Berlusconi-Galliani-Inzaghi: 4-hour meeting to discuss strategy

MILAN HAVE decided on the formation for next year and have also created a list of players that could leave, it’s said.

Clarence Seedorf has claimed that “I have had no communication from the club” but it’s clear that the Dutchman will be sacked in the next days and replaced by Inzaghi, who coached the Allievi and the Primavera teams in the last 2 years.

The Rossoneri can’t announce Inzaghi’s appointment just yet as they have failed to reach an agreement with Seedorf regarding his severance package but Pippo has already discussed the strategy for the next season with Galliani and Silvio.

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At around 21:00 yesterday Galliani and Inzaghi arrived to Berlusconi’s Arcore villa. The meeting lasted 4 hours in which they also watched the Italy game (they talked with Riccardo Montolivo on the phone to wish him a quick recovery) but they also talked about the 2014/2015 season and according to La Gazzetta dello Sport they’ve decided on the formation – 4-3-1-2.

Inzaghi has used 4-3-1-2 and 4-3-3 in his two years of coaching but they’ve decided that the 4-3-3 will be a back-up system, also due to Berlusconi’s known fondness for formations with two strikers. It remains to be seen who will play in the hole: Stephan El Shaarawy is capable of playing there but is far less effective than on the left, while Ricardo Kaka and Keisuke Honda are obvious choices as well. Riccardo Saponara, who’ll most likely go on loan next season, is a trequartista too.

Adel Taarabt is an option as well but first Milan have to buy him out. The option for €7m expired yesterday but in the next days, Galliani will talk to Queens Park Rangers about him. The same applies to Adil Rami, although Galliani could send Ernesto Bronzetti to speak to Valencia; Milan, reports il Corriere dello Sport, won’t go above €4.5 million for the Frenchman.

Tuttosport believes that Mario Balotelli was too discussed and Inzaghi hasn’t shown objection to his sale. It’s reported that Milan have set a starting price of €25 million on him and his agent Mino Raiola is already looking for clubs to take the Italian forward. A final decision about his future is believed to be taken after the World Cup. il Corriere della Sera is also running the story that Milan have decided to sell Balo to finance moves for other players as they must sell before buying players.

Galliani and Inzaghi’s arriving to Berlusconi’s villa last night

In addition to Balotelli who may or may not leave, the Turin-based newspapers reports that Milan have decided to put Kevin Constant, Cristian Zapata, Cristian Zaccardo, Michael Essien, Valter Birsa and Robinho on the market, in addition to Marco Amelia, Ferdinando Coppola and Urby Emanuelson (expiring contracts); Matias Silvestre has returned to Inter after his loan ended. Antonio Nocerino and M’Baye Niang are also said to be transferred this summer while Alessandro Matri is the only one with a chance to stay. Calciomercato meanwhile reports that Inzaghi has asked for striker Alberto Paloschi to return.

The Italian website also states that one of Matri and Pazzini will be sold while Milan have stopped the plans to loan out Bryan Cristante after Montolivo’s injury and are also set to accelerate the buying out of Andrea Poli, who is co-owned between Milan and Sampdoria. The Rossoneri have until June 20 to resolve the co-ownerships and they’ve also decided to buy-out Simone Verdi, who is co-owned between them and Torino but they’ll let him stay at Empoli on loan for another year.

The Milan fans should of course remember that all the above is nothing more than rumours and speculations and everything should be taken with a grain of salt. The mercato hasn’t officially opened yet but the rumours are always there.