Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has criticised his parent club AC Milan over the controversy that has erupted at the club.
Milan have been in the news recently for sacking director of football Paolo Maldini. The club is led by Gary Cardinal, chairman of US-based investment firm Redbird, who sacked Maldini for being out of sync with the club’s direction and not communicating well. The club has been in the doldrums for some time, but has been on the cusp of a resurgence, winning the Italian Serie A title in 2021-2022 and reaching the last four of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) this season. The firing of Maldini was highly questionable as he was one of the key figures in the revival process.스포츠토토
Even if there were internal reasons, it was argued that the club should have been more careful about letting go of one of the most beloved figures in its history. Maldini is the biggest star in the club’s history, having played a whopping 902 games for Milan during his career. He also ranks among the best defenders in football history. He holds most of the club’s records and has won many honours, including five UCL titles and seven Serie A titles.
Ancelotti’s criticism also centres on the fact that he should have shown Maldini more respect. Ancelotti was Maldini’s teammate during his playing days and then coached him after he became Milan manager. Together, as players and priests, they won the UCL title and continued Milan’s golden era.
When asked about it in a recent interview, Ancelotti said: “Here in Madrid I was taught that the history of a club must always be respected. At Real Madrid, legends like Distefano, Amancio, Hento, Pushkissi and others are still valued. If history is to be recognised, it must be protected. What happened to Maldini was the result of a lack of awareness of history. Only through history can we learn to win,” he said. In particular, he had a strong message for Mr Cardinal: “Football clubs that put business before sportsmanship will fail.”