We repeat it since that famous 27 May: the most important thing for Milan's future was the renewal of Paolo Maldini's contract. And after a month full of uncertainties, tensions and silences, the long-awaited signature arrived, that signature which, as the Rossoneri manager himself had explained, would have constituted a sort of "guarantee" for the AC Milan player. "I am not staying in a Milan that does not have a winning project": Maldini declared in that interview with the Gazzetta and the concept of "winning project" is precisely what Maldini expressed from the window of his car leaving Casa Milan. evening of June 30th. This is the most important thing: Maldini BELIEVES in the AC Milan project of the future, whether under the aegis of Elliott, Cardinale or other new phantom owners who appear and disappear at the speed of light.
We are used to these things by now, since 2009 the voice of a new Milan owner comes out every month, increasingly rich and wealthy. Then in the end, we are always there to anxiously search for a balanced budget and a new stadium. That they too, on time, never arrive. In the midst of all this, the Maldini management (I never forget Boban with whom Paolo started this journey) was unique from all points of view. And as such it had to be absolutely maintained. Immediately after the announcement, voices and disparate interpretations followed one another based on Maldini's facial expressions, on the amount of lines in the official statement and on what compromises there are under the renewal. All stuff that doesn't matter. What matters is that Maldini has agreed to continue directing this project.
And in recent years he has shown that he knows this and can also do it by managing deep internal conflicts with the representatives of the property, from Gazidis to Furlani, passing through Scaroni. Already Scaroni, the man always present in all the post-Berlusconi AC Milan boards, from Yonghong Li to the upcoming Red Bird. Last week I dwelt on his statements in which he made the scudetto prizes granted to the new Italian champions "weigh". This time I can't help but be amazed at his last words after Maldini's signing. “There has been too much chatter this month”: he vented in the Corriere della Sera.
But how "too much talk" president? It all started with the words of Paolo Maldini on May 27, not from news or press rumors. Don't you remember? Or with "too much chatter" does it refer to the words of the former captain? In any case, even in this case he could spare himself a big gaffe. Amen. The important thing is that Maldini is present at the rally and that he is the one to freely plan the sports area for the next seasons.
It is no coincidence that I used the adverb "freely". In these two years, Paolo has won on the pitch and with the results, not only in sports, the autonomy to personally take all decisions relating to the technical field. Indeed, the interference of Gazidis and the company often risked doing considerable damage. From "NO" to Ibrahimovic to doubts about Pioli, from the Rangnick project to the very tight "ceiling on salaries".
It is right that from now on, Maldini can enjoy unlimited autonomy as regards the sporting part, with a budget within which to move and the possibility of having the players sign contracts that are suitable for a club that aims to excel not to get by. For this reason, from the market that has just begun, we do not expect millionaire hits, but operations aimed at increasing the technical value and experience of the squad. Maybe players who can exceed the "salary cap" of 3.5 million. And this is true both for new purchases and for the extension of the contracts of those who have done so much good in the last two years. Otherwise the risk is always the same again, that of having other Donnarumma and other Kessiè. For this reason, before we get excited by reading the most high-sounding names of the new purchases, we hope to soon rejoice in some delicate and risky contract renewals, such as Leao's.