After the latest rumours, it seemed like a done deal with Julen Lopetegui, but Milan fans mobilized on social media to say No to the former Sevilla coach. While waiting to understand how the story will end, the choice of the coach also highlights the different currents and the power struggle within the Rossoneri club.
There is little doubt that Pioli will leave Milan at the end of the season, the final blow came in five days with the double knockout against Roma and Inter, with the first eliminating the Rossoneri from the Europa League and the second who allowed his cousins to celebrate in his face, thus losing the opportunity to at least save their honor.
However, there are several when it comes to the coach who should replace him, and right in the “brainstorming” to choose him the Rossoneri are showing all their internal problems, a situation that could simply be summed up as “too many roosters in the henhouse”. At Milan, after the dismissal of Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara, i.e. the managers who gave us the last scudetto, the situation as to who decides what has become unclear, and with the latest addition of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the management team the situation becomes it’s even more complicated.
If you ask CEO Furlani something about signings he will tell you to turn to Moncada (head of the sports area) and Ibrahimovic (senior advisor) but the coach is something different on which he, rightly, feels he must have his say in within society. The problem, however, is the question of weights: it is not known which opinion has greater specific weight in the Furlani-Moncada-Ibrahimovic triumvirate, but it is probably his, given that Julen Lopetegui, the man who seems closest to sitting on the bench Rossoneri, it’s his idea and he got the OK to proceed from owner Jerry Cardinale.
Lopetegui’s unpopular choice
All done? No… the revolt of the Rossoneri people on social media complete with the hashtag Nolopetegui which is becoming very popular speaks clearly. Just as the curve’s statement is very clear.
The fans don’t want the former Sevilla manager who, apart from a Europa League win with the Andalusian team, has made little progress in his career, and has the “mark of infamy” of being sacked at Real Madrid after four months. Lopetegui would in fact be a “moderate” choice, some would even say mediocre, but it could be explained in part by the fact that he is a corporate man, and for this reason Furlani likes him: for his staying in his place and not wanting to impose his choices on a management that already struggles to keep everyone together. In fact, internal sources say that Ibrahimovic would like to focus on Antonio Conte, who is among other things the coach requested by the fans, but precisely the “cumbersome” presence of the Lecce coach, who would certainly like to have a say in all the club’s choices, makes the CEO turn up his nose. But then what is Ibra doing, one might ask.
Ibrahimovic’s bad mood
And in fact many ask themselves this. How do they ask themselves who is in charge in the technical choices, given that Furlani is out of it in words but not in practice, while Ibra, who should have a say on certain issues, doesn’t really make himself felt, neither inside nor outside, caged in American corporateism which it also limits their proverbial social media releases. And Moncada? Well he, together with Antonio d’Ottavio, is the operational arm on the market, it is difficult to make his decision weigh more on the coach than that of Furlani but also of Ibra, at least taking at face value the explanation that Milan gives on the role still little clear of Swedish.
In the end the decision will still be made by Cardinale, who could even not care about the fans and take Lopetegui himself, given that the Americans – as was also seen with the Friedkins – are unlikely to be influenced from the outside. The point is that the decision, in addition to triggering a clash with the same curve, would be a defeat for Ibrahimovic, and would in fact show his temporary “uselessness”. Something that, knowing Swedish, would drive him crazy. How much longer can he endure such a “transparent” role? It is difficult to give an answer, just as it is difficult to understand who is really in charge.
