Cardinale kicked everyone out, a clean sweep among the Devil's ranks: from Tare to Allegri via Furlani and Moncada. After failure, profound disappointment is the moment of revolution and refoundation. Milan did not reach the minimum objective, qualification for the Champions League, and there were many who paid the price. Having eliminated the men who have been identified as the main ones responsible for the defeat of recent years, it is time to start reflecting, working and planning the future starting from the bench.
The list of names goes crazy but to choose the right person it is likely that the Devil will need a few more days. In the meantime, however, one thing at Casa Milan already seems clear: the next coach will have to represent the exact opposite of the Livorno coach. Not just a new name, but a clear break with the idea of football seen last season. After the official exemption together with the elimination of the sports area, the ownership wants to turn the page and re-establish itself on a completely different basis.
The profile sought is that of an offensive, vertical, modern coach, capable of providing identity through play. A coach "a la Cesc Fàbregas": a definition now increasingly used in our championship, perhaps not to say "a la Cristian Chivu", which for many Rossoneri would sound like a further humiliation. Yes, because in general the idea of the AC Milan owners is to entrust the bench to a young coach who has an idea of modern football. In Via Aldo Rossi we therefore want to follow in the footsteps of what was done at the Nerazzurri last season but obviously without making it explicit. Only a few days ago, Cardinale stung the Nerazzurri for a 5-0 defeat in the Champions League final and then came the defeat, the inexorable collapse and admitting that you wanted to follow the Inter model a bit would be too much.
Those Nerazzurri players who at the beginning of last season were criticized for their choice to hand over the team to a coach defined as an intern and with no experience are today an example to follow because the numbers and the pitch spoke.
L’esperienza bis di Allegri si chiude con una bocciatura pesante
The coach is blamed not only for the failure to qualify for the Champions League, but for the lack of structural growth of the team. Milan did not make the most of its best men, on the contrary. Players like Pulisic have experienced a decline that is difficult to explain, others have not made the leap in quality that the club expected. There has not been an increase from a technical point of view.
The issue is cultural even before it is tactical. Allegri is criticized for having an overly conservative mentality, constantly looking back instead of at the road ahead. A football perceived as old, prudent, incapable of evolving. Even the athletic preparation, at the end of the season, showed clear limits: the collapse at the decisive moment also weighed heavily on the players. The criticism from the fans and the absence of a real gaming identity made the break in a relationship that was not already idyllic inevitable.
Il Toto nomi
From the moment of the exemption, the question inevitably began to rage: who for the post?
There has been talk of Conte but despite his official farewell to Napoli, there would be no confirmation. His name is circulating, but it doesn't seem to be at the top of the list. Here too the reason is clear: Conte guarantees impact and results, but does not fully represent the total paradigm shift that Cardinale and Ibrahimovic seem to want to bring.
The hot names are others. Andoni Iraola remains on pole, for which exploratory contacts have already begun: intensity, high pressure, aggressive and organized football, everything that Milan is missing today. Also on the table is Xavi Hernández, free and with a clear idea of football, as well as Thiago Motta and Mark van Bommel, both profiles appreciated by Zlatan Ibrahimović, the man who today has been left with great powers even if the curve is clamoring for his farewell. Italiano and Palladino are more secluded, while the candidacy of Grosso is also alive, who seemed like he could go to Naples but with Allegri's farewell he could end up in Milan.
Milan's message is clear: no more management, no more controlling football. This time we need a real revolution. More courage, more intensity, more future. Because after a season like this, simply changing coach without changing your mind wouldn't be enough. And in this sense, whether we want to admit it or not, Inter has become the example to follow.