Cardinale schedules meeting with Maldini and it's not just routine [Bonus article]

Fresh hot news from Casa Milan! Gerry Cardinale will be at San Siro for the final game of the season this Sunday, but there are many things on his agenda. In particular, the Milan owner will have a meeting with Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara next week, and it’s not just a routine one.

Milan have secured a top-four finish and qualification for next season’s Champions League, which is obviously of great importance for the Rossoneri. But in spite of the success in the UCL this campaign, collecting around €125m in total along the way, the performances in the league have left some question marks.

The biggest of the question marks, perhaps, is the signings made by Maldini and Massara last summer. Charles De Ketelaere was signed for €35.5m and he has failed to assert himself this season, while the likes of Aster Vranckx, Divock Origi and Sergino Dest haven’t been worthy depth. The only positive, therefore, has been Malick Thiaw.

There’s no doubt that Milan have lacked a bit of synergy between the players signed and the players used. Whether that’s the fault of Stefano Pioli or that two directors, well, that can be discussed endlessly. But the fact remains that the signings made weren’t enough to elevate the Rossoneri. And another important detail, Milan didn’t sell enough to help finance the market.

Cardinale’s meeting with Maldini and Massara next week, therefore, is not just a routine meeting to plan for next season. Tough questions will be asked by the RedBird leader, who showed his faith in the directors by renewing them last summer (and he expected results for that effort).

As we reported here a couple of weeks ago, Cardinale and the ownership didn’t appreciate the words of Maldini after the derby loss against Inter, stating that investments must be made in the summer. The American’s faith in the directors has decreased and he now wants to know if they can continue together with a clear plan.

Replacing the two directors is not an impossible hypothesis, but also one that hasn’t been studied properly yet. The most likely scenario, in the event of a breakdown, would be an internal promotion. Perhaps chief scout Geoffrey Moncada, who could be supported by a sporting director to handle the media side of things.

Only after the meeting will we understand if the trust can be rebuilt between the parties and if a proper plan - which everyone then must follow to the core - can be agreed upon. Having said all of this, it’s very difficult to imagine that they won’t find common ground during the meeting.