AC Milan has dismissed head coach Massimiliano Allegri and three key directors following the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League for the second consecutive season. The sweeping changes come after Milan finished fifth in Serie A, concluding a campaign that saw a promising start unravel dramatically.
Allegri, 58, returned to San Siro for his second spell in May last year, taking over from Sergio Conceicao. His previous tenure, from 2010 to 2014, was marked by success, including a Serie A league title in 2010-11 and the Italian Super Cup the following season. However, his recent return ended abruptly after a disastrous late-season run.
A season’s late collapse
Despite spending the majority of the season in the top two positions in Serie A and holding a credible shot at the Scudetto, as noted in a RedBird Capital statement reported by BBC Sport, AC Milan experienced a significant downturn in form. The team lost seven of their final 13 games in the recently concluded season. The collapse was particularly bad in the final two months. In April and May, Milan played eight league games, they secured only two wins during this period. They suffered five defeats, including three of their last four matches.
The final blow came on the last day of the season with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Cagliari, a team that had nothing left to play for, according to TV 2. This result cemented their fifth-place finish and confirmed their absence from Europe’s premier club competition.
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Broader clear-out for RedBird
The decision to part ways with Allegri is part of a wider restructuring initiated by RedBird Capital, the American investment group that acquired AC Milan in 2022. Alongside Allegri, chief executive Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare, and technical director Geoffrey Moncada have also departed the club. An AC Milan club statement, was released after the news broke out.
“It is now time for change and a comprehensive reorganisation of football operations,” the statement read. It further elaborated on the team’s late-season performance: “The final stretch was completely inconsistent with the performance up to that point, with last night’s disappointing loss in the final game turning the season into an unequivocal failure.”
With their Champions League aspirations dashed, AC Milan will now join Juventus in the Europa League next season. Italy’s representatives in the Champions League will be Inter Milan, Napoli, Roma, and Como, with the latter qualifying for the first time in their history.
Sources: sport.tv2.dk, www.bbc.com
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