A 7-Point Plan to Get AC Milan Back on Track in the 2015/16 Season
The results are not the only thing that need changing. AC Milan have lost their way entirely. Everything that made the club unique—tradition, class, that special Champions League DNA—is gone.
This offseason presents a great opportunity to start over, and a change in ownership could lead that revolution. The fish stinks from the head; in this case, it's Silvio Berlusconi who is not doing enough to keep his club relevant after a quarter of a century of success.
But that is not the only problem. Milan have to find an experienced coach with a proper philosophy, along with players who fit that vision. The rest, the dead weight, must go.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they need to bring back people who know the club, people who understand how Milan do things, Paolo Maldini being just one of the few.
In order of priority, here are the seven steps Milan must take to return to success in the following season and the future.
Switch Ownership
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Fininvest, AC Milan's holding company, can't even deny it anymore. The idea of a foreign takeover is more than just a rumour.
Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol has sniffed around the club for a few months, reportedly doing his due diligence before confirming anything.
That day may come as early as this weekend. According to La Repubblica (h/t Football Italia), Mr. Bee, as he is known, will be in Milan "to sign and close the deal," with the intention of buying 65 percent of the team within the next 12 months.
It's common knowledge that Milan in their current shape and form cannot spend like the other big European clubs, preferring to take players on loan and free transfers. A fresh injection of cash is the only vaccine.
Mr. Bee, with his Asia-Pacific interests, could also rejuvenate Milan's image and turn the club into a marketing behemoth in that part of the world. He would allow the team to flourish, unlike the last few years under Berlusconi.
Clear the Dead Weight
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Several players in the current squad have no place at this club, the likes of Michael Essien, Cristian Zaccardo, Daniele Bonera and Philippe Mexes only reminding outsiders of how far Milan have fallen.
All of them have to leave at the end of season. But a player like Sulley Muntari poses a particular problem. He pulled himself from the squad after learning that he was no longer part of Milan's plans, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. And he is still getting paid.
His behaviour these past few seasons—throwing tantrums, earning suspensions and injuring a teammate in training—has been a massive disruption. They have to remove him as soon as possible.
Others like Giampaolo Pazzini simply have to move on. Alternatively, he has not said a bad word despite sitting on the bench for the majority of the season. He is a classy 30-year-old, and he deserves to start elsewhere.
Hire New Coach
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Filippo Inzaghi simply is not ready for this level. He has no hold on tactics, switching players and formations from month to month, blaming injuries whenever he can.
His team has not won more than two games in a row this season. They don't have any consistency. Despite the quality of players at his disposal, Milan still have a better team on paper than Sampdoria, Torino or Genoa, all of which are ahead of the Rossoneri in the Serie A table.
Alessio Cerci, Mattia Destro, Keisuke Honda, Nigel de Jong and Giacomo Bonaventura would all start for those clubs.
Milan need an experienced coach, someone who can get the best out of the players he has and handle pressure well enough. Vincenzo Montella, Sinisa Mijhalovic and Roberto Donadoni are all good potential candidates, coaches with the ability to keep a team together despite changes. Donadoni in particular has managed bankrupt Parma with dignity at a time of huge crisis.
Bring Back Paolo Maldini
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Milan cannot shut out a club legend like Paolo Maldini any more. He is the only one who speaks the truth. Every time a newspaper interviews him, he speaks with sadness about the current state of Milan and laments the absence of tradition. He has all the answers.
The Rossoneri have to invite him back. And if Mr. Bee buys the club, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), Malidni would return as a director.
That is probably the best position for him. He told beIN Sports last year (h/t Football Italia) that he is not interested in coaching. It's behind the scenes where he can dictate the direction of the club and restore the principles that made his Milan so great.
Promote Youth Players
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AC Milan's youth team has won some acclaim in recent seasons, winning the prestigious Viareggio tournament in 2014 and only last week beating Real Madrid in an U18 final.
The plan was to call up these youngsters and slowly integrate them into the senior squad. The best at doing that are Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain.
"We place great emphasis on young people, on a structure of scouts able to unearth new talent around the world," joint-CEO Barbara Berlusconi told FourFourTwo (h/t Football Italia).
But that hasn't really happened here. Apart from the odd appearance on the bench, not many youth players have made it at San Siro.
Milan have to give them a chance at least. Davide Di Molfetta and Alessandro Mastalli are two bright midfielders who should be getting a shot. Then there is Hachim Mastour, the 16-year-old who is already courting interest from Real Madrid, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports). Mastour hasn't even featured yet for Milan.
If the Rossoneri don't take care of their prospects, they will lose them entirely.
Decide on Core Players
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Jeremy Menez has had a career year with Milan, scoring 16 goals as the main attacking threat. But is he really the future?
That's a question Milan have to answer. Menez couldn't cut it at big clubs before, not at Roma or Paris Saint-Germain.
They could sell him this summer and get a nice tidy profit off a player they signed for nothing.
A similar predicament applies to Nigel de Jong, whose contract expires in a couple of months. The 30-year-old midfielder is the engine of this Milan side, and he has the qualities to be a captain. De Jong, on the other hand, is not so easily replaced
Alessio Cerci and Mattia Destro—whose buyout clause stands at a very high €16 million, per Football Italia— are also questions. Neither has really settled in Milan, scoring just three goals between them.
Sign at Least One Quality Player
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Of course, Milan could do with a few good signings. However, at least one big one would do.
They badly need a strong box-to-box midfielder. Sami Khedira, whose contract with Real Madrid expires in the summer, could be that player, but as a free agent he would probably field competitive offers.
The most obvious type of player on the market is the striker. Milan have been linked with Borussia Dortmund's Ciro Immobile, the former Serie A top scorer who could go for €15 million, according to Bild (h/t Football Italia), and Anderlecht's Aleksandar Mitrovic, per Tuttosport (h/t the Express), the 20-year-old Serbian with 23 goals in all competitions.
Either would give Milan the direct threat they have lacked since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left the club.
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