AC Milan Club Focus: Successors Line Up For the Hot Seat

As the season draws to a close, the rumor mongrels are getting louder. Massimiliano Allegri’s future has always been in doubt, but never more than it is now. On being asked if he will stay at the club after the conclusion of this season, Allegri promptly replied that his future is in Silvio Berlusconi’s hands. Assuming that is true, Allegri’s future at AC Milan looks rather bleak.

Berlusconi is said to be dissatisfied with Allegri and his approach to football. The rugged, robust style Milan have seamlessly adopted has conflicted with Berlusconi’s desire for ‘champagne football’.

Reports indicate that replacements are being strongly considered, even lined up to replace Milan’s current coach. Several names are being thrown into the mix. Some of the names appear obvious choices, some push the boundaries of the imagination.

Vincenzo Montella and Cesare Prandelli are among the favorites. Montella has established himself as a promising coach with a mind for football. His suave success at Fiorentina compounded with his impressive achievements at humble Catania have made him a wanted man. The Della Valle family is unlikely to cut their man of the hour loose. Investments were made, players were bought in and a project is consequentially taking shape.

The Della Valle family have little doubts about who should be steering their purple ship forward. Any approach made by the Milan hierarchy in Montella’s direction would expectantly be met with aggression and derision on Della Valle’s part. History would suggest that Milan shy away from confrontational situations and attempt to maintain their class, making Montella unattainable in the short run.

The bigger picture involves Italy’s current coach and tactician. Cesare Prandelli’s tactics and teams have inevitably produced entertaining and effective football. Sugar daddies across the continent continue to plot schemes to snatch the Italian tactician away from La Nazionale. But, the man knows his priorities and his price.

He is in the process of building a dominant national side, his baby, a project which he built from scratch. He takes immense pride in the fruits of his labor. Eyebrows were raised when Italy reached the finals of the EURO 2012, but Prandelli was least surprised of them all.

Milan want the man, desperately. They are willing to go down the road of inexplicable lunacy by appointing Clarence Seedorf as caretaker manager for next year, as they patiently await the conclusion of Prandelli’s international dream in 2014.

Prandelli is aiming to win Italy their fifth gold in the World Cup in Brazil. Whether that is plausible remains concealed in the folds of destiny. However, Prandelli’s temptation to shift base before the culmination of his efforts remains largely questionable.

Mark van Basten and Mark van Bommel are two Dutchmen with strikingly similar names. Apart from their similarity at a phonetic level, both are on the consideration list placed atop other pressing needs on Berlusconi’s table. Mark van Basten is the typical, disconnected coach pulling a stoic expression over the course of a football match, remaining unaffected by the occurrences spanning over ninety minutes. His value offering is substantially similar to Allegri. In Allegri’s defense, the man makes an involuntary attempt to humor people with his meaningless battle cries.

Mark van Bommel is rather an unknown quantity. He is yet to establish himself as a proper footballing coach. A complete novice taking over at the Milanello remains a disconcerting probability which should inherently disqualify his chances of succeeding Massimiliano Allegri.

Alternately, there is talk of throwing Filippo Inzaghi at the deep end. The man is utterly lovable, but he is far from ready to accept this challenge.

In essence, the available contenders and the media generated options are not flattering. Massimiliano Allegri has another year on his contract, one he claims he intends to honor. Milan would be wise to let him do what he is doing currently for another year before taking a gigantic leap of faith in Prandelli’s direction. Allegri was intended to be a short-term manager. Another year with him at the helm can surely be tolerated.

Follow Rajath Kumar on twitter: @rajathkumar. You can read his work on his AC Milan blog titled Milan and Me; The Love Affair.