Mirabelli or Montella, who’s to blame?

Tuttosport analyzes Milan’s difficult moment and asks whether Massimiliano Mirabelli is to blame for the situation created or coach Montella.

Five defeats in eleven rounds, eighth place in the standings and potentially 12 points away from the Champions League zone after spending 230 million euros in the summer transfer market.

In Casa Milan there is a complicated situation, the results are underwhelming and around the environment gravitate various perplexities and criticisms. From the media there is a hunt for the culprit of this unexpected scenario. Today, Tuttosport asks whether Vincenzo Montella or Massimiliano Mirabelli is the creator of the negative situation seen so far. There are two lines of thought. The first one blames the club for not having signed big players with the 230 million-euro shopping campaign. The second points the finger on the coach, whose technical management of the team would be disappointing.

As for the mercato, Mirabelli’s main fault would be to not have purchased a big bomber. AC Milan in direct confrontations has been punished by strikers such as Immobile, Dzeko, Icardi and Higuain. In the rossoneri team there are no high level strikers and the papers wonders if perhaps it would have been better to save on other players and sign a top centre forward. Between Andre Silva and Nikola Kalinic about 65 million euros were spent and the results are not satisfying. Montella explained that top players at Milanello did not come because they want the Champions. But maybe something better could have been done.

Massimiliano Mirabelli
Massimiliano Mirabelli

But surely it’s also the responsibility of the coach if some players are not performing at their usual level. Leonardo Bonucci and Lucas Biglia were leaders of Juventus and Lazio, as well as of their respective national teams, while at Milan they are unrecognizable. Montella is not making the most of them or even the rest of the team, except for a few players. Something wrong is going on there, because the group can certainly not be considered worthy of eighth place.

Vincenzo Montella
Vincenzo Montella (©Getty Images)

Both the club and the coach are on the defendants podium, however the second one is in immediate danger. Now against AEK Athens in Europa League and against Sassuolo in the championship he has no other choice but to win. Sassuolo was fatal to Massimiliano Allegri when he was on the rossoneri bench and in January 2014 lost at the Mapei Stadium. On Sunday the departure for Reggio Emilia is likely to cause another “victim” before the international break. And as Tuttosport reports Gennaro Gattuso is the most like substitute at the moment.


Read here Le Parisien: Milan considering Di Maria bid


Read here Il Giornale: Two reasons why to keep Montella