It is now official: Paolo Maldini is leaving Milan after getting sacked by owner Gerry Cardinale yesterday.
After the shocking reports of last night, the official communication has now come: Milan once again part ways with the most iconic and legendary person in the history of Club – Paolo Maldini.
Maldini, together with Frederic Massara, has been in charge of the sporting side of Milan in the last few years, rebuilding the team and leading them to a historic Scudetto in 2021/22.
However, new owner Gerry Cardinale does not see eye to eye with Paolo with regards to the future of the Club and yesterday sacked him in a meeting that only lasted a few minutes.
“Milan announces that Paolo Maldini concludes his role at the Club, effective as of June 5, 2023,” a statement reads. “We thank him for his years of service in the role, contributing to the return to the Champions League and to winning the Scudetto in 2021/22. His day-to-day duties will be performed by a team working in close integration with the first team manager, ultimately reporting to the CEO.”
The exit of Maldini, which will soon be followed by that of Massara, has caught the fans and players in complete shock. Some players, like Rafael Leão and Yacine Adli have even gone on social media with some posts that clearly hint that they are unhappy with the decision of Cardinale and RedBird.
Milan will now be led by Geoffrey Moncada, who has been the Chief of Scouts, and CEO Giorgio Furlani. The position of Stefano Pioli, however, is not in doubt and he will stay as the coach.