One month for nothing, execs for free [Newsletter]
đ New management confirmed
Itâs been a few days since the news broke, three to be precise, but we wouldnât be doing our jobs if we didnât touch on Milanâs new management structure in this newsletter. After a month (!) of evaluating and interviewing several candidates, making it sound like they had this masterplan to transform the Rossoneri, RedBird and Gerry Cardinale opted for an internal solution.
Instead of Markus Krösche as the Head of Football, which would have been a very interesting role, three existing figures were promoted: Hendrik Almstadt to Director of Player Trading, Bobby Gardiner to Director of Football Intelligence, and Donato Lomonte to Chief Scout. While consistency is good, these are three people who havenât really been tested at the highest level before.
Almstadt had a short stint as the sporting director of Aston Villa, but still, questions can certainly be asked after such a long casting process. Is this what we wasted time on? Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Massimo Calvelli will be the CEO, while Jovan Kirosvki and Vincenzo Vergine have kept their roles (Head of Milan Futuro and Head of the Youth Sector)
đ Amorimâs additional power
The only good thing to come out of the above could be the influence that Ruben Amorim has on the mercato. We have been saying it for years: to build a long-term project with a manager, you need to deliver the right reinforcements, as well as sell the right players. If the Portuguese manager can truly shape the team for the 2026-27 season, then that would instantly give us more hope.
Massimiliano Allegri wasnât afraid (even if in a roundabout manner) to admit that he didnât get the signings he wanted last season. Whether you agree with his overall philosophy or not, itâs clear that this affected the performances, so making the same mistake with Amorim would be detrimental. Especially when you have agreed to a three-year contract, which suggests there is a long-term view.
âAmorim will have a very significant influence on transfers, so like a coach-manager role,â Matteo Moretto said in a recent video. Now, we shouldnât kid ourselves either. The aforementioned Milan directors will continue to have a big say in which signings are made each summer, but hopefully, if Cardinale has done his due diligence, Amorim will still fit into this.
đ Milan Bulletin
Below, we have collected the most important Milan news from the last week, including our longer reads and newspaper reports.
đ° Latest News
AC Milan confirmed the signing of Aurelien Guernier from English Championship side Birmingham City, and it is believed that the head of Milan Futuro - Jovan Kirovski - was key to sealing the deal. However, the club have bid farewell to Chaka Traore who has headed to Partizan Belgrade on a permanent basis.
In other youth sector news, Milan U15s won the Scudetto in Rimini thanks to a 2-0 victory against Empoli. One of the goal scorers on the day was teenage sensation Akram Jadid, who has scored over 400 goals in the system across various levels, and the plan for his future has been revealed amid talks he could play for the Primavera a few years in advance.
It hasnât taken long for various Sporting CP players past and present to be linked with a potential reunion with Amorim. Sky confirmed that Trincao and Hjulmand are targets, while Goncalves is also a name that has been mentioned in Portugal. Ugarte - now of Manchester United - has apparently been offered up too.
Other mercato news: Spurs talent Bergvall is on Milanâs radar; a free agent opportunity has emerged from Germany; Jashari has rejected five clubs and should play a key role under Amorim; a Feyenoord forward has been offered by intermediaries; Gimenez and Pulisic are both wanted in the MLS.
Given the pace at which news has moved, we have a lot of long reads for you to peruse. We had a two-part tactical analysis on Amorim, starting with his rise at Sporting CP and continuing with his rollercoaster at Manchester United, with more to come in the series. We also spoke to two Old Trafford insiders about his reign.
đ Longer Reads
We debunked owner Gerry Cardinaleâs previous statements about the âworld classâ management structure he would install at Milan, and did a deep-dive on Hendrik Almstadtâs career before arriving and what he has done since.
đ Bonus Content
Below, we have collected the bonus content from the last week. Remember, you can try seven days completely for free!
![Outcome of Serie A scandal gone unnoticed [Bonus Article]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BLVX!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c7242a0-949e-46bb-98cb-faedcd0822b6_1200x750.jpeg)
![Capital Gains Focus [Bonus Podcast]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HVUK!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-video.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fvideo_upload%2Fpost%2F202554592%2Fa7911f6b-ea1a-4e42-88bd-041fc5ea53a0%2Ftranscoded-1781863336.png)
![Amorim Arrives [Pub Chat]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Glt5!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-video.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fvideo_upload%2Fpost%2F202490415%2F7e1f4040-0e71-4f9e-8e61-ca40323317b4%2Ftranscoded-1781729130.png)