Another candidate emerges for the vacant AC Milan job
Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 29.05.26. | 22:16
Ralf Ranginck would like to appoint his own coach if he becomes new technical director
Milan’s season fell apart at the very end, during the most critical period. Rossoneri ended up without the Champions League, so the club owner Gerry Cardinale sacked the club’s management and the coach without having anything lined up — no new manager, no technical director, no sporting director, nor even a new CEO. The only one remaining is still powerful Zlatan Ibrahimović. Cardinale’s impulsive move opened the door to improvisation, but also to the possible return of Ralf Rangnick to Milan. Regardless of how this renewed Milan–Rangnick story ends — their previous attempt six years ago had a bitter outcome — the club is already significantly behind schedule. It is already the end of May, and at Milanello nothing is clear: nobody knows who the coach will be, which players will stay or leave, or even who is supposed to negotiate with agents, managers, and intermediaries.
Even if Milan were to reach an agreement with Rangnick, the German would not be able to take over his new role before the end of June, since he has just guided Austria to the World Cup after a 28-year absence. The situation is becoming even more complicated because one of Rangnick’s conditions for accepting the role of technical director is that he gets to choose the new head coach himself. In that context, the reports that Andoni Iraola is hesitating and leaning more toward staying in the Premier League, while Mauricio Pochettino is asking for more time to consider Milan’s offer, may not actually be such bad news. After three years, it can be said that Paolo Maldini has emerged as the big winner in his clash with Gerry Cardinale, and that time has proven him right: “Cardinale believed I was a ‘one-man show’? He answered that himself” Maldini hinted, referring to the fact that the Milan owner had cited Paolo’s alleged unwillingness to collaborate and consult with others as the main reason for his dismissal.
In most recent development, apart from Pochettino an Iraola, another candidate emerged for AC Milan’s bench - Matthias Jaissle. The 38 year old Austrian is currently coaching Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League and was at the helm of Hoffenheim in Bundesliga. Jaissle is Rangnick’s idea, as the Austrian wants to put his protegee in charge in order to control everything – from sporting to football part of the club. That is usually how Ranginck operates and negotiates – he is not interested in power battles and different opinions when he is in charge and when he is responsible for something. Jaissle is totally opposite to the departing Allegri so it’s clear that Ranginck want to move to a totally different direction in case he gets the job.