Leonardo believes that AC Milan are a ‘soulless’ club at the moment, and that they made a mistake in letting Paolo Maldini go.

 

It would be fair to say that Leonardo has a complicated relationship with Milan. Following his retirement, he was the coach of the Rossoneri but then defected in 2010 to become manager of Inter, though Milan would win the 2010-11 title.

 

The Brazilian then returned to Milan as sporting director in 2018, when Paolo Maldini also came back to work alongside him. However, he did not last long and left under a cloud of expensive flops. In 2019, he returned to PSG as sporting director, until he was sacked in 2022.

 

Leonardo gave an interview to Quotidiano Sportivo and as expected he was asked for his thoughts on how things are going at his former club Milan. His comments have been relayed by Calciomercato.com.

 

What is it like playing at San Siro?

 

“Playing at San Siro creates anxiety, it’s a pressure that’s not easy to handle. But as a coach or manager it’s up to me to understand how the player can free himself from it.

 

“And in any case the pressure is not only at San Siro but everywhere. There are even players who prefer to start from the bench to be more relaxed.”

 

Do Milan need more Milanismo?

 

“But there was one, his name was Paolo Maldini and as a manager he won a title and reached the semi-final of the Champions League. Then he was fired, and with him a great piece of passion.

 

“Today everyone has noticed, Milan are empty, without a soul. But these are cycles, it will pass. Also because I think that the club has understood that they made a mistake.”

 

What was your experience coaching Milan?

 

“I have experienced certain situations, even though I have been a coach for very little. I started with Milan at a particular time: Kakà had been sold, Maldini had retired. In short, a lot of changes.

 

“I started the year without winning for 5-6 games. Everyone urged me not to share choices or playing systems with the players and instead I went to the gym and said… ‘let’s play recklessly and take risks’. In reality the defenders didn’t want it (smiles) but over time they digested the idea.”

 

Then came the ‘4-2-fantasia’…

 

“True, it was a gamble, but many said that the “4-2-fantasy” was nice and fun. It all started in the third Champions League match in Madrid, we had fielded a team that was very unbalanced up front and we won 3-2. It had never happened at the Bernabeu…”

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Kyle Walker David Beckham

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Defender has taken same No.32 shirt at Milan

Now set to model for iconic fashion designer

Positive news after many negative headlines

 

England international Walker has continued to generate plenty of negative headlines off the field courtesy of his affair with ex-mistress Lauryn Goodman that saw him father two children with the former Love Island contestant behind the back of long-time partner Annie Kilner.

 

 

On the field, Walker has settled quickly at San Siro and was included in Thomas Tuchel’s first selection as England coach. The 34-year-old is now said to be attracting positive interest away from the pitch as he prepares to join a modelling campaign from iconic fashion designer Hugo Boss.

 

 

A source has told The Sun: “He’s so excited about this, he can’t contain himself. He’s been reluctant to do anything like this in the past because he doesn’t like the spotlight, but things are different now. He’s loving his new lease of life with AC Milan and hopes his performances can help him reach 100 caps for England. But he’s also thinking about the future and has half an eye on life beyond football.”

 

 

Hugo Boss were one of the first brands that ex-Three Lions captain Beckham linked up with in his playing days. Walker is now treading a similar path, having already inherited the No.32 jersey in Milan that his compatriot wore during his loan stints with the Serie A giants.

 

 

The Sun’s source added: “Kyle saw what Becks did and wants to follow in his footsteps to create something beyond football.” Walker may also be looking to boost his bank balance as any separation from wife Kilner could cost him half of his supposed £27 million ($35m) fortune.

 

 

On Sunday, iconic former Tottenham and Milan players lined up to face one another in aid of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. With Spurs 6-1 up and cruising at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, ex-Italy international Pirlo stepped up and curled a sumptuous effort into the top corner to make the scoreline a bit more respectable.

 

 

Pirlo has been retired from football for quite a few years now but his effort shows that form is temporary and class is permanent in the 6-2 loss. Football fans enjoyed an entertaining contest where Robbie Keane grabbed a hat-trick for Tottenham and legends such as Dimitar Berbatov, Cafu, Serginho, Jermaine Defoe, and more, featured. Plus, thousands have been raising money for the club’s charity.

 

Samuele Ricci is one of AC Milan’s main targets for the midfield but a hefty offer will be needed this summer, according to a report.

 

Ricci has been linked with the Rossoneri for several years now, with the management keeping tabs on him ever since the Empoli days. At Torino, the 23-year-old has improved a lot thanks to the consistent playing time, becoming one of the best midfielders in the league.

 

As reported by Calciomercato.com, Milan have a concrete interest in Ricci and have already established good contacts with his entourage. The player ‘looks favourably’ upon a potential transfer to the Rossoneri but everything depends on how much they can offer.

 

Urbano Cairo, the president of Torino, promised Ricci and his entourage that he would sell in the event of a €30m offer. At the very least, it has to be in the neighbourhood of that, so Milan will not be able to get any major discount.

 

It’s not just because of Cairo’s stubbornness either, as Inter are keeping tabs on Ricci as well. Obviously depending on the thoughts of the new sporting director and head coach, the Rossoneri will have to move in advance if they really want to secure Ricci in the summer.

 

Milan are set to enter a new long-term agreement with front of shirt sponsor Emirates following CEO Giorgio Furlani’s recent trip to the United Arab Emirates, which is set to earn the club over €100m over a five-year period.

 

During the international break, Furlani has been in Dubai to conduct a series of meetings with commercial partners and present and future sponsors as the Rossoneri look to increase the club’s revenue streams.

 

According to Saturday’s reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Furlani has secured a new agreement with the airline Emirates, whose ‘Fly Emirates’ logo has been on the front of the Milan shirts since the 2010-11 season.

 

Milan secure new €100m shirt sponsor agreement

Davide Calabria and team mates of AC Milan applaud the fans followi the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on November 23, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Davide Calabria and team mates applaud the fans following the Serie A match against Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on November 23, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Milan already had an agreement in place with the UAE flag carrier that expired in 2026, but neither the club nor the company had any intention of ending their agreement, so a new extension running until 2030 has been set up.

 

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the new deal will bring in increased revenues of over €100m over the next five years.

Alvaro Morata has once again spoken about his brief time at AC Milan, including regrets about joining the club and the circumstances that led to his exit. After Olivier Giroud’s exit following the expiry of his contract, the Milan management initially wanted to invest in Joshua Zirkzee before Manchester United offered a bigger package and won the race to sign him.

As a result they turned to Morata, someone who has won virtually everything there is in European football, an experienced option who should have provided guarantees in terms of his leadership and winning mentality.

He cost around €13m, which was his release clause at Atletico Madrid. However, the Spaniard scored just six goals in 25 games and in January he pushed for an exit, joining Galatasaray on an initial loan while the Rossoneri invested in Santiago Gimenez.

Morata spoke during the ‘El Larguero’ segment on Cadena SER and explained why he thinks joining Milan was the right move, and how he ended up with the Turkish champions. Calciomercato.com relayed his comments. Do you regret joining Milan

“I think last summer I should have thought more about whether or not to leave Atletico Madrid. When you don’t feel good at a certain point in your life, you make bad decisions in every aspect. Things can’t be changed now and today I’m very happy

If I could go back, I probably wouldn’t have made that decision. Today I realise that I wasn’t able to see reality. We were champions of Europe and at Atletico there were more and more people who loved me and understood me.” Why did you choose Milan? “When you go through difficult times, you see things in a grey light even if you have people around you who love you and tell you that you are wrong.

During the European Championships this thing bothered me, then the opportunity of Milan presented itself. “The coach [Paulo Fonseca] called me every day, I needed to feel loved and appreciated. Today, looking back, I realise that Simeone loved me too. My father and my agent told me thatI was wrong.”

Could you end up in Saudi Arabia?

 

“I can’t say anything, I don’t know what the future holds for me. Maybe I will have the opportunity to return to another big team that needs an experienced striker

How does Galatasaray feel? “Compared to the rivalries between Real Madrid and Barcelona and Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, the rivalry between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce is larger and far more intense.

It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Over 30,000 police officers were present in the stadium when a foreign referee arrived to oversee the derby. It was amazing. They must also want me to stay, even though I would like to stay here for a long time. They are incredibly kind and treat me nicely, which makes me very happy.

I currently have a contract that runs through January of next year. Even if I’ve adjusted nicely, I still have a contract with Milan.

 

 

After the renewal of Tijjani Reijnders, more good news should come soon for AC Milan as Christian Pulisic is ready to put pen to paper.

 

Pulisic is one of the leaders at Milan and in his second season at the club he is cementing his status as the decisive man even during a turbulent campaign. His goals in the derby and propensity to bail the team out of a tough moment are a testament to his quality and attitude.

 

According to MilanNews, the current contract that ties Pulisic to Milan has an expiration date of 30 June 2027 with a salary of around €4m net per season. The Rossoneri management sought to extend that initial four-year deal, and negotiations in recent weeks have been positive.

 

Indeed, the winger should soon pen a new contract until 2029 (unless the FIFA rules change in the coming months) with a salary increase of around €5m net per season plus bonuses. A fair recognition for a player and a professional who has always put Milan before everything and everyone.

 

Pulisic could have arrived at Milan in the summer of 2022, when Chelsea phoned late in the window with an offer for Rafael Leao. The Diavolo wanted €100m to sell the Portuguese, so the Blues offered Pulisic – who they valued at €65m – plus cash.

 

A year later, the former Dortmund man arrived at Milan for €18m plus bonuses. He got his 50th goal contribution since arriving (30 goals, 20 assists) in the 2-1 win over Lecce, and in just 88 appearances, with his market value rocketing again.

 

 

Alessandro Costacurta has expressed his concern about AC Milan’s winter signing Santiago Gimenez, who he does not believe gets involved in the game enough.

 

After a red hot start with his new club, Gimenez seems to be struggling to find the net a bit more. His last goal came against Feyenoord during the second leg of the Champions League play-off tie, back on February 18.

 

In certain situations he has been unlucky, such as hitting the post and having a goal called off against Lecce for a marginal offside, yet there must also be some concern about the €32m investment given he was supposed to be the answer to the scoring woes.

 

Speaking in the Sky studios, former Milan defender Costacurta expressed his opinion on Gimenez as his drought in front of goal reached one month. MilanPress relayed his comments.

 

“He doesn’t seem like a driving force to me, perhaps when he arrived he was enthusiastic at the beginning, there was that adrenaline in having changed teams but then he dropped along with Milan, him like the others. The Mexican is often out of the Rossoneri’s game, he seems absent in every action,” he said.

 

Another thing of note in the win over Como on Saturday was that Tammy Abraham came off the bench and contributed more, getting a lovely assist for Tijjani Reijnders’ winning goal.

 

Ahead of the game between AC Milan and Como this evening, Matteo Gabbia spoke to the media and made it clear that the Rossoneri must provide answers.

 

Following the 3-2 comeback win against Lecce, Milan need to clinch three more points at San Siro tonight, but it won’t be easy against an in-form Como. Sergik Conceicao has opted for consistency with regards to the starting XI, making just two (expected) changes.

 

As a result, Gabbia is keeping his spot in the heart of the defence and ahead of tonight’s game, he spoke to DAZN (via MilanNews). He made it clear that even though it has been a good week at Milanello, the Rossoneri need to provide answers on the pitch.

 

How is the team doing?

 

“The coach is very good at transmitting what he wants from us. We had a good week of training and now we have to try to demonstrate it on the pitch against a difficult opponent. We are concentrated, eager and focused on doing the best we can.”

 

What kind of response should Milan give?

 

“We have to give answers every time we play, our shirt demands it. We will be satisfied if we give 100% on the pitch and if we win the match, which is what we want, if we perform as a united and compact team.”

 

Malick Thiaw is starting alongside Gabbia and not Strahinja Pavlovic as some reports suggested. The two have formed a good partnership at the back and the stats deceive a little, seeing as most goals Milan have conceded lately have been due to individual mistakes.