his entire summer focusing on setting this ship right, that was in no way reassuring to fans who have paid attention the past four years. He took a winning team, and tried to "reset the culture," which just screams idiot, failure, moron, and, for Milan fans, soul-crushing pain. The project in place was sustainable and successful on every level. Seriously, who the hell comes in and tries to "reset the culture?"
Not only that, but now Gerald has massive headaches, not only with the stadium, but also with another big investment. RedBird has a significant investment in Paramount+, who controversially won a bidding war to acquire Warner Bros this past February for around $110 billion. However, now there is an antitrust lawsuit happening to block the sale, and Paramount+ (and Gerald) stand to lose €7m per day beginning in October if the deal is not done. Yet the deal is in limbo due to the lawsuit, which is not set to go to court until next March. Plus, they are talking about relocating the majority of Paramount's studios to other states than California, which is another big headache/distraction. So Gerald's plan to focus solely on Milan has definitely been derailed. And Milan suddenly become low priority in comparison.
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| Gerald is suddenly pretending to care, but he has plenty of distractions on the horizon. |
Under New Management
So, what did Gerald come up with for Milan postnuclear meltdown? He hired a manager first, another somewhat successful foreign manager who has never even played or managed in Serie A. We did this already, Gerald. We already know this did not work. Gerald, a man whose understanding of football involves whatever someone told him about five minutes ago, and nothing more, along with his cringy sidekick, the former-legend-become-a-meme-who-is-now-hated-by-Milan-fans Zlatan Ibrahimović, chose our new manager. Brilliant.
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| Hanging out with a wannabe dictator at the White House instead of cleaning up their messes. |
And instead of hiring the CEO first, who would have a say in hiring the Technical Director, who would have a say in hiring the Sporting Director, who should have a say in hiring the manager, which is the healthy way to build an organization, Gerald did things his way. Again.
Gerald's way, of course, involves corporate "working groups" with confusing lines of authority that no one understands and a lack of accountability that allows him to assign blame wherever he likes. This time, he also changed the names of some of the positions for even more fun times. Truly a successful business model if you are five years old, but he is actually 59 years old.
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| What is the deal with this guy and his thumbs? Like seriously, is he 5 years old? |
For CEO, he appointed the former ATP (tennis) CEO, Massimo Calvelli. Calvelli has zero football experience, but he did play tennis professionally, and does have experience as a CEO, so that is a plus. He had been working as Gerald's go-between for his foreign investments (primarily AC Milan) for over a year now. But the funny part is that it was reported that he did not want to be CEO. Honestly, who would, with this train wreck?
Then things got crazy. Rather than appointing a proper Technical Director to oversee all of Milan's sporting sector, and an appropriately experienced Sporting Director, Gerald created the position of "Director of Player Trading," promoting scout Hendrik Almstadt. As with any person or subject, if you want to know the truth, ask Boban. And his assessment of Almstadt was scathing, questioning "What does he know about football?" Given his experience (or lack thereof,) which centers around data and economics, rather than assessing the whole player or how they will fit into a team or perform under a manager, I think we are screwed.
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| Out with the old, in with the noobs. |
But also, let's point out the obvious, that Gerald's understanding of what a Technical and Sporting Director does is "player trading." The planning, the interfacing with all areas of the sporting sector, the being available for teams, managers, and players, etc.– so many more responsibilities other than just the transfer market. Most importantly, note the use of the word "trading," because he literally trades players like they are stock market assets, and has zero idea of how football works.
Then, there was the appointment of Bobby Gardiner as "Director of Football Intelligence." To say that Gardiner is a data enthusiast would be an incredible understatement. He has worked at Milan as Head of Performance Analytics for about seven years, and has worked with Almstadt for many more years. But the important factor here is that his scouting and football experience centers entirely around data. The only essential consideration when choosing players or building a team in Gerald's world.
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| What kind of data is telling them to keep Musah? |
Finally, Donato Lomonte was promoted to head scout. Apparently, that is a job title that Gerald understands, so there was no need to change it. But this entire management change was removing the CEO and Technical Director who had no previous experience (and no business) at their jobs, but at least had been failing at them for four years. And he removed an excellent Sporting Director and a trophy-winning Manager, both with a lifetime experience, only to replace all of them with less experienced people. Like what was even the point? Yes, three of the four of them needed to go, but they should have been replaced with improved personnel.
Return to Milanello
As the expected players returned to Milanello on Monday, July 13th, there was also a surprise visit from new striker Gonçalo Ramos, who was actually on vacation, having just featured for Portugal in the World Cup. While he took his medicals in the U.S., he was so excited to see his new club, manager, and teammates, he stopped by on the first day of training, a gesture that was much appreciated by fans. This was also the first time, I believe, that Gerald Cardinale was at Milanello for ritiro, although the Curva Sud were still boycotting him.
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| How adorable, their outfits match. |
A handful of younger players were training with the first team. In addition to goalkeepers Pittarella and Bouyer, there were Ossola, Borsani, and the new Futuro winger Aurelien Guernier who featured, as well as both Camarda and Comotto, having returned from their loans anss signed contract extensions. The young new Montenegrin signing Andrej Kostić, signed from Partizan earlier this year, and the young Alphadjo Cissè, returning from loan to Catanzaro last season and his injury, were also training with the team from day one.
At the end of a week of training, there was a friendly played with the first team playing vs. Milan Futuro on Sunday, July 19th, in which the first team won 7-0. Goals were scored by: Kostić, Ossola, Chukwueze, Pavlović, Camarda, Loftus-Cheek, and Fofana.
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| New Futuro manager Sergio Navarro Barquero speaks with Amorim for the friendly. |
Players slowly returned to the team after their international duty, with Ramos and Rafa Leão joining the team in Perth after their run with Portugal at the World Cup. Pulisic and Santi Gimenez returned to Milanello, albeit to rehabilitate their minor injuries incurred with their national teams. Modrić joined the team in Perth ahead of the Derby, as well as the Swiss and Belgian players Jashari, De Winter, and Saelemaekers.
Celtic 2, Milan 2
The match vs. Celtic in Scotland on July 25th was our first glimpse at Amorim and what we might see this season, even if many players had not returned from international duty due to the World Cup. The new manager balanced his starting lineup with veteran starters and young or new players.
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| If only grinta alone prevented defensive errors. |
Starting lineup: (3-4-2-1) Torriani; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlović; Athekame, Ricci, Comotto, Bartesaghi; Ossola, Loftus-Cheek; and Kostić
The first half was brutally poor, with Durán scoring for Celtic in just the 11th minute due to an error by everyone's favorite defender-winger-striker, Pavlović. 1-0 Celtic. Forrest scored for Celtic again in the 28th. 2-0 Celtic. At the end of the first half, there were some signs of life from Milan, including a great save from Torriani on a dangerous free kick.
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| Camarda and Chukwueze celebrate the second goal vs. Celtic. |
At halftime, Amorim made seven substitutions: Camarda replaced Kostić, Chukwueze replaced Athekame, Odogu replaced Gabbia, Musah replaced Ossola, new Futuro signing Guernier replaced Comotto, Fofana replaced Ricci, and Gila replaced Tomori.
Immediately, there was a difference, and in just the 47th minute, Camarda converted a penalty kick awarded to Milan. Now it was just 2-1 Celtic. Five minutes later, Camarda scored again with an assist from Chukwueze to equalize. 2-2 all. In the 60', the long lost Futuro player Silvano Vos replaced Loftus-Cheek and Borsani replaced Bartesaghi. Unfortunately, Gila was injured, and replaced by Vladimirov in the 68th minute.
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| Kostić looked good vs. Celtic, was only missing the goal. |
In the 76th minute, the exciting young Alphadjo Cissè made his debut for Milan, replacing Guernier. Then Milan, who had dominated the second half after being held in the first half, were under siege. Torriani made a big save in the 77th minute, and Oxlaide-Chamberlain sent a shot just wide in the 83rd. In the 85th minute, Torriani made two more big saves, but in the end, Milan were able to hold onto the draw.
Milan players who were on the bench who did not see any playing time were the Futuro and Primavera goalkeepers Bouyer and Pittarella and returning-from-loan Filippo Terracciano. For the first friendly after such a disastrous start to the summer, this match probably went better than expected. It was nice to see Camarda score both goals, but unfortunately, we know that friendlies mean absolutely nothing when it comes to the actual season.
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| Showing appreciation for the fans in Glasgow. |
Before traveling to Australia, Amorim released a list of the players who would be traveling with the team for the summer tour.
Losing Franco
As if this summer were not already tough enough for Milan fans, we were forced to say goodbye to Italy and Milan legend Franco Baresi as he passed away on July 31st. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. One of only two Milan players to have his number retired, Baresi was known as the "Capitano Eterno" or Eternal Captain. Legendary worldwide as one of the greatest defenders of all time, having also captained the Italian national team, he was known as much for being a great leader and human being off the pitch as he was known for his unmatched sweeper and defensive skills on the pitch.
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| Baresi was passed up by Inter's Academy as a boy, signed for Milan instead, and the rest is history. |
Tributes still continue from all over, including some of his former teammates. However, one in particular stood out, both for who it was and the beautiful sentiments. The player, later defensive partner and the captain who succeeded him when he retired, was Paolo Maldini:
"Ciao Franco,
Today, I feel the same way I did whenever–for whatever reason–you couldn't take the field alongside us: how will we manage without our Captain?
You taught me to fight until my very last breath, what it means to be truly devoted to the jersey, and the value of being a real leader. You led by example, every single day: few words, but countless actions.
You protected me as a child, guided me as a young man, and inspired me as an adult. You were the greatest player I ever had the honor of playing with.
Sending a warm embrace to your entire family, especially your wife Maura and your sons, Edoardo and Giannandrea.
We will miss you, Captain. But the light of your star will continue to guide us forever." ❤️🖤
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| From one captain to another, a final farewell. |
To make matters worse, the team were unable to attend his memorial service, because they were in Australia already, set to play their match the following day. But they did pay him tribute in training after having heard of his passing. Gabbia and Amorim also took a wreath and placed it in front of a mural featuring Baresi in Perth. And they all wore his jersey ahead of their next match while a beautiful tribute was played and a minute of silence shown in his honor.
Baresi was also our honorary vice president and had long been an ambassador for Milan all over the world. Fans repaid his love by turning up in thousands at his service, along with Gimenez and Pulisic, who were in Milano due to their injury rehabilitation, and many, many former Milan players as well. As much as everything else surrounding Milan may have hurt this summer, nothing is so emotional as losing Franco Baresi. May he rest in peace.
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| Unable to attend his service in Milano, Gabbia and Amorim paid tribute to Baresi at a mural in Perth. |
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| Both teams pay tribute to Baresi ahead of the Derby in Perth. |
Milan 1, Inter 1
Playing in Perth for the third consecutive summer (where it is actually winter,) Milan players were once again warmly greeted by Australian Milan fans, including Milan Club Perth's new mascot, who gave players black swans (their club mascot) as they arrived. The match was played on Wednesday, August 5th, and featured amazing coreo, once again created by Paul Fantasia of Milan Club Australia. After the traditional welcome that featured not only the Italian and Australian national anthems, but a Didgeridoo, it became immediately clear that no matter the outcome, Milan fans outnumbered Inter or neutral fans in both colors and voice.
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| Amazing coreografia from Milan Club Australia. |
Starting Lineup: (3-4-2-1) Torriani; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlović; Chukwueze, Fofana, Musah, Bartesaghi; Loftus-Cheek, Alphadjo Cissè; and Camarda.
This match was definitely a Derby. And if possible, the violence was increased by being in the Southern Hemisphere. Or just being in Australia, who knows? But the first half was more physicality than football, and I wondered if this was a rugby ref or a football ref, as he was not calling anything. That said, Milan created the most chances in the first half, with Alphadjo Cissè's shot going just wide, Musah's shot hitting the post, and Fofana's shot saved. But toward the end of the first half, Torriani was forced into a couple of saves as well.
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| Deputizing all summer for the World Cup-playing Maignan, Torriani did well vs. Inter. |
At halftime, Nkunku replaced Alphadjo Cissè and Estupiñan replaced Bartesaghi. And in the 52nd minute, Dimarco scored. 1-0 Inter. I know it was only a friendly, but it was still Inter, and this was not how I wanted this to go. Torriani made a couple of saves, and then in the 62nd minute, Modrić replaced Fofana, Rafa Leão replaced Loftus-Cheek, Goncalo Ramos replaced Camarda, Saelemaekers replaced Chukwueze, Jashari replaced Musah, Vladaimirov replaced Tomori, De Winter replaced Pavlović, and Terracciano replaced Gabbia. It was as if Amorim saved his offensive A team for the last 30 minutes, and Inter seemed surprised that we had that many quality players to sub on.
Saelemaekers sent a dangerous cross in right away, forcing Josep Martínez to grab it, then Torriani made a great save after being stranded one on one with Lovelli. We saw Leão connect with Ramos and force a save, then Carlos Augusto fouled Nkunku in the box and Milan were awarded a penalty. Nkunku converted it in the 83rd minute to equalize. 1-1 all.
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| Nkunku's penalty that drew us level vs. Inter. |
Torriani saved a Çalhanoglu shot, then Jashari forced Provedel, who had replaced Josep Martínez, into a save. Estupiñan made it all the way to stoppage time before earning his requisite yellow card for fouling Bisseck, who ended up going off injured. It ended 1-1, and I felt grateful that Milan did not seem to have any injuries. Also that Milan are still undefeated in seven consecutive Derby matches now. That feels amazing.
The Milan Bench players who did not play were obviously Futuro and Primavera goalkeepers Bouyer and Pittarella, as well as new signing Sankhoun Diawara, Vladimirov, and Comotto. After a number of promotional events with fans, and a launch of the new third kit, Milan headed to Jakarta in Indonesia.
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| Players greet the incredible fans in Perth after the draw with Inter. |
Chelsea 3, Milan 0
1994 was the last time Milan had traveled to Indonesia. The Milan fanbase had continued to grow and develop into a very large and loyal group of amazing fans. If you've been online for a while, you will know how impactful Indonesian fans are. In fact, if you'll recall, five years ago, some fans from Indonesia were invited to Milano and even performed an original Milan song that is just a banger on the Milan channel, also sharing some of their culture.
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| The ill-fated starting 11 vs. Chelsea. |
Starting Lineup: (3-4-2-1) Torriani; Terracciano, De Winter, Pavlović; Chukwueze, Modrić, Comotto, Estupiñan; Rafa Leão, Loftus-Cheek, and Camarda.
I don't think that anyone was doubting that Chelsea was going to be the better team in this one, and Chelsea very much proved that to be true, unfortunately for the brilliant fans in Indonesia. They deserved so, so much better.
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| At least the fans got to see Modrić play. |
To be fair to Milan, though, they did manage to hold Chelsea off for much of the first half. Torriani made a couple of great saves, Comotto sent a great shot in from the top of the box that was blocked, Modrić sent a shot just wide, Pavlović sent a shot over, and at the other end then made a nice clearance. But it was João Pedro who opened the scoring in the 44th minute. 1-0 Chelsea.
At halftime, Amorim made eight substitutions. Gabbia replaced De Winter, Nkunku replaced Rafa Leão, Jashari replaced Modrić, Musah replaced Comotto, Bartesaghi replaced Estupiñan, Saelemaekers replaced Chukwueze, Ramos replaced Camarda, and new signing Sankhoun Diawara made his debut, replacing Pavlović.
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| Comotto showed some excellent quality in preseason, will he get to stay in the first team? |
However, it was too much, and the defense were absolutely unprepared and disorganized when the second half began, leading to two quick goals from Chelsea: Joao Pedro again to make it 2-0, then Caicedo to make it 3-0 for Chelsea.
It was Torriani's heroics that really kept it from being worse, although the team did pull together and play a bit better as well. Torriani made saves in the 52nd and 57th minutes, after which Amorim made a couple more substitutions: Vladimirov replaced Terracciano, and Ricci replaced Loftus-Cheek. After Chelsea's new Italian signing Palestra's shot was just wide, Torriani had another save on Palmer, then Quenda hit the post.
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| Loftus-Cheek went hard against his former team, but was unable to score. |
In the 81st minute, Ricci took a chance from distance, but it was over the bar. Torriani saved a shot from Nicolas Jackson, and in stoppage time, Ramos was caught offside, but his shot also went just wide. Milan ended the match with zero shots on target, a very humbling match, even if it was just a preseason game.
The Milan bench players who did not get any playing time in this one were obviously Futuro and Primavera goalkeepers Bouyer and Pittarella, Athekame, Odogu, Tomori, and Fofana. Amorim had already sent a few of the young players like Kostić, Borsani, Guernier, and Ossola home early, and used fewer players than ever in this match, something we have not really seen before. Typically, managers try to give as many players playing time as they can. However, from those who did not play in this match, it was clear Amorim was already making some transfer decisions after just two friendlies.
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| Beautiful tribute to Baresi from the members of Milan Club Poland. |
Manchester United 2, Milan 4
In a delicious bit of Karma for Amorim, who was sacked by Manchester United, Milan came from behind twice and then destroyed Manchester United in Poland. Not that I feel like this match was some kind of statement that Milan are better than Manchester United, but rather it shows how hard Manchester United choked. Like for them to be beaten by this Milan team after this summer... that's pretty pathetic on their part. Meanwhile, Milan did play well enough... for a friendly. Let's not get carried away.
Starting lineup: (3-4-2-1) Torriani; Terracciano, De Winter, Pavlović; Chukwueze, Jashari, Musah, Estupiñan; Loftus-Cheek, Alphadjo Cissè; and Ramos
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| Amorim on the sidelines vs. his former club. |
The match seemingly started out disastrously, as Milan conceded a goal in just the second minute when Maguire scored. 1-0 Manchester United. But Milan did not wilt, they dusted themselves off, stood up, and got right back into the game, which is a hopeful sign, even if it is early. Loftus-Cheek fired a shot off, but it was saved, then Estupiñan earned his expected yellow card in the 11th minute, fouling Amad Diallo.
Again, Loftus-Cheek fired a shot that was save, then Ramos had a shot saved, then Cissè had a great shot that was saved. Finally, in the 37th minute, Chukwueze found the equalizer, assisted by Ramos. 1-1 all. Man United tried to come back with a Bruno Fernandes shot, but Torriani made a great save.
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| Preseason Chukwueze is legendary. But will he keep this form the whole season? |
Then referee Szymon Marciniak, one of UEFA's most experienced and consistent referees, awarded Manchester United a penalty in the 40th minute. Though Terracciano obviously made the original foul, the call was on De Winter, for a supposed foul on Tielemans, and I know there is no VAR in these friendlies, but I wondered if marijuana was legal in Poland, and whether or not Marciniak had taken a gummy or two or something. Because I did not even see a foul there, and I looked. Hard. So Bruno Fernandes took the penalty, but he did not realize that he was up against Torriani, who is excellent at stopping penalties. And stop it, he did. No goal. So it was still 1-1 at the half.
Torriani started the second half with a save on Dorgu, who then earned a yellow card, and then scored a goal. Manchester United was up once again 2-1. But Milan were not phased in the least. In fact, just six minutes later, the young Alphadjo Cissè scored his very first goal with an assist from Chukwueze to tie it back up. 2-2 all.
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| Just a 21 year-old Torriani stopping a Bruno Fernandes penalty. |
Then came four subs from Amorim in the 60th minute. Modrić replaced Jashari, Gila returned from injury and replaced Terracciano, Bartesaghi replaced Estupiñan, and Saelemaekers replaced Alphadjo Cissè. Milan kept threatening, and in the 68th minute, Ramos scored his first goal for Milan to take the lead, with another Chukwueze assist. 3-2 Milan. Three minutes later, Loftus-Cheek took matters into his own hands and scored as well to bring it up to 4-2 Milan.
Torriani had a save on Maguiare, then Pavlović and Mainoo had a clash of heads and there was some stoppage time for treatment, with Mainoo getting the worst of the deal. In the 75th minute, Camarda replaced Ramos and Ricci replaced Musah. Torriani stopped a Rashford shot, and Pavlović cleared the danger.
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| Alphadjo Cissè is very happy after scoring his first goal for Milan. |
Vladimirov replaced De Winter, Diawara replaced Pavlović, and Comotto replaced Loftus-Cheek in the 84th minute. Manchester United were still trying, I guess, and Bruno Fernandes' shot in the 87th minute went just wide. The final shot was taken by Bartesaghi, though, in stoppage time, and saved by Lammens. At the final whistle, it was Manchester United 2, Milan 4.
What a fantastic way for Milan to spoil the attempted hatewatch for Manchester United fans. Considering our owner nuked our entire management and left the club in limbo for a whole month, we have a failed Sporting Director/head scout for our "Director of Player Trading," we also have their former "failed" manager, Amorim, we started and played Terracciano for 60 minutes, we were playing our 21 year old third (second) goalkeeper, and we played three 18 year-olds and a 19 year-old, this was really more of a failure for them than anything else.
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| Gonçalo "O Pistoleiro" Ramos celebrates his first Milan goal. |
Of the players available on the bench, Amorim did not play Futuro and Primavera goalkeepers Bouyer and Pittarella, Diawara, Vladimirov, and Comotto in this match.
The Transfer Market
The stunted mercato season has suffered from Gerald's end of season tantrum, but the lack of capable professionals he appointed in the wake of said crisis has caused this window to be potentially disastrous. Obviously, he dropped a lot of cash on a few good players, reacting to things Allegri had told him over and over and over again last season, but he never heard or acted upon. But there have been zero player sales as of this writing to compensate, and only a handful of player exits, which seem to all be on free loans, which puts us at risk of punishment from UEFA, particularly since we only have Europa League income this season, not the lucrative Champions League monies. Here is what has happened so far:
Players returning from Loans:
Yunus Musah from Atalanta
Ismäel Bennacer from Dinamo Zagreb
Warren Bondo from Cremonese
Alphadjo Cissè from Catanzaro
Filippo Terracciano from Cremonese
Kevin Zeroli from Juve Stabia
Samuel Chukewueze from Fulham
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| Why. |
Renewed contracts*:
Christian Comotto renewed through 2031 plus a one year option
*These may actually be some of the best signings, as all three of these players are very important to Milan now and in the future.
Players out:
Zachary Athekame on a dry loan to Lyon for the season
David Odogu on a dry loan to Toulouse for the season
Andrej Kostić on a dry loan to Sparta Rotterdam for the season
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| Pavlović knew to give Modrić the armband when he came on, because he may be the signing of the season. |
Players in:
Gonçalo Ramos from PSG for a reported fee of €74m + add-ons (up to €80m)
Mario Gila from Lazio for a reported fee of €30m
Sankhoun Diawara from ESTAC Troyes for a reported fee of €3m
Diego Moreira from Strasbourg for a reported fee of €50m + add-ons (up to €70m)
So, Gerald spent between €157- €183 million so far this summer, with zero income from our transfers out to date. Ironically, we did have some income from a previous sale: there was a clause in Tijjani Reijnders' contract that generated €14 million for Milan because Manchester City sold him prior to 2030. Still, without Champions League, which pays about four times as much as the earnings from the Europa League (plus additional income from TV rights and ticket sales due to playing more well-known clubs,) that is a lot of extra revenue for Gerald to come up with this season.
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| Remember this guy? He's still paying off for us. |
Amorim's squad choices have already come into question as well. While Gerald continues to push for Rafa Leão to be sold (but reportedly will not budge on the price,) Amorim apparently struggled to tell Athekame, Odogu, and De Winter apart, so sent the latter two on loan. While Kostić seemed to impress in preseason, and Milan had jumped through so many hoops to get him here, having tried to sign him last summer and finally reaching a deal in January, Amorim sent him on loan as well.
Now, he is apparently fond of Musah. Like he sees Modrić and Musah and thinks "Same. These guys should play together." Despite the fact that Musah did not do anything to stand out in preseason, and Fofana played decently, the Frenchman has been frozen out and told to find a new club.
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| Every summer, he comes back to haunt us. Please don't let him stay. Please. |
Filippo Terracciano, who was a late January signing brought in as a warm body and because his father had played with Stefano Pioli, manager at the time, has been a disaster every time he has taken the pitch for Milan. His first appearance, he subbed on in the 87th minute and earned a penalty. There is a reason he has been on permaloan ever since, and also that no one has bought him. Yet now, he is apparently preferred over Athekame, who is actually talented and versatile, or even Tomori, who won the Scudetto with us, and also played well in the preseason.
And Estupiñan had a very real offer from Aston Villa this summer that from all reports was just waiting for signatures, but Amorim apparently paused the deal to evaluate him, during which time Aston Villa signed Ruggeri instead. The evaluation included two yellow cards in three matches, I believe, and some very poor performances all around from Estupiñan. There were reports that he was expected to leave, yet now, he is apparently staying.
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| Thanks for the Derby goal last year, now please leave. |
I am not usually one to condemn our own players, but in the case of Musah, Terracciano, and Estupiñan, we have seen that they are all error prone and voted most likely to be carded or concede penalties and goals by their teammates. So, great that we have Ramos, Gila, and Moreira to reinforce some weak spots in our squad, but now we are stuck with these weak link players. And it really doesn't matter how much you spend or how high quality players you put into your team, if you have players like Musah, Terracciano, and Estupiñan, even coming off the bench, you still risk failing. Because a team is only as strong as its weakest links.
Additionally, the freezing out of Tomori, Fofana, Santi Gimenez, and Nkunku, forcing them to find new clubs, is really poor behavior from management. This behavior only began after Gerald got rid of Maldini and sold Tonali, and since then, our mentality has tanked so badly. Because the players all know that everyone is disposable. One poor performance, and these football-clueless money whores will send you to another team without even blinking. Anyone who knows football knows that this is no way to build team unity and morale. We are doing the same things wrong that Gerald has done for four years now, but with even less support for Amorim and the team, and even less experience in management.
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| A few good things happening does not equate a recipe for success. |
Simple Reboot or Complete Rebuild?
For most clubs, summer is just like powering down your computer and rebooting it. It only takes a little bit of time and is quite painless. But this summer was as if someone spilled coffee on your computer, you hoped that it could simply be repaired. Yet when you took it in for repairs, you learned that not only did you have to pay for an entirely new computer, your latest backup had somehow also been damaged, and you lost most of your data as well. So you wasted a ton of time in diagnosing the problems, trying to recover data, purchasing an expensive new computer, and reinstalling all of your software and recovering any data from your backup that you could. At the end of this process, Milan were a month behind even the newly promoted sides, and the World Cup was in full swing.
The full damage from Gerald Cardinale's midlife crisis Milan meltdown remains to be seen, as the full impact could actually last for years to come. But certainly, it cost us a lot this summer, and will definitely impact this season in real and painful ways. However, the damage is done, and here we are. New CEO and sporting sector, new manager, some solid new players, some ghosts of the past to haunt us, and poor financial decisions looming over us as well. But all we can do is cross our fingers and press restart.
This post inspired by the music of Walk the Moon's "Press Restart"
Serie A Week 1
Torino vs. Milan
Sunday, August 23 • 20:45 CEST (2:45pm EDT)
In the U.S., this match can be streamed in Spanish on Telemundo or Peacock,
Milan Primavera vs. Torino Primavera
Monday, August 24 • 19:00 CEST (1:00pm EDT)
This match is not being televised in the U.S.
Milan Futuro vs. ACD Sant'Angelo 1907
Sunday, August 30 • 15:00 CEST (10:00am EDT)
This match is not being televised in the U.S.
Reviewed by Elaine
on
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