At the beginning of the season, AC Milan’s odds to win Serie A were varying from 9/2 to 6/1. These odds were tempting considering the run of form AC Milan were in when they finished in Serie A’s top three and that the squad had very few changes over the summer. But the time-old phrase “gambling is a mug’s game” is certainly appropriate for those who did put their money on AC Milan to win the league this season.
As Serie A stands, AC Milan lie ninth in the table with only seventeen points winning only four games out of a possible fourteen. Their domestic form has also carried over into the European scene too. They sit second in their Champions League group with eight points but could face an early exit if they lose at home to Ajax. And with Milan’s form being somewhat erratic and with Ajax beating Barcelona in the last round of Champions League fixtures, a victory for Ajax cannot be considered unthinkable.
Needless to say that this is an embarrassment for a club that prides itself on its rich history especially in recent times.
Most of their problems stem from what is happening off the field rather than just what’s on it. I don’t tend to subscribe to the notion that off-field actions affect what happens on the field of play but I shall make an exception for AC Milan’s case since these actions are not mutually exclusive.
For those who are not up to date with what’s happening behind the scenes at AC Milan then here’s the latest.
Since Silvio Berlusconi’s appointment of his daughter Barbara Berlusconi to AC Milan’s board, she has taken an ill-defined role at the club sometimes called “Delegate for Special Projects.” The only significant contribution (and a negative one at that) she’s made that is publically visible is her affair with former striker Alexandre Pato.
Since then Barbara Berlusconi has been looking to restructure the club including the potential appointment of club legend Paolo Maldini as technical director and another club legend in Filippo Inzaghi as manager. However her desire to restructure the club and to change the club’s philosophy has been seen as a derogatory remark against the club’s Vice President Adriano Galliani.
Galliani has been and still is Silvio Berlusconi’s right hand man at the club for the last 27 years. His vice-presidency has brought in 28 titles for the Rossoneri, but his reign nearly came to an end this week as he stated his intentions to resign on November 29.
Galliani did state that: “This is not the way to deal with a generation change. It should be done with elegance. I will be resigning with just cause in the coming days, or maybe I will wait until after the Champions League game with Ajax [on Dec. 11].” (according to espnfc.com)
It’s not the first time he has threatened to resign this year but it took a long meeting on Saturday night between himself, Silvio Berlusconi and his mediator Bruno Ermolli. The owner has since then publicly stated that this current drama is over and that Galliani and Barbara Berlusconi will continue on as Sporting Director and Technical Director although their roles still remain unclear at this stage.
The lack of clarity in how this current arrangement will work will still be a background issue that needs to be resolved for the sake of AC Milan. It would not surprise me if Galliani were to threaten Silvio Berlusconi with his resignation once again if Galliani does not get the freedom to do his job.
However, with Silvio’s daughter looking over Galliani’s shoulder then one thinks it will be sooner rather than later that this temporary truce will be broken.
But with one major trophy in the last five seasons, onc could argue that a change of guard may be a necessary evil despite Galliani’s historic successes at the club. Change will be coming to AC Milan at boardroom level and the Rossoneri could be a club to watch for either all the right reasons or all the wrong reasons.
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