Paolo Scaroni spoke to the press for the first time after the exits of Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara.
It has been a hectic week for Milan: on Sunday they beat Hellas Verona on Matchday 38 and said goodbye to Zlatan Ibrahimović who retired from football, on Tuesday showed Paolo Maldini the door and on Wednesday Frederic Massara joined him and left the club.
Many Milan fans all over the world are confused and agree over the actions of Gerry Cardinale, the American owner of Milan, who decided to sack the biggest icon in the history of the club in Maldini. Club President Paolo Scaroni spoke to Arianna Ravelli of il Corriere della Sera to explain the side of RedBird and the ownership.
President, where do we start?
“From the fact that all of us, and I in particular, have always had excellent relations with Paolo Maldini who is a gentleman, a person attached to Milan and who has done well for Milan. However, we are following a somewhat innovative model, at least for Italy, in managing the club, which leads us to consider all our activities as collegial: we work as a team.”
Committees set up in each sector…
“It is an organizational model that our main shareholder cares a great deal about. Let us not forget, he is a specialist in sport who had success in his activities, so when he suggests something, we pay close attention, as he brings innovation.”
And couldn’t Maldini really fit into this model?
“In this organization, we had the impression that Paolo felt uncomfortable and when one feels uncomfortable, it’s better to separate. Let me give you an example that concerns myself.”
Please…
“I’ve devoted myself to the stadium issue, so much so that there were those who called me ‘Stadioni’ instead of Scaroni. It’s true, but I did it mostly in the Elliott years. When RedBird, who have experts who have built stadiums all over the world, arrived, it was natural for me to join the team and lose that independent role. It’s a bit like what had to happen in the technical area.”
A new method, to achieve what? This year Milan reached the Champions League semifinals and doing better won’t be easy…
“RedBird and all of us want Milan to continue this growth. I don’t forget that I started as President at a dramatic moment. You will recall that I always said that we had two mountains to climb: financial recovery and sporting results. We are not at the top now, but we have come a long way. In fact, I would say that we are among those in Italy who have come the furthest. We want to continue climbing, always keeping in mind that higher revenues bring more investments in the sporting area, and more sporting success brings more revenues – a virtuous circle to set in motion.”
Fans wonder how much effort will be put into the mercato: the famous budget…
“First of all, I want to remind everyone that in 4 years, we have invested more than others [€200m]. Some may say not always wisely, but our shareholders have allowed us to build a strong team and we will continue on this path together. I believe we will have to make some sales and conclude some important signings: we are ambitious.”
A mercato managed by whom?
“It will be in the hands of a team that integrates different skills, with CEO Giorgio Furlani, who also has the sporting area to coordinate, together with professionals such as Geoffrey Moncada and coach Pioli: we expect him to have his say in these choices. In addition to the international experts of RedBird.”
The data experts: you know the objection: that they work well for American sports but not for football…
“RedBird believes in scientifically analyzing player characteristics, which is something that has been done in the Premier League for years. They have managed to adapt models born for other sports to football. We have to combine individual expertise, personal insight in discovering talent and being able to fit them into our environment with these quantitative findings. We want to bring together the best of our past with the best of the future that RedBird brings us. I hold on to the past, but why should we give up skills and innovations? Then the results will speak, winning games matters, I never liked losing and even less so did Gerry Cardinale.”
But if the identification of goals is the result of a collegial path, at the time of negotiations Maldini put the weight of his figure on the field…
“True, very true, and I am very grateful to him. I have to say that today, and without sounding ungrateful, we have less need of him: the Milan that came out of Yonghong Li’s management struggled to attract talent. Today’s Milan, which won the Scudetto and made it to the Champions League semifinals, I think is more attractive.”
No new entrants are planned, then…
“Not at the moment.”
Not even Ibra?
“I have the impression that he wants to give himself a sabbatical year. He remains a friend, a person to whom we owe a lot, because in the most difficult moments he allowed us to turn things around. If ideas come to him, we’ll be the first to listen to them.”
Some players have posted messages of closeness to Maldini: do you think the team is concerned?
“The fact that they show grief seems natural to me. On the other hand, they are professionals used to change, they will understand that this is done with the idea of doing better. We will explain it to them. Then they will remain attached to Maldini, as is right.”
We were talking about Pioli: his figure comes out strengthened, yet there was a moment, after Spezia, in which Maldini wanted to fire him…
“I don’t want to express myself on the idea of the sacking, but yes, absolutely, Pioli is central to the project.”
Stadium chapter: has the San Donato area become the most attractive?
“I’ll make a summary… We really liked the idea of using the hippodrome at La Maura, as did the local Mayor, but it is very difficult to put that into practice. There is a pending ban on knocking down the Stadio Meazza, which could come into action in 2025, so without any certainty on the matter, we cannot proceed. The area of Sesto San Giovanni has the problem of drainage, so at the moment we are developing a hypothesis around the San Donato area to keep it ready in case San Siro has to be dropped.”
Carlo Ancelotti recently spoke about Maldini’s current situation. Here is what he had to say: “In Madrid I learned that the history of a club must always be respected; here Di Stefano, Amancio, Gento, Puskas are still exclusive values towards which we have reverence. To preserve history at the highest levels, memory must be protected of the past, what happened with Maldini demonstrates a lack of historical culture, of respect for the AC Milan tradition. If it is true that history does not win, it is also true that history teaches how to win.” Speaking about big data: “Football clubs who… Read more »
Calabria seems to have a strong mentality but that’s it. He’s not good enough a footballer for a Milan starter. I believe Maldini has brought in Dest to take Calabrias spot. So maybe he was aware of that that’s why he won’t give much support to Maldini. To some extent I understand the owners concerned of differences with Maldini regardless how Maldinis ideas are undoubtedly more favorable to me. I’m more pissed with Pioli especially after reading more reported details about Maldinis dissatisfaction with him, as those are exact same issues I’ve with Pioli – a declining playing style and… Read more »
Dest is garbage, a product of having the budget of a team like Monza. Maybe someone thought he could be helpful as a third option in the rw spot.
Mate, Calm Down with Aster and Adli, this is Milan they are on a new league. Sandro needed time too remember? I’m getting Hauge flashbacks and no one talks about him now. Realistically speaking Origi was real flop, he is experienced and was already playing at a big club. I’m sure that CDK will act as a new signing next season and it will be thanks to Maldini
Dest could be garbage ,still not worse than Calabria in my books and as I said Maldini was most probably expecting a bigger role for Dest as he wouldn’t have paid around 5 mil wages for a back up fullback. Pioli took those players from Maldini and then didn’t have the courage to try them enough. Paolo wasn’t happy with that.
“I believe we will have to make some sales and conclude some important signings: we are ambitious.”
AC Milan a feeder club
Guys since we don’t have an AI bullshit detector, I’ll offer the translation. … we are following a somewhat innovative model, at least for Italy, in managing the club, which leads us to consider all our activities as collegial: we work as a team.” We give the computer some inputs and chatgtp does the rest, which is a clever way to reduce wages. “It is an organizational model that our main shareholder cares a great deal about. Let us not forget, he is a specialist in sport who had success in his activities, so when he suggests something, we pay… Read more »
Well said, Raven. The fact that they fired Maldini and thinks Pioli is the ONE just says everything about these clowns that are running Milan now.
Football people in South America say that football is a mental state. I’ll try and explain the best way I can. The mind does wonders, motivation, will, or balls call it what you want, but when a guy like Zlatan says I’m here we can start winning now was he telling the squad I take the criticism I’m the enabler of good results. On the opposite side, we got players like Conti who were never the same after injuries. He did not forget how to play football, and fitness could’ve been recovered but his mindset changed. Maldini was essential for… Read more »
It’s obvious that Elliott, Redbird, Scaroni, Cardinale are in cahoots. Apparently, when Boban & Maldini made them sign experience players like Ibra & Kjaer, they weren’t happy. The plan was for Ragnick to take over. Buy young players develop and sell for profit. They bidded their time. COVID slowed them down. Then scudetto success came, but they had decided that winning puts them in a clutch. They will have to keep strengthening the team to maintain top spot & that is totally diametrically opposed to what they wanted from the onset. They have to destroy the history & tradition of… Read more »
I don’t think you are right, Mr Scaroni.
This was the best moment to ride the momentum in Italian football, invest a little more to make an immediate leap in quality, and seize the initiative to do consistently good in Europe.
Would a gamble on Thuram (and whoever else we will target on a free now) and others who have not been tested even in elite-“ish” levels be worth it? At a club like Milan?
Is it even possible to be MORE Shameless than this guy? Instead of showing gratitude to a legend for a job done incredibly well, this guy his just bathing Cardinale’s boots with licks that would put even a stray dog to shame?
Just try to be objective here not too sentimental First of all, Maldini is fired as SD not as a Legend. His status of milans legend will always there. As SD means he is employee/works for an organization and nothing to do with the legend status. An employee can get fired just like Zidane as coach at RM. It hurst to see he got fired, but that is the risks of being an employee Second, since Elliots take over, the policy of the clubs changed.The management is not willing to spend milions euros on transfer. It was pretty clear from… Read more »
How many players that came to Milan in his time said “when Maldini comes knocking, it’s hard to say no”. He got us Theo that way, as well as Bennacer, Tomori, Kalulu, Tonali and Maignan. All of them are our core players. They all confirmed Maldini played a big role in their decision. Every club has club legends on their board, because they make sure players understand what it means to play for the shirt. Scaroni should be spit in his face for saying “we have less need for Maldini now”. They only used him for his name and status.
No doubt about it. Maldini did some good jobs. If I understood correctly from the interview, Scaroni said that milan doesn’t need Maldini now, because Maldini refused to adapt new model. That’s why they can’t go together But if the identification of goals is the result of a collegial path, at the time of negotiations Maldini put the weight of his figure on the field…“True, very true, and I am very grateful to him. I have to say that today, and without sounding ungrateful, we have less need of him: the Milan that came out of Yonghong Li’s management struggled… Read more »
Milan is not a mid-table club, and fans won’t tolerate it. If you have mediocre expectations fine, but the entire world of Milan wants to win. No one is asking for a PL budget, we are asking for a RW and an AM tho, Maldini had to get someone who could do both, and guess what, you get what you pay. Maldini spent 1 and the player is now worth 2. Easy as that. Now if the man is a proven winner as a SD why would you sabotage him? You said it yourself, they don’t want the pressure of… Read more »
first Milan is lucky enough to have an owner after Belusconi left second, if you say fans won’t tolerate it, then that fan should first deal with the fact that milan now is owned by the someone who is not willing to spend. I expect milan to win, but with the current owner you can’t expect it will happen instantly. third, how much money do u think you need to get proper AM and RW as you mentioned? at least IMO 80-100m to get 2 proper players. and it is big amount of money and you said not expecting PL… Read more »
I just wonder who will be there for the team each day in Milanello as M&M were. They were there for the lads, hanging out, talking to them, laughing, teaching, give advice etc. There’s no one there to teach what a rossonero is all about. Sure making money is most important but this club is starting to look like a business model only. Like one of those Red Bull clubs. No soul anymore.
How could a President of AC Milan, whoever it might be, State publicly AC.Milan now have less need of Pauolo Maldini. Such statement is smack of ignorance bcos those who are currently in charge of AC Milan wouldn’t have had such opportunity if not for the unprecedented accomplishments of Iconic players like Pauolo Maldini. They should be understand that Pauolo Maldini is AC.Milan , while, AC. Milan is Pauolo Maldini. These two entities are intertwined and inseparable, they’re two in One. Not only that Pauolo Maldini is an integral part of AC.Milan rather He is AC.Milan traditions. And Culture and… Read more »
I love Paolo and won’t change him for anyone especially after such an amazing achievement, however if I were to be an owner and having different ideas and strategies to an employer who btw is known for wanting a steady and lot of power ,I’ll definitely not work with that person. Being an excellent achiever won’t change matter much at this point. Although part ways with showing some respect as I’ve heard it only took Cardinale a few minutes to inform Paolo of getting sacked and you could sense that attitude through the official announcements with short wordings wtf Cardinale… Read more »
You sound like that guy who never took his pills