The Rossoneri’s Governance: A Puzzle Still Unsolved
AC Milan enters the summer of 2026 without a clear sporting director at the helm, and the scenario taking shape is exactly what many observers feared: no external sporting director, no technically qualified director of international standing, but instead the management handed over to figures already inside the club — with all the implications that carries in terms of experience, credibility and market reach.
The tandem being relied upon appears to be Jovan Kirovski, formerly in charge of Milan Futuro, and Bobby Gardiner, a data analyst born in 1994 who, until a few weeks ago, was virtually unknown to the wider public. Two profiles far removed from what one would expect to steer transfer operations at a club of Milan’s stature.
Kirovski: From Milan Futuro to the First Team
The former American striker, who had taken charge of Milan Futuro, now finds himself projected towards the first team at an anything but easy moment. Milan Futuro ended the season with relegation to Serie D, failed to bounce back despite significant investment, and the record in terms of developing young talent looks thin: Álex Jiménez was already on his way to the first team before the lower-league adventure even began, while Davide Bartesaghi came from Milan’s youth sector and was not a direct product of the Milan Futuro project.
Kirovski’s promotion to the first team was also accelerated by the departure of Theo Hernandez, which reshuffled the internal hierarchy. The American is now working alongside other members of staff while the club waits for a top-level appointment that, for now, remains nowhere in sight. As previously reported on these pages, the search for a Rossoneri sporting director has proved a tortuous road, with names dropping out and negotiations falling apart.
Who Signs the Contracts? The Qualification Issue
A topic generating debate among supporters concerns a technical but far from trivial aspect: neither Kirovski nor Gardiner hold the FIGC qualification required to sign contracts as a sporting director. So who puts pen to paper? The most credible answer points to Calvelli, an internal executive who has received the necessary delegation from Giorgio Furlani and holds the required federation licence.
But, as insiders point out, the signature is merely the final act. The real question is who manages negotiations, identifies targets and builds the transfer strategy. And in this case, the picture emerging sees Gardiner, Kirovski and the head coach himself — Sergio Amorim — directly involved in assessments.
Amorim as “English-Style Manager”: A Precedent That Doesn’t Reassure
The role that Sergio Amorim might take on is reminiscent of a British-style manager, with responsibilities stretching well beyond technical leadership. A model already tested — with unhappy results — by Amorim himself at Manchester United, where his push for a broader role was not well received by the club’s hierarchy.
And Milan has already lived through something similar: in the summer of 2023, following the exit of Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara, a working group was announced made up of Stefano Pioli in a managerial capacity, flanked by Furlani and Moncada. That experiment did not deliver the hoped-for results, and today the risk is of repeating the same pattern with different protagonists.
The Shadow of Ibrahimovic Over the Governance
It is impossible to discuss Kirovski without mentioning Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The ties between the two are close, and the American’s promotion to the first team is widely read as confirmation of an influence by the Swede that, despite denials, never seems to have truly faded from the corridors of Casa Milan. Ralf Rangnick himself, during his courtship by the club, had flagged the lack of clarity in internal structures and the interference as factors that had held him back.
The overriding feeling, looking at the full picture, is that Milan is navigating without a compass at a moment when maximum clarity and a clear, defined, recognisable chain of command is exactly what is needed. The hope of the Rossoneri faithful is that this limbo is resolved as quickly as possible, so the squad can build a season worthy of the club’s ambitions.
