This time it’s Zlatan’s turn. Not in a suit and tie, it’s not his style, but with a tight t-shirt and dark glasses, ready to put ideas on the table for the Milan of the future. Since he became Cardinale’s senior advisor he has cleared away the dark clouds. He now works closely with Furlani and Moncada to build a better Milan, as explained by the CEO on several occasions: “Ibra is proving to be a champion even off the pitch. His ideas are fundamental in our decisions.” Now his mission continues on several points: entrusting Milan to another leader, choosing Giroud’s replacement, making Leao even more responsible, keeping an eye on the B team already under construction and rebuilding a bridge between the pitch and the upper levels of the team. society.
the coach
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The first chapter is the coach. Milan will say goodbye to Pioli at the end of May after a long cycle. Ibra was part of it and always understood its importance, value and growth. With Lopetegui gone, now one step away from West Ham, several names stand out on the agenda of the Rossoneri triumvirate. Paulo Fonseca, Sergio Conceicao, a little more nuanced Marcelo Gallardo, River Plate’s most successful coach. The objective is to harpoon a coach capable of working in tandem with the technical area and enhancing the players. Pioli, in this, was a master: Leao, Theo, Tonali, Kessie, Pulisic, Reijnders, Kalulu, Thiaw, Loftus-Cheek. Over the years he has worked a lot in this direction. The next one will have to do the same.
rafa
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The second chapter is Leao. The Portuguese owes a good chunk of his career to Ibra, as well as to Pioli. In the past he said that every now and then, in training, he would take him by the arm and tell him what to improve on, where to be more incisive. The key word is mentality, as Rafa recently declared: “he taught me a lot on this level”. This year he had a year full of ups and downs. He scored decisive goals like against PSG, but in the league he didn’t score for more than 4 months. Ibra, in the summer, will have to work more on it, also because Rafa remains the frontman of the squad. He has a 175 million clause and a 7 million contract until 2028. In a word: future.
the tip
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The third theme is post-Giroud. The young and futuristic number 9 to replace Oli G, who after Salernitana will fly to Los Angeles to end his career. The objectives are different: the first is Benjamin Sesko, Lispia’s twenty-one year old striker. He is inspired by Ibra, he played basketball and scored goals like Van Basten, like against Sweden in 2022. This year he scored 17 goals in all competitions. Another in the sights is Serhou Guirassy, 28 years old, Stuttgart’s revelation with 28 goals in 29 games. He’s never had a season like this. Among others, Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon and Joshua Zirkzee of Bologna stand out. The Dutchman has already bewitched San Siro. The objective is to invest 50 million for the top team and build new leaders, above all to rebuild a sort of “bridge” between the top levels of the club and the team. The last note concerns team B, now more than an idea. The Primavera comes from the Youth League final lost against Olympiacos and from last year’s semi-final. Most of the young players in Abate’s squad made their debut in Serie A: Zeroli, Simic, Camarda, Bartesaghi, Jimenez, Traorè (on loan to Palermo). Serie C would be a showcase.
