Calvelli: The Name Rising Through RedBird’s Hierarchy
There is a name that, over the past few weeks, has been emerging with increasing prominence within AC Milan‘s management structure: Calvelli. His presence alongside Gerry Cardinale is no longer occasional or coincidental. First came the return flight from London after a summit with the RedBird owner, in the company of Zlatan Ibrahimović, and now a side-by-side appearance with Cardinale in the bowels of the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, following the win over Genoa. The image speaks volumes: Calvelli and Cardinale leaving the Milan dressing room area together, with Giorgio Furlani a few steps behind, noticeably further back.
That picture tells a story. Calvelli now appears to be a trusted confidant of the RedBird chief — a profile that has steadily built credibility and closeness to the ownership’s top tier. The extent of his operational decision-making power remains to be seen, but the direction seems set: his role within the Rossoneri hierarchy is on a clear upward trajectory.
Is Furlani Being Sidelined?
Giorgio Furlani‘s position as Milan CEO, meanwhile, appears to be entering a phase of redefinition. His physical distance from Cardinale and Calvelli during recent public appearances is a detail that has not gone unnoticed. As we explored in depth in a previous article, the CEO’s future at the club is anything but certain and the situation could develop significantly in the weeks ahead.
The Ibrahimović-Allegri Knot: A Difficult Coexistence
If the Calvelli-Furlani dynamic represents the institutional face of the club’s transitional moment, there is another tension threatening to destabilise the Rossoneri environment: the one between Zlatan Ibrahimović and Max Allegri. The two have never really clicked — not when the Swede was playing for Milan and the Tuscan coach was in the dugout, and not now, with Ibra serving as senior advisor to RedBird.
Ibrahimović’s interference in Allegri’s technical work is a genuine and far-from-trivial concern. Reports suggest he has made direct contact with players over tactical matters — a practice that, if confirmed, represents an organisational short-circuit that would be unacceptable at any well-run club. Even more sensitive is the alleged leak to certain squad members of Allegri’s summer transfer intentions, a move that risks undermining dressing-room harmony at the most critical point of the season.
Clarity Is Needed: Who Leads AC Milan?
The situation demands a clear and prompt answer. Milan need a defined chain of command, free from ambiguity and overlapping roles. The forced coexistence of two such strong and contrasting personalities — Ibrahimović and Allegri — risks becoming a destabilising factor that ultimately weighs on the entire squad. Players need to know who has the final word, who shapes technical strategy, who plans for the future.
At the same time, it is only fair to acknowledge that Allegri has not yet fully convinced in terms of the football his side has produced in this run-in: over the past few weeks, Milan have relied too heavily on individual moments and fortune rather than a coherent collective system. But that is a conversation for after the season ends, with the clarity that comes from distance.
What matters right now is arriving at the final matchday — against Cagliari at San Siro — in the best possible physical and mental condition, free from internal distractions. Milan are one step from the Champions League: this moment calls for unity, focus and the same collective spirit that the pre-Genoa training camp — concluded after the victory in Liguria — helped forge within the group, as confirmed by members of the squad.
The Retreat Is Over: Full Focus on Cagliari
The club-mandated training camp ahead of the Ferraris clash proved its worth in rebuilding team spirit: by all accounts from inside the group, the players chose to shut out external noise and concentrate exclusively on the pitch. It worked. Now the retreat is over and Milan’s eyes are already fixed on what lies ahead, with one single goal in mind: beat Cagliari and reach the Champions League.
