Behrami: «At Maldini's Milan, football was secondary»
The former midfielder reveals how off-field logic sabotaged the club's sporting project during Maldini's management.
The former midfielder reveals how off-field logic sabotaged the club's sporting project during Maldini's management.
Valon Behrami shed light on the opaque dynamics that went through AC Milan during the Paolo Maldini era. The defender-turned-midfielder, guest on DAZN Copa Mundial, declared that the Rossoneri club was hostage to logics and influences extraneous to football, despite the presence of Maldini as a top figure. According to Behrami, these dynamics made it impossible for those who loved the game to operate in a healthy environment, depriving any sporting project of meaning.
His words spare no details: «There were dynamics and influences that had little to do with football and those who love football struggle a bit». The reference is directed to decisions which, according to the former player, were taken not based on sporting merit, but due to internal balances of power, with immediate repercussions on market choices and technical management. Behrami's testimony fits into an already critical context for Milan, where Maldini - despite being a symbol of history and values - had to navigate a system where football governance was often overwhelmed by parallel interests.
The result? A club that, despite resources and prestigious names, struggled to build a coherent narrative on the pitch. Behrami's analysis shows how market operations were often the result of internal power agreements, rather than objective evaluations of the players.
Transfer rumors were intertwined with alliances between managers, sponsors and board members, creating a decision-making labyrinth that left little room for sporting meritocracy. This governance model is not unique to Milan; other major Serie A clubs have shown similar dynamics, suggesting a broader crisis in Italian football where financial and political interests overwhelm technical planning. The lack of transparency has fueled a culture of mistrust between fans and the media, undermining the championship's credibility.
The weight of power dynamics has translated into controversial market choices. Behrami recalls, for example, the sale of Romelu Lukaku to Inter and the arrival of players with more commercial than sporting profiles, demonstrating how decisions were guided by internal alliances rather than technical evaluations. These moves have left Milan with an unbalanced squad, unable to maintain the tactical continuity necessary to compete at the highest level.
The lack of a cohesive sporting vision has also influenced coaching changes. After the 2022-23 season, the club replaced Pioli with a new coach, but the decision was accompanied by continuous interventions by the board, which limited the coach's autonomy. The result has been a cycle of mixed results, with Milan oscillating between European qualifiers and battles for survival, reflecting the governance crisis described by Behrami.
The reactions were not long in coming. Former teammates and observers of Italian football have underlined how Behrami's words confirm dynamics that are known but never openly admitted. "It's a picture that many sensed, but hearing it from those who were inside makes the difference," commented a former club manager, requesting anonymity.
What changes now? Behrami's statements could reopen the debate on the governance of Italian football, especially at a time when Serie A seeks to reaffirm its credibility. The next appointment is the presentation of Milan's new corporate project, expected at the end of the month, where we could discuss transparency and alignment between management and sporting results. Read at MilanNews24
Behrami's words are not just locker room gossip: they confirm that Maldini's Milan suffered from institutional schizophrenia. Football, in that context, became an arena of power, not of sport. This explains why, despite the presence of a symbol like Maldini, the club has oscillated between excellence and failure, unable to translate its historical value into a winning project. The testimony is a warning for those who believe that governance is just a detail: in reality, it is the engine - or the brake - of any football project.
MilanNews24milannews24.comBy Paolo Moramarco14 Jun, 14:21it-IT
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