Official: Milan appoint Tare as new director of sport on 3-year contract | OneFootball

Milan have formally announced that Igli Tare is their new director of sport after months of negotiations, signing a three-year contract.

“AC Milan announces the appointment of Igli Tare as the First Team’s Sporting Director. He will report directly to the Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Giorgio Furlani,” read the statement.

“We are pleased to welcome Igli Tare to the Rossoneri family,” added Furlani to the official club website.

“He is the right person to kick-off our reset: competence, determination and strong values, combined with a deep understanding of Italian football and an international vision, make him the ideal profile to support the Club’s next chapter, through the development of an ambitious sporting project.”

A former striker and Albania international who played in Serie A for Brescia, Bologna and Lazio, he started his directorial career at Lazio straight after retirement in 2008.

“Becoming part of a Club like AC Milan is a source of immense pride and responsibility. I thank the Club for entrusting me with this role,” Tare told the website.

“The Club knows my strong determination and my desire to succeed: I will dedicate all my experience to serving this great Club, which is determined to return to the forefront of Italian and European football.”

MILAN, ITALY – MAY 24: Joao Felix of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with team mates Tijjani Reijnders, Francesco Camarda and Christian Pulisic during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 24, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

It was his only job for 15 years, until he decided to walk away from the Stadio Olimpico in the summer of 2023.

That was reportedly amid tension with then-coach Maurizio Sarri, which is why Tare’s arrival at Milan can largely exclude the idea of hiring Sarri at San Siro.

Long Milan search ends with Tare

LA SPEZIA, ITALY – APRIL 14: Igli Tare of SS Lazio looks on during the Serie A match between Spezia Calcio and SS Lazio at Stadio Alberto Picco on April 14, 2023 in La Spezia, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

This announcement ends the months-long search for a new director of sport, a role that has not been filled for the Rossoneri since Antonio D’Ottavio left in December 2024.

Milan had practically agreed terms with Fabio Paratici in April, only for that to collapse over potential further penalties for the financial irregularities he was involved with at Juventus.

Tare was always on the list, but the club only signed him to a three-year contract after having received rejections for other candidates, including Atalanta’s Tony D’Amico.

Among the first duties for Tare will be choosing a new coach, as Sergio Conceicao is not expected to remain beyond the end of this season.

He has to completely rebuild, as Milan failed to qualify for any European competition.