The Rumour Commode XLVII: Foamseca is out

Which coach should lead Milan at the Anno Zero 25/26 season?


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LordMilanese

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You wanna act American, but Milan plays in Italy. Cardinale, what’s the point?

It’s been three years since Milan’s last league title and the handover of ownership from Elliott to RedBird: from one fund to another, with the difference being that the latter, so the story went, had significant expertise in the world of sports and entertainment due to numerous investments made in those fields over the years. The fund led by Gerard Joseph Cardinale—Gerry to everyone—found a club on the rise. After years of sacrifice and grit, Milan had become a pioneer in several areas. A pioneer in being financially prudent in Italy: a team that managed to compete at the highest levels while spending significantly less than its rivals, who were drowning in debt and forced into financial acrobatics and creative accounting to make ends meet. A team made up of young, hungry players, led by a few experienced veterans—reflected in management too: Maldini, Massara, and Moncada handled the sporting side under the overall supervision of Ivan Gazidis, a man with a lifetime in football and years of experience in the Premier League with Arsenal.

A hybrid: international brains, Italian heart and passion—something that made Milan unique, with an identity still developing but already strong. Even before the brilliant 2022 title win, fans felt represented by the club and offered their unconditional support on and off the pitch. After over a decade of sporting obscurity caused by the disastrous end of the Berlusconi-Galliani era, everything pointed toward Milan finally entering football’s “modernity,” ready to compete again at the highest level across multiple fronts—knowing, of course, that the process would take time to fully unfold.

Fast forward to today: it’s hard not to admit that all these expectations have been let down. RedBird’s much-touted “expertise,” with Cardinale constantly pushing the idea of exploiting intellectual property to the fullest, has turned Milan into a product rather than a club for fans. The American capitalist model, applied this way, doesn’t work in Italian football—or at least not for long. San Siro is the clearest example: from a stadium that once pulsed with life—like during Milan-Fiorentina or Milan-Atalanta in May 2022—to today’s bleak reality, with the ultras in protest against ownership and the regular fan base increasingly de-Italianized. The club is now focused on targeting casual tourists, happy to spend big in the short term but with no long-term loyalty or connection. As a result, Milan is losing both fan engagement and a sense of belonging. There’s no point in boasting 70,000+ in attendance (especially when empty seats are often very visible) if the atmosphere feels more like a dull theatre performance than a football match.

Like many global entertainment multinationals in recent years, Milan is being marketed as if the consumer is a mindless automaton willing to swallow anything, as long as the logo is right. Maybe that works in the U.S., but in Italy, being a fan is something else entirely—it’s about heart, head, and soul, not halftime T-shirt cannons or being fleeced year after year by rising ticket prices. Milan has been stripped of its “Milan-ness” in terms of values, and the hardcore Italian fan base (let’s use a corporate term so maybe the people in their ivory towers understand) has reacted—predictably—in a completely negative way.

Everything else follows: the arrogance of entering a country with such a deep and historic sporting culture and thinking you can impose a “new kind of football”—a kind already tried and tested by Europe’s top clubs for years—leads to a barrage of unflattering descriptions and nicknames. The “working group” complicates and bloats processes in a world where quick thinking (backed by solid planning) and speed make the difference between life and death. Throwing together soulless squads—clear reflections of how this fund handles its businesses—without considering human, tactical, or player-specific characteristics leads to what we see now: a group with clear above-average talent but sitting ninth in a very average Serie A. Modern football does require a cautious, calculator-in-hand approach (a term now used derisively by tired fans), and in many ways, that’s fair. Sustainability is a legitimate goal. But that doesn’t mean we should forget the core of all sports: the ambition to win.

In the days when Inter are beating Barcelona to reach the Champions League final—a legendary two-legged tie—it would be easy to want to “copy” the Nerazzurri model. Every club has its own peculiarities and needs, but there is one thing we should all agree on and take inspiration from: their desire to win and dominate when the referee blows the whistle. That desire is reflected in every decision by their executives, coach, and players. And to think, three years ago people were arguing that Inter wasn’t a sustainable club, built on financial tricks and unclear situations, while Milan managed to compete while staying economically sound. Today, thanks to their sporting success, Inter have also found financial stability. Milan can’t even boast the “budget league title” anymore. Sure, some might point out that other clubs were given free rein while Milan’s mailbox was stuffed with letters from UEFA in Nyon—but that’s no excuse for the dismal state of affairs the club finds itself in today.

Cardinale, who didn’t attend Milan’s 125th anniversary party in December (and the club, in turn, “forgot” to post him a birthday message—score tied, game on), has spent years talking at business panels about his vision for Milan, covering every topic except the one that matters most: the pitch and sporting competitiveness. Gerry, you wanna act American, but remember: Milan plays in Italy. To borrow the words of Renato Carosone’s song: Ma chi te lo fa fa’? After three years, Milan has very few certainties—and one of them is this: In Italy, the RedBird Capital Partners model doesn’t work. Maybe that’s why the ex-Goldman Sachs manager hasn’t been seen at San Siro since Milan vs. Venezia in September 2024?

https://www.milannews.it/primo-pian...ioca-in-italy-cardinale-chi-t-o-ffa-fa-576260
 
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LordMilanese

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Milan, Letizia: "Every decision made by this ownership has been a failure. Maldini..."

Journalist Francesco Letizia has written a lengthy editorial on Milan, criticizing the current ownership and praising Paolo Maldini.


This morning, journalist Francesco Letizia published a long and compelling editorial in Sportitalia, focusing in particular on AC Milan—ranging from harsh criticism of the current ownership to heartfelt praise of Paolo Maldini. Here are his words on the matter.

Milan, Letizia harshly attacks the ownership: then the usual praise for Maldini. But...

“I’m the biggest loser in history,” someone* said a couple of years ago. Because losing on the pitch is not an unconditional disgrace. A Milanista can teach you about defeat just as much as about victory. We were there (as a people—not me, for reasons of age) at Milan-Cavese, with the same passion as for Milan-Steaua. That’s why Milan fans don’t accept lessons in sport from people who know nothing about sport. Because trying (and failing) to organize a secondary American football league with a former wrestler-turned-actor doesn’t mean you know about sports—sorry. The only positive side of the fact that Milan will never win again under this ownership is that, after the famous "I won’t speak until we win," at least we’ll be spared gems like, “Do we really want to end up like Inter?” Or “The same team can’t win every year or it becomes less interesting.”

"We are losing our identity"

"This preamble is to explain that Milan fans are not simply suffering because they’re losing or because they see others win. Let us, just this once, give you a lesson. Milan fans are suffering today because we are (yes, we are—first person plural) losing our identity. Because there is no longer any guidance. Because the values that have always defined our history are gone. Every single decision made by this management has been a failure. Literally all of them—from the field to the stadium, even in economic and commercial terms. Because sooner or later, even sponsors, partners, and 'casual clients/consumers' will present the bill for becoming the second team in Milan. Let’s be clear. We are not, and never will be, the second team—in Italy, in Europe, or to anyone with actual football culture. We never will be, thanks to Silvio Berlusconi, Cesare Maldini, Franco Baresi, Marco Van Basten, Andriy Shevchenko, and Pippo Inzaghi."

Milan, Letizia: "Maldini made mistakes, but..."

"But for the target audience so adored by the current ownership—the ones who don’t even know that football is played with 11 players, let alone who Gianni Rivera is—we already are [the second team]. Because for them, only the present matters, no past ('I didn’t know Milan had fewer trophies only than Real Madrid'—quote). And so maybe the fashion sponsorships, the caps and the plush toys will go only to Inter. Who knows—maybe from the most trivial and least important thing, someone will understand the damage that’s been done. The conversation is long and complex and won’t be finished this week—we’ll return to it. But allow me to close with a summary reflection. An ownership that does not react—helpless, passive—in the face of total failure on all fronts, is an ownership that can never have credibility or trust in any of its decisions, except the one to sell. Signed: one—of the few—who had given unconditional trust and even asked others to do the same, evidently in error."

**P.S. I didn’t forget the asterisk at the start. That quote—intentionally chosen—was from Paolo Maldini, objectively a person with certain character flaws, who often got the tone and attitude wrong. But who did more than anyone else in Milan’s history. Speaking of mistakes and apologies, I regret coming to this realization too late: clearly, he had understood certain things long before I did."

https://www.pianetamilan.it/news-mi...eta-e-stata-un-fallimento-maldini-08-05-2025/
 

pippofan

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There is no doubt though?

People who say Leao is better than Kvara are clueless and just biased

Kvara is superior in everyway

They bring up athletic ability?

Well Kvara is no mug. He is also 6 foot and has much better stamina

Only thing Leao has is explosive speed over him. That’s it.
exactly, and despite the speed Leao hasn't gotten past too many defenders this season because gets double teamed more. And when he loses the ball doesn't track back so it's like we're playing one man down.
 
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pippofan

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Wow.

I hope this new pope sets the record straight, and reminds everyone that gays and atheists are going to burn in hell. Let's not fool ourselves anymore.
As I'm part of the second group hope it doesn't happen.:)
I'm more likely to be burned by Trump than Leo.
 
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Soldier_of_god

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R.Akbar

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Milan, Letizia: "Every decision made by this ownership has been a failure. Maldini..."

Journalist Francesco Letizia has written a lengthy editorial on Milan, criticizing the current ownership and praising Paolo Maldini.


This morning, journalist Francesco Letizia published a long and compelling editorial in Sportitalia, focusing in particular on AC Milan—ranging from harsh criticism of the current ownership to heartfelt praise of Paolo Maldini. Here are his words on the matter.

Milan, Letizia harshly attacks the ownership: then the usual praise for Maldini. But...

“I’m the biggest loser in history,” someone* said a couple of years ago. Because losing on the pitch is not an unconditional disgrace. A Milanista can teach you about defeat just as much as about victory. We were there (as a people—not me, for reasons of age) at Milan-Cavese, with the same passion as for Milan-Steaua. That’s why Milan fans don’t accept lessons in sport from people who know nothing about sport. Because trying (and failing) to organize a secondary American football league with a former wrestler-turned-actor doesn’t mean you know about sports—sorry. The only positive side of the fact that Milan will never win again under this ownership is that, after the famous "I won’t speak until we win," at least we’ll be spared gems like, “Do we really want to end up like Inter?” Or “The same team can’t win every year or it becomes less interesting.”

"We are losing our identity"

"This preamble is to explain that Milan fans are not simply suffering because they’re losing or because they see others win. Let us, just this once, give you a lesson. Milan fans are suffering today because we are (yes, we are—first person plural) losing our identity. Because there is no longer any guidance. Because the values that have always defined our history are gone. Every single decision made by this management has been a failure. Literally all of them—from the field to the stadium, even in economic and commercial terms. Because sooner or later, even sponsors, partners, and 'casual clients/consumers' will present the bill for becoming the second team in Milan. Let’s be clear. We are not, and never will be, the second team—in Italy, in Europe, or to anyone with actual football culture. We never will be, thanks to Silvio Berlusconi, Cesare Maldini, Franco Baresi, Marco Van Basten, Andriy Shevchenko, and Pippo Inzaghi."

Milan, Letizia: "Maldini made mistakes, but..."

"But for the target audience so adored by the current ownership—the ones who don’t even know that football is played with 11 players, let alone who Gianni Rivera is—we already are [the second team]. Because for them, only the present matters, no past ('I didn’t know Milan had fewer trophies only than Real Madrid'—quote). And so maybe the fashion sponsorships, the caps and the plush toys will go only to Inter. Who knows—maybe from the most trivial and least important thing, someone will understand the damage that’s been done. The conversation is long and complex and won’t be finished this week—we’ll return to it. But allow me to close with a summary reflection. An ownership that does not react—helpless, passive—in the face of total failure on all fronts, is an ownership that can never have credibility or trust in any of its decisions, except the one to sell. Signed: one—of the few—who had given unconditional trust and even asked others to do the same, evidently in error."

**P.S. I didn’t forget the asterisk at the start. That quote—intentionally chosen—was from Paolo Maldini, objectively a person with certain character flaws, who often got the tone and attitude wrong. But who did more than anyone else in Milan’s history. Speaking of mistakes and apologies, I regret coming to this realization too late: clearly, he had understood certain things long before I did."

https://www.pianetamilan.it/news-mi...eta-e-stata-un-fallimento-maldini-08-05-2025/
Letizia

I always love that name.

It has something to do with my Highschool crush.
 

Nestafan

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Alright I want to hear this from someone who actually has watched Keane play?

I always felt viera was a better player than keane

Keane gets underrated a bit cause he is seen as just a destroyer for some reason.

Every time I watched those two go h2h for me I felt viera was the better player

But Keane was older when they faced each other in 2000 era

Was Keane actually that good at his best in 90s or ?
Keane was an immense player. Yes, he was volatile, but there was so much to his game. Rarely lost possession, great passer, scored goals, superb tackler, fantastic captain and arguably the greatest motivator I've seen on a football pitch. If Keane was French like Viera he would be rated even higher.
 

kevin_dk

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Potential owners of minority stakes at Milan have two options after putting in their money:

1. Reduce the loan amount with their investments, hold Cardinale's hands, and watch Furlani make operational and strategic decisions.​
2. Pay off the loan, hold their own hands, and watch Cardinale have the final say on operational and strategic decisions.​
Either way, owners of minority stakes will be watching clueless people run the club. Good luck with finding charitable investors. There might be some of them out there, we never know. The dog is literally looking for stupid people with a lot of idle money, like-minded people like him.

Thinking he could copy the strategy used at Toulouse and paste it at Milan is completely childish and naive. Toulouse FC has a fucking data science department run by Damien Comolli. What do we have? Fucking Moncada and his laptop computer? Cardinale bought majority ownership at Toulouse and let people with technical expertise run the club while he is trying to run the club himself at Milan. Or he has Ibra and Moncada run it for him, the names that have so much weight in football management lel.
 

sheva

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Inter will play against Hakimi in the finals.

Why did they sell him? Are they stupid?
For 68 million? Yeah, it's because they are stupid

Meanwhile maldo sold the protagonists for both the CL final clubs for:

Joe Biden GIF by ABC News
 

leaf

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I just want Italians. We've been utter shit without them. Might as well be shit with Italians
I've been thinking about this....
And it's a WILD idea....so please bear with me till the end of this post.
I was thinking....man it's so far outside of what we're accustomed to...
Anyway I was kinda thinking/ hoping that what if (just saying) ...what if
we do things to NOT be shit :eek:

I know that things like nationality swag, long hair, passport, skin colour, rapping ability (or lack thereof)....
ARE ALL REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT
but what if we just saw a GOOD player that we NEEDED for a position that we're WEAK in
....and just fucking bought him and played him 🤯

1198783875838_400x400.jpg
scared-smiley-emoticon.gif
 
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forward

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For 68 million? Yeah, it's because they are stupid

Meanwhile maldo sold the protagonists for both the CL final clubs for:

Joe Biden GIF by ABC News
You keep talking about players. Let's give Fonsecca or Sergio to Inter for free. That will guarantee Kebab won't win a CL for another ten years. :o

Also Pioli to PSG.
 

sheva

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You forget it was Paolo who shut the door on him.
We brought in Mike and the rest was history.

Not saying Dollar didn't do everything in his power not to renew with us (including running down his contract to the final 3 weeks), but it was us who pulled the plug because Paolo didn't want to keep waiting for him.

Paolo was the one who showed Dollar that Milan is bigger than him, and to this day I applaud that.
Showed dollar that Milan is bigger than him, lmao

Like the club is running on charity funds or wasn't expelled from European competitions due to financial inadequacy just a year before donnarumma left for free

Us pulling the plug, mind you, would be relevant in examples where before the contract termination, we ourselves find a new club for dollar and ship him off. He can refuse like Theo did, of course, but the attempt would be made regardless

But not having for foresight to do so is only based on MuH miLaN loyalty which I would assume an RnB'r would have (boasting maldini for 'educating' donnarumma while at reality the truth is that he simply lost money on an asset due to ineptitude) but a director probably shouldn't

Guess what, sweetheart, donnarumma is gonna sign a contract for even bigger money, since he saved psg's CL campaign on multiple occasions and is one of Italy NT's leaders.

But let's applaud our management for sticking it to him that one time since FP&A is clearly based on morality clauses
 
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leaf

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There is no doubt though?

People who say Leao is better than Kvara are clueless and just biased

Kvara is superior in everyway

They bring up athletic ability?

Well Kvara is no mug. He is also 6 foot and has much better stamina

Only thing Leao has is explosive speed over him. That’s it.
Nonsense

Leao is bigger and stronger. You can't teach that
Neither the speed....it's a very good thing to have in today's game. Their number are almost identical with Leao doing it in a much worse team.... though Kvara has done it against better opponents

Put Leao in PSG under a real coach and he could double Kvara's output
 

sheva

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You keep talking about players. Let's give Fonsecca or Sergio to Inter for free. That will guarantee Kebab won't win a CL for another ten years. :o

Also Pioli to PSG.
What? :lol:

I keep talking about management, and their lack of understanding of the market due to inexperience. Same management would not hire a 4th place baguette league coach or a Portuguese Gattuso, btw

Pioli would kill it in psg, BTW
Pioli is what I would imagine a salary worker, who excelled and rose above limitations in the workplace, contributed more than he should, only to not receive further budget/control.
Yeah, i too wouldnt elevate my tactics to prime guardiola levels if I had wheelchair Benny as the only DM for several seasons

Criticism of maldini ≠ support of redbird
We understand this, right?
 

Ryo

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Showed dollar that Milan is bigger than him, lmao

Like the club is running on charity funds or wasn't expelled from European competitions due to financial inadequacy just a year before donnarumma left for free

Us pulling the plug, mind you, would be relevant in examples where before the contract termination, we ourselves find a new club for dollar and ship him off. He can refuse like Theo did, of course, but the attempt would be made regardless

But not having for foresight to do so is only based on MuH miLaN loyalty which I would assume an RnB'r would have (boasting maldini for 'educating' donnarumma while at reality the truth is that he simply lost money on an asset due to ineptitude) but a director probably shouldn't

Guess what, sweetheart, donnarumma is gonna sign a contract for even bigger money, since he saved psg's CL campaign on multiple occasions and is one of Italy NT's leaders.

But let's applaud our management for sticking it to him that one time since FP&A is clearly based on morality clauses
So.... in accordance with @Deep Fried Pizza & Chips .... Maldini's fault? :rebic:
 

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