‘Strong men within’ – Mazzara explains differences between Elliott and RedBird’s Milan | OneFootball

Pietro Mazzara believes that there are differences between Elliott Management and RedBird Capital that have seen AC Milan decline.

Even if Milan were to lift a second trophy on Wednesday night in Rome, many fans would still argue that 2024-25 has been a far from positive season. The Scudetto vanished as an objective before the turn of the year, and top four is all but mathematically out of the equation too.

This has led to speculation that there will be big changes such as the appointment of a new sporting director. However, there is even confusion on that front, given that CEO Giorgio Furlani is providing mixed messages during his interviews with the media.

Mazzara published his weekly column for MilanNews and, in addition to speaking about renewal situations, he dedicated a segment to the problems at the top of the club.

“The eventual victory of the Coppa Italia would not save the season, because Milan will almost certainly remain out of the Champions League unless, up front, they carry out a mass sporting suicide,” he said.

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“And then, be careful, do not be fooled by those who – knowingly – say that what happens at Inter cannot be compared to what happens here. Because the comparison is there, it is there and all Milan fans on May 31 will be cheering for Paris Saint-Germain and Gigio Donnarumma, because if Lautaro were to get his hands on the cup, it would be an absolute disaster.

“Milan’s alternative path, made of a mentality that does not fit with the rules of the game, especially in Italy, has failed to evolve along the way. Because there is a big difference between the Elliott-branded Milan and the RedBird one.

“The first, with all the relational difficulties of the case, had strong men within it, precise roles and a solidity that was able to isolate the sporting side from the internal disputes that existed (Boban’s dismissal, a less than optimal relationship between Gazidis and Maldini to name a few).

“The second has a weak structure, where the evaluations on the profile of the possible sporting director are reaching a dead end, with Milan that could remain even with the current management structure already at work for the next transfer session, Furlani dixit.”