AC Milan heading for a turning point: leadership changes regardless of Champions League outcome
At AC Milan, talk of a structural revolution is growing ever more concrete. This is not simply a matter tied to Champions League qualification — it is a deep-rooted need to reorganise the club’s chain of command. Whether or not the Rossoneri finish in the top four, Milan cannot and should not stand still: recent years have shown that football people are needed in key positions, with specific competencies and a shared vision.
Furlani under pressure: the CEO’s position is not secure
The name of Giorgio Furlani, Milan’s current Chief Executive Officer, is circulating with increasing frequency as a figure at risk. According to information gathered in recent hours, something is expected to move after Sunday’s match against Cagliari. It remains unclear whether Furlani himself will step back, or whether Jerry Cardinale, the club’s owner through RedBird Capital, will decide to make changes to the management structure. What seems evident is that the current CEO’s position is no longer as solid as it once was.
Ibrahimović heading to the USA World Cup: will Milan be left without a key reference point?
Zlatan Ibrahimović, Milan’s senior advisor and one of the club’s most prominent figures, is set to take on a television role as a pundit at the FIFA World Cup in the United States. An engagement that could keep him away from the club for a month to six weeks. The question is legitimate: with Ibra across the Atlantic and Furlani potentially sidelined or out, who is truly steering Milan through one of the most delicate moments in its recent history?
The answer to that question is arguably the heart of the problem. If the composition of the top figures changes, it signals a genuine will for transformation, and that in itself is a positive sign. As already analysed in depth on these pages, the Champions League alone is not enough: a structural revolution is needed to bring AC Milan back to winning ways.
The model Milan must pursue
The core issue is simple to state but complex to achieve: football people in the right positions. A CEO with genuine experience in the sports industry, a capable and visionary sporting director, a manager who can work without interference. A structure where roles are clear, respected and functional to the sporting project. This is not asking for a miracle — it is asking for a governance model that other leading European clubs already successfully apply.
Over the past three or four years, according to many observers, internal power struggles between different factions within the management have slowed the club’s evolution in the transfer market and in technical decision-making. Overlapping responsibilities and conflicting decisions have created an environment that has made life difficult for both managers and players alike.
An ownership change remains the dream, but there is much that can be improved in the meantime
The ownership debate remains open. A change at the very top — meaning RedBird’s exit in favour of new investors — is the scenario many fans continue to hope for, but it requires a concrete offer and a process that could take months or years. As previously explored on these pages, there are concrete scenarios involving the Ellison family as a potential new stakeholder in the Rossoneri’s shareholding structure. In the short term, however, action can and must be taken on the operational structure: building an authoritative, competent and cohesive management is the first step towards restoring credibility and ambition to the Milan project.
