The criticism of Cardinale lands in the United States
The backlash surrounding the management of AC Milan has now crossed national borders. CBS, one of the most widely watched and authoritative television networks in the United States, has turned its spotlight on Gerry Cardinale, the club’s owner, labelling his latest decisions — and his management as a whole — as nothing short of a disaster.
A blunt, unambiguous verdict. When a media outlet of that calibre, in Cardinale’s own country, publicly questions one of RedBird Capital’s most prominent figures, it signals that the issue has taken on a dimension that goes well beyond the stadium terraces or the columns of Italian sports newspapers.
What CBS said about AC Milan
According to the American broadcaster, Cardinale has effectively gutted the club, dismissing in one fell swoop the head coach and the entire management structure — at an estimated cost of around €20 million in severance payments. The departures in question are those of Massimiliano Allegri on the bench and executives Furlani, Moncada and Tare.
The result? AC Milan now finds itself without a head coach or a solid leadership structure. CBS points to a detail that cannot be overlooked: the leading candidate for the dugout, Ralf Rangnick, will be busy with the Austrian national team at the 2026 World Cup as head coach, meaning he would not be available until mid-July at the earliest. A void that weighs heavily — and one that America has not hesitated to highlight.
Fan fury over Ibrahimovic: ‘Free AC Milan’
As reported by ANSA, Italy’s most authoritative national news agency, a fresh wave of protests was sparked by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, senior advisor at RedBird. The Swede shared on his social media channels a clip from a Nike advertisement produced for the World Cup, in which he will appear as a commentator for Fox Sports.
In the video, Ibrahimovic addresses a crowd through a megaphone in his characteristic self-celebratory manner: “Listen to Zlatan, something great is coming.” A message that, given the current state of total uncertainty at the club, triggered an explosion of anger among supporters. On X and in the comments beneath the post, images of Paolo Maldini depicted as a patron saint began circulating, alongside pictures of the ultras’ protests and a message echoing across every platform: “Leave AC Milan, go away and free the club.”
ANSA noted that, more than a week after the collective dismissals, the club has yet to identify any replacements. Ibrahimovic’s centrality in the post-revolution setup is not producing the hoped-for results, and his commercial visibility — in the eyes of an increasingly worried fan base — feels, at the very least, poorly timed.
A club in search of direction: the knot remains untied
Beyond the external criticism, the real problem remains internal. The power vacuum is weighing on the players and on the club’s entire future: who will have the final say on the head coach, the sporting director and the technical director? Between Cardinale, Calvelli — whose background is in tennis, a world far removed from football culture — and an Ibrahimovic who already attempted his “revolution” two years ago with underwhelming results, no answer has yet emerged.
What is certain is that AC Milan needs answers, and it needs them quickly. The new season is approaching, the transfer window is open, and supporters — in Italy as in America — are waiting for concrete signals. The hope, the kind that never truly dies in the Rossoneri world, is that from this complex moment a solid, coherent and winning project will finally take shape.
