Maldini breaks silence on shock Man Utd links amid Ratcliffe shake-up
Tom Weber
- 1 Dec 2023 03:22 CST
- 3 min read
AC Milan and Italy legend Paolo Maldini has spoken about his future after the emergence of surprising links to Manchester United.
The former defender shockingly left his role as a director at AC Milan in the summer and has been out of a job since. In a fresh interview with La Repubblica, the 55-year-old did not hold back when speaking about his acrimonious exit from the club where he spent his entire playing career at.
Maldini fired against the current RedBird ownership of the former Serie A champions: "The club was sold for €1.2 billion and the new ownership had the right to change the organization structure, but the methods and many things didn't go as they should have, out of respect for people and their roles."
"I had to discuss to find an agreement and not give up my rights, but I immediately told [chairman Giorgio] Furlani that the last thing I wanted was a dispute with the club." Despite building the squad that led Milan to the Champions League semi-final and it being "impossible to accuse me of not having achieved our objectives," Maldini was fired.
Since then, links to numerous clubs have arisen, most notably and surprisingly Man Utd, who are in the midst of a management shake-up as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's impending acquisition of a 25 per cent stake. The Italian has also been linked with a role in Saudi Arabia.
Maldini on his future
In light of these reports, Maldini was asked about his future. “For my job, the alternatives to Milan are very limited. I could never go to another Italian team, possibly I would only evaluate the offer of a high-level foreign team. I like winning and building. Saudi Arabia could be a stimulating option, who knows.”
The Red Devils would be a high-level foreign team that could attract Maldini's interest. The current season shows that a proper rebuild is necessary and this challenge could prove alluring to the 55-year-old, who turned Milan from Serie A strugglers into title winners.
However, it is said that Ratcliffe has already made up his mind as to who will fill the vacant and soon-to-be-vacant roles at Old Trafford. The INEOS billionaire will appoint people he knows and trusts to high-level positions, such as Jean-Claude Blanc as CEO and Paul Mitchell, whom he had already wanted to hire for his French club Nice, as sporting director.
