What's reason behind AC Milan dismissing Paolo Maldini?

He won the Sporting Director of the Year award in 2022

The San Siro appeared shocked by the sudden announcement that Paolo Maldini, the technical director, and Ricky Massara, the sporting director, have both been dismissed by AC Milan as a result of crisis discussions.

In a boardroom conference, club owner Gerry Cardinale reportedly informed Maldini that his skills were no longer needed because the club would be implementing a new acquisition plan.

The Milan veteran and Massara, who took over as Milan's sports director in June 2019, were in control of the club's signings and contract talks, but Cardinale has now relieved them of that responsibility as he looks in an alternative direction.

The revelation comes following a rivalry for control that came into focus after Paolo Maldini criticised the club's infrastructure and strategy after their Champions League loss to longtime rivals Inter last month, criticising the dearth of team depth.

Tension apparently began in 2020 after AC Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani and former CEO Ivan Gazidis wanted to name Ralf Rangnick as Milan's new coach. Paolo Maldini reportedly objected to this move, which caused Zvonimir Boban to resign as CFO.

Rafael Leao, a great forward who recently signed a new deal at the San Siro, is among the players who are said to have been upset by the news of Maldini's dismissal. He posted a thinking emoji on social media as a reaction to the revelation.

Paolo Maldini departs from his childhood club having assisted the Rossoneri in capturing the Scudetto in 2021–2022, as well as having been in charge of signing several important players, such as Leao, Theo Hernandez, and Fikayo Tomori.