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Maldini leaves AC Milan in massive organizational shake-up

Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Paolo Maldini left AC Milan as technical director on Tuesday after a reported dispute with new ownership group RedBird Capital.

"We thank (Maldini) for his years of service in the role, contributing to the return to the Champions League and to winning the Scudetto in 2021-22," the club said in a statement. "His day-to-day duties will be performed by a team working in close integration with the first-team manager, ultimately reporting to the CEO."

Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reported Monday that Gerry Cardinale, founder of RedBird Capital, fired Maldini and sporting director Frederic Massara following a brief meeting.

Milan confirmed Massara's departure on Wednesday.

The Rossoneri qualified for next season's Champions League by finishing in fourth place in Serie A but fell short of defending the title they won last year.

Maldini, a former defender who spent his entire 25-year career with Milan, was one of the architects who helped revive the club following years of mismanagement and ownership turmoil. He played an active role in player recruitment, signing the likes of Ibrahimovic and star forward Rafael Leao while helping the team navigate a ban from European football for Financial Fair Play violations.

Maldini openly disagreed with the direction of RedBird Capital - the U.S.-based investment firm that bought the club from hedge fund Elliott Management last year in a $1.3-billion deal - calling for further investment during a recent interview with CBS Sports.

He returned to Milan in June 2018 as development director before taking on more responsibility in the sporting and technical fields. Maldini and right-hand man Massara helped bring the club closer to break-even status by achieving results with a tight budget. In May 2021, Milan qualified for the Champions League for the first time in seven years and last season won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years.

Maldini also helped re-sign a number of key players on expiring contracts over the last few months, with defenders Theo Hernandez, Fikayo Tomori, and Pierre Kalulu, midfielders Sandro Tonali and Ismael Bennacer, and forward Leao all extending their stays.

The dressing room reacted badly to the news of Maldini's firing, according to Milan insider Daniele Longo.

However, manager Stefano Pioli is reportedly set to remain in charge. His contract runs until June 2025.

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