Capital game sacrifices the flag! AC Milan fires Maldini and triggers a shock in football

On May 15, 2025, former Chinese international Zhao Junzhe raised sharp questions about AC Milan's decision to fire legendary Paul Maldini in his professional comments after the Italian Cup final. The incident attracted continued attention from international football. As the most iconic figure in the history of the Ross and Blacks, Maldini's sudden departure not only touched the emotions of fans, but also reflected the deep conflict between capital power and traditional football culture.

According to public reports, the conflict between Maldini and the capital Hongniao Capital began in the summer window of 2023. After the club won the Serie A title, management demanded a cut in the transfer budget, which was fundamentally divided with the 80 million euro signing plan proposed by Maldini. On June 5, 2023, Redbird Capital unilaterally terminated its contract with Maldini, and it was only 18 months before it led the signing of core players such as Tonali and Leo. In his analysis, Zhao Junzhe pointed out that the management made a profit of 64 million euros in Tonali's transfer to Newcastle, but refused to invest funds in team building. This short-sighted capital operation directly led to the team's competitiveness decline. The chain reaction at the competitive level confirms the concerns of professionals. Data from the 2024-2025 season show that Milan's expected goal value (xG) in Serie A fell 17% year-on-year, and the number of goals conceded in defensively increased by 23%. In terms of signings, Decait Lare, selected by the management, contributed 13 goals and 5 assists during the loan of Atlanta, while Milan's forward collectively fell into a goal drought during the same period. Club celebrities such as Tassoti confirmed that Maldini had strongly advocated the introduction of potential new stars such as Olmo and Sobosloy, and were all rejected by the capital. This imbalance between competitive decisions and business interests has made the team passive in the Champions League qualification competition.

Survey from the professional perspective of football management, this incident exposes the deep contradictions in the structure of modern football ownership. The "sustainable operation" strategy implemented by Hongniao Capital after taking over requires the team's salary cap to be controlled below 55% of revenue, which conflicts with the average salary structure of the Serie A championship team. Financial reports show that the club achieved capital appreciation of 120 million euros by selling youth training products such as Tonali and Kalulu, but the net investment in transfers during the same period was only 28 million euros. Zhao Junzhe quoted the theory of "Football Economics" and pointed out that this "buy low and sell high" capital operation model seriously damages the team's competitive continuity and locker room stability.

The impact of this decision-making storm has exceeded the scope of football. According to data from the Italian Football Association, after Maldini left, the renewal rate of Milan membership fell by 12%, and season ticket sales decreased by 8,300. What is even more cautionary is that the survey on signing intentions for young players shows that Milan's attractive ranking in the Italian youth training market has dropped from third to seventh. As Boban said: "Frauding the carrier of club DNA is equivalent to personally demolishing the bridge connecting the past and the future." This provides a profound lesson for the capitalization management of professional sports clubs around the world.

Reference:

1. Record of the interview with Boban (Source: Milan Sports May 13, 2025)

2. Decaitlare transfer details (Source: Transfer Market Network December 12, 2024)

3. Analysis of Hongniao Capital's financial strategy (Source: Financial Times June 12, 2023)

4. Full text of Zhao Junzhe Game Comment Comment (Source: Tencent Sports May 15, 2025)

5. Italian Football Economic Data (Source: Calcio e Finanza Annual Report)