Maldini blasts Cardinale, Furlani and Scaroni in explosive full interview
Former AC Milan director Paolo Maldini has released an explosive interview talking about Cardinale, Furlani, Scaroni and what happened behind the scenes at San Siro.
Six months later, former AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini has decided to finally speak and reveal his truth in an explosive interview given to La Repubblica. He starts by explaining why he is interrupting his long silence only now: “I would have spoken from the gut, time allows for serenity. There are people passing through, without real respect for the identity and history of Milan. And there are others linked to its ideals. It would be better to keep them close.“
Maldini was fundamental in AC Milan’s return to high levels, together with the work of Massara and also Pioli on the bench. The divorce was certainly unexpected: “If the club was sold for 1.2 billion and the new ownership wants to change, they have the right to do so. But people and roles must be respected. I had to find an agreement for my rights. The love for Milan remains unconditional. As Cesare’s son, as a former captain, as Christian and Daniel’s father and as a director in five fantastic years. The information is not directed towards the truth: anyone who says otherwise knows they are lying to themselves. Luckily it seems to me that the public is not influenced.”
The former AC Milan captain has often been described as an individualist, even by Cardinale himself: “It is confused with the desire to be responsible for the decisions required by the role. Daily confrontation is a blessing. A former top-level footballer is used to being judged every 3 days. As a manager I grew, in the first six months I felt useless. Leonardo told me: ‘you’re just learning’. It is not easy to communicate with an American fund or a South African CEO.”
Regarding the last sentence, Maldini is keen to deny one of the many rumors regarding his alleged request to have more power: “Nothing could be further from the truth than that sporting director Massara and I did not share objectives and strategies. Never had, nor wanted, signing power: not even for loans. Each purchase was endorsed by the CEO and owners. We chose the players, sometimes the budget disappeared. It is normal at times to interfere in sporting choices, which shift financial balances. The accusation of not having shared them is unfair. For Ibrahimovic many meetings were needed to convince them to sign him.”
And, speaking of Cardinale, Paolo describes his relationship with the owner like this: “With him, in a year, only one chat, plus 4 messages from him. He said we had to trust each other. I did it: how it went is known. I believe that the decision to fire us had been made months before and there were those who knew it. The contract, 2 years with the option to renew, was given to me on 30 June 2022 at 10pm: too unpopular to send us away after the Scudetto. Cardinale asked to win the Champions League. I explained that a three-year plan was needed. From October to February I prepared it with Massara and a consultant friend of mine: 35 pages of sustainable strategy and the need for a leap in quality, sent to Gerry, 2 of his very close collaborators and the CEO Furlani“.
There was never a response to the project presented by Maldini to win the Champions League, neither from Cardinale nor from Furlani: “Out of 35 signings we were criticized for De Ketelaere, who was 21 years old. If youngsters of that age are chosen, the failure rate is higher. They must be waited for, helped, pampered.” And then the great background: “On the other hand, after 3 months of work, Boban and Massara and I were called to London by the owners and CEOs and practically delegitimized: they did not like the various Leao, Bennacer and Theo Hernandez. But a path was needed. I always remember where we started from.“
Maldini summarizes Milan’s path in his years of management thus: “In 2018-19: nat a young and under-performing team. No Champions League for 6 years, squad worth around 200 million, wage bill of 150. In 4 years of restructuring with young players: market spending net of transfers 120 million, 30 per year and 15 per session, value of the squad rose to around 500, salaries dropped to 120 and then to 100 for 3 years, without being able to renew with Çalhanoglu and Kessie. And at the end of last season: 3 Champions League seasons played in a row, Serie A title after 11 years, Champions League semi-final after 16, positive balance sheet after 17 years. But if you’re on edge, one season is enough to ruin the previous work.”
And on the budget for the 2023-2024 mercato, Maldini reveals: “In March it had not yet been discussed and we cannot wait for June to plan the transfer market. Then, 4 days before the sacking, Furlani very embarrassedly informed me of a low budget: I took note of it. After our departure, the budget even doubled, net of the sale of Tonali, and the salary amount is finally in line with our plan: it must have become a source of inspiration!”.
We then come to a very important topic: the sale of Sandro Tonali. Leaving for a moment what happened afterwards regarding the football betting affair, Maldini explains: “We would have done everything possible not to let him go. We have never been totally against a major sale, but there was no need. For Sandro we spent a fifth of the public domain value and had to have lively discussions with the CEO and owners: not even the scouting area wanted him.” In this last sentence there is probably also a dig at Geoffrey Moncada, who was head of the scouting area at the time before taking on an almost sporting director role after Massara’s farewell.
Another key passage from Maldini’s interview is the following. Paolo launches a real dig at president Paolo Scaroni: “It bothers me how things are told. Milan deserves a president who only looks after its interests and managers who don’t leave the team alone. He never asked if the players and team needed encouragement. I often saw him leave the stadium when the opponents equalized or took the lead, perhaps just to avoid finding traffic, but punctually in the front row for the championship. I have a different concept of sharing and group. I can also say the same regarding the two CEOs, Gazidis and Furlani“.
AC Milan has never hidden the use of algorithms to identify players to purchase on the market. Here are Maldini’s words on the matter: “There is no need of algorithms to sign Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic and Chukwueze: just use the money that a team that finally has a turnover of 400 million euros deserves. The 4 previous transfer windows cannot be compared with the last one, we had different weapons. Sustainability? With Boban and Massara it was stimulating to cut salaries by 30%, renew the squad and increase its value with the Scudetto and 3 years of Champions League, after 7 without“.
In recent months there has also been talk of Maldini planning to sack Pioli in June. This, according to rumors, was one of the reasons for his departure. The former manager does not deny having spoken with possible replacements but then underlines: “Stefano should always be thanked by the AC Milan fans, his work was fundamental for the growth of the young players who are arrived at Milan, he was a key figure in our work. The coach, however, is one of the loneliest figures in the world of football. Giving him tasks that are beyond his control will make him increasingly lonely if he is not supported. If there had been, as in past years, a unity of intent and vision with the club’s objectives, I don’t see why we would have had to change it.”
Finally, Maldini is asked if his dynasty with AC Milan has now come to an end. Here is Paolo’s response: “I don’t know, it’s a 36-year bond, too strong and will remain forever: history cannot be erased. I say thank you to life and to Milan. I see a new era represented, a Berlusconi 2. A review of the Italian history of the last 40 years, political and entrepreneurial. I said it before my departure: today you are in charge, but please respect Milan’s history.
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