Massimiliano Allegri has been relieved of his duties as manager of AC Milan following the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League. The decision comes after a 1-2 defeat to Cagliari on the final day of Serie A, which saw Milan drop to fifth place and a Europa League spot. The club confirmed the dismissal in a statement released this afternoon.
Allegri had a contract with Milan until 2027, with an automatic renewal to 2028 contingent on Champions League qualification. With that qualification now unattainable, only one year remained on his deal. Milan entered the final matchday in third position but a dramatic collapse in form saw them overtaken, ultimately proving decisive in the breakdown of the relationship between the club and manager.
However, Allegri’s time out of work may be brief, with strong links emerging to the vacant managerial position at Napoli. Following the public departure of Antonio Conte from the Neapolitan club, Sky Sports reports that Allegri is now the leading candidate to take over at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Allegri was previously close to joining Napoli last year before ultimately accepting the role at Milan.
Napoli’s owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, sporting director Manna, and CEO Chiavelli reportedly met today to discuss potential candidates, with Allegri currently considered the frontrunner. The swiftness of the change at Milan and the vacancy at Napoli have quickly aligned, creating a potential opportunity for the experienced Italian manager.
Alongside Allegri’s departure, Milan have also announced the exits of Giorgio Furlani, Igli Tare, and Geoffrey Moncada. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to play a key role in restructuring the club’s leadership, with Massimo Calvelli tasked with finding a new CEO while Ibrahimovic will focus on identifying a new sporting director. Milan owner Gerry Cardinale has been in Milan holding meetings regarding the club’s future, underlining the scale of the changes underway.
Milan’s statement described the season as an “unequivocal failure” after failing to meet the objective of Champions League qualification. The club is now focused on rebuilding for next season, with initial reports suggesting they have contacted agents for Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as a potential replacement for Allegri.
