ROME, Italy – In a sweeping leadership shakeup triggered by a crushing last-match disappointment, Serie A giant AC Milan confirmed Monday it has dismissed head coach Massimiliano Allegri and multiple top club executives, after the side failed to secure a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The 19-time Italian top-flight champions suffered a shock 1-2 home defeat to Cagliari on Sunday, the final fixture of the 2024-25 Serie A campaign. The result knocked Milan out of the top four, the cut-off for Champions League qualification, after Como – managed by former Spain and Arsenal star Cesc Fàbregas – secured a victory over Cremonese that pushed them one point above Milan into the fourth and final qualifying spot. Milan had held third position entering the final matchday, and spent more than half of the season sitting in the top two of the league table, raising hopes of a return to Europe’s premier club competition and even a title challenge.
But a late-season form collapse derailed those ambitions: the club recorded just one win across its final five fixtures, alongside three losses and one draw. Sunday’s upset defeat to a relegation-battling Cagliari side capped off the disappointing run.
Allegri, 58, was re-hired by Milan last May, returning to the San Siro 11 years after his first spell with the club came to an end. He was brought in to fix the same problem that led to his hiring: Milan’s failure to qualify for the Champions League the previous season. The veteran manager offered no public comment on his future following Sunday’s defeat.
In a statement released Monday, AC Milan’s owner RedBird Capital said the ownership had set a clear mandate after the previous season’s underperformance: secure Champions League qualification and lay the groundwork for consistent title contention in Serie A. “It is now time for change and a comprehensive reorganisation of football operations,” the statement read.
Immediate changes will see the club part ways not only with Allegri, but also chief executive Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare, and technical director Geoffrey Moncada. RedBird extended thanks to all four outgoing figures for their work and commitment during their tenures at the club.
Notably, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club’s legendary former striker who currently serves as a senior advisor to RedBird, will retain his position despite widespread criticism from Milan fans over the season’s failure.
RedBird added that further announcements about new senior appointments will be released in due course, with the aim of having the new leadership structure fully in place ahead of the new season. The new Serie A campaign is scheduled to kick off on the weekend of August 22-23, and Milan will compete in the UEFA Europa League – European football’s second-tier club competition – next term.
The shakeup marks the fifth senior leadership change at AC Milan since RedBird completed its takeover of the club in 2024. Italian media reports have already linked two high-profile candidates to the vacant head coaching role: former Tottenham and Italy manager Antonio Conte, who recently departed Napoli, and Atalanta head coach Raffaele Palladino.