As the curtain falls on the 2024/25 Serie A campaign, the contrast between Milan’s two great footballing institutions could scarcely be starker. Internazionale stride into their final domestic fixture against Como with the Scudetto still within their grasp and a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon—a season of ambition approaching its apex. Meanwhile, across the city, AC Milan finds itself plunged into a crisis as deep as any in its storied history.
Sunday's
3-1 defeat to Roma served not only as a humbling blow but as a grim punctuation
mark to a season of spiraling decline. That result sealed the Rossoneri’s
fate—no European football in the 2025/26 season. For a club synonymous with
continental glory, the absence from any UEFA competition is more than a disappointment;
it's an indictment.
The loss
also ended a decade-long league hex Roma had endured against Milan—10 matches
unbeaten for the Rossoneri (6 wins, 4 draws). Leandro Paredes’ stunning direct
free-kick, his first since May 2023, was emblematic of a Milan side repeatedly
undone by moments of individual brilliance from the opposition. All six of the
Argentine's recent Serie A goals have come from dead-ball situations—set-piece
precision, Milan’s defensive undoing.
This latest
disappointment came hard on the heels of a Coppa Italia final defeat to
Bologna—whose 1-0 win delivered their first major silverware in over half a
century. For Milan, it was another blow in a season pockmarked by
underachievement and missed opportunity, likely bringing a premature end to
Sergio Conceição’s ill-fated tenure.
The Poisoned Chalice of Milan’s Hot Seat
The
managerial role at AC Milan, once one of the most coveted in world football,
has become a precarious proposition. A poisoned chalice, if ever there was one.
Just three Serie A titles this century—2004, 2011, and 2022—belie the club's
glorious past and highlight its steady decline.
With one
match remaining, Milan trail Inter by a staggering 18 points and likely
champions Napoli by 19. These are not the numbers of a proud giant experiencing
a temporary lapse—they speak of systemic rot.
The descent began with instability at the top. In 2017, Silvio Berlusconi—Milan’s patriarch for over three decades—sold the club to Chinese businessman Li Yonghong. "Milan has now embarked on this path towards China," Berlusconi declared, perhaps unaware that this path would soon veer off a cliff. Li defaulted on a loan within a year, prompting US hedge fund Elliott Advisors to seize control. While Elliott injected capital and a sense of direction, their stewardship was always a bridge to another owner, RedBird Capital Partners, who acquired the club in 2022 for €1.2 billion.
Transfers Without Vision
The
financial turbulence has left an enduring mark, particularly in the transfer
market. Unable to consistently compete for elite talent, Milan have instead relied
on ageing stars and hopeful punts. The short-lived and ultimately fruitless
signings of Alvaro Morata—six goals in 25 matches before a loan exit to
Galatasaray—and Kyle Walker, who returns to Manchester City after a disastrous
spell, epitomize the reactive and ill-considered recruitment strategy.
The removal
of Paolo Maldini as technical director—despite his status as a club icon, may
have placated some factions of the fanbase, notably the Curva Sud ultras. But
the optics of dismissing a symbol of Milanese identity, particularly at a time
of cultural drift, only reinforced the perception of a club unmoored from its
legacy.
Zlatan's Influence and a Leadership Vacuum
The
presence of Zlatan Ibrahimović in a senior advisory role was initially greeted
with enthusiasm. His aura, charisma, and affinity for Milan were expected to
inject the kind of mentality the squad so desperately lacked. Yet his bullish
proclamation—"I am the boss and I am in charge, all the others work for
me"—has aged poorly. Fonseca, his chosen savior, lasted barely six months.
Conceição, his successor, proved equally ineffective.
At the time
of Fonseca’s sacking, Milan sat eighth, eight points adrift of a Champions
League berth. Now, they sit ninth—seven points from the same goal, with a single
game left to play. The stagnation is palpable.
Stars Dimmed and Systems Broken
On the
pitch, Milan have too often resembled a team devoid of structure, cohesion, or
fight. Joao Felix, a marquee name brought in to inspire, has managed just one
goal across 16 appearances. The warning signs were clear from his stints at
Barcelona and Chelsea—raw talent wasted in a tactical void. Milan’s willingness
to gamble on such a player, rather than invest in industrious, system-driven
profiles, reflects deeper dysfunction.
Even bright spots are tinged with frustration. Rafa Leão’s tally of 11 goals and 10 assists reads well on paper, but his performances in critical moments have been subdued. Santiago Giménez, a standout at Feyenoord, has found the leap to Serie A challenging. And Theo Hernandez, once a marauding threat down the left, now oscillates between brilliance and calamity.
What Lies Ahead?
Milan’s
path back to prominence will be long and uncertain. Restoring the club’s
stature—domestically and in Europe—requires more than funds. It requires
identity, coherence, vision. It needs leaders who understand Milan's DNA, both
on the pitch and in the boardroom.
Rome wasn't
built in a day—and neither will be the Milan renaissance. But if the club
continues to drift, relying on reputation rather than reason, it risks becoming
a monument to past glories, rather than a participant in future triumphs.
What
happens next remains a mystery. But it is no longer enough to invoke history.
AC Milan must now fight for relevance.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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