Braida calls for Maldini return whilst criticising Ibrahimovic and Moncada | OneFootball

AC Milan have lacked a lot of the characteristics of old this season, and arguably for a lot longer. A fault which former sporting director Ariedo Braids feels lies with the management.

Despite the on-field issues, the big problems for the fans this season have been directed towards those in charge of the club, after all, there is a belief that they are the ones accountable for the current depressing picture that Milan have painted.

Protests have been common throughout the season with action being taken in San Siro, near Casa Milan and even at the anniversary dinner, where some senior members avoided being in the eyeline of the Curva Sud.

Now, with Champions League effectively a dream, the Rossoneri are vulnerable to more fan protests, and this is not a good look for a club that have tried to look after their brand for so long.

As a result of the situation, Milan News spoke to Braida, a man who knows everything about success, and he did not hold back.

Ariedo Braida, the situation at Milan is falling apart. From the outside, what idea did you get?

“When things are going well, it seems like everything should always go swimmingly and that there are no dark times. Then suddenly things stop working.

“In football, crises come unexpectedly, you struggle to understand what’s going on. That’s what’s happening at Milan at the moment.”

More and more people are in the dock: from the ownership to the management to the players…

“There are many aspects to consider, not just one. At this moment in Milan there is an identity crisis. I am a Milanista and I suffer, I don’t want to criticise. However, I am saying that we need to recreate a group through a sense of belonging.

“It sounds banal, but it’s something really important. If you don’t have certain values, everything falls apart.”

Are you referring to the management or the team?

“I’m referring to the environment as a whole. From the highest summit to the base of the pyramid. Milan has a great history, a great past. After Real Madrid, it is the team that has won the most Champions Leagues.

“You have to understand the importance of wearing this jersey, the sense of responsibility in representing this club. The great Milan has built its successes through a sense of belonging, through a clear identity.”

Only a year ago Milan came second…

“Crises always come, they come to everyone. Look at Manchester City. Knowing how to find solutions makes the difference.

“In this aspect, Milan lacks the necessary experience. And experience is important, maybe not the most important thing, but it certainly helps you. And it’s something you can’t buy.”

Would Ibrahimovic and Moncada need an experienced figure to work alongside them?

“In a few years they will be much better than they are now. But they need to understand what Milan is. Then we all make mistakes, but you also need the talent to understand who can play or not at San Siro.”

Are you referring to anyone in particular?

“I’m not naming names because it’s not good, but I’m just saying that San Siro is not for everyone. And there are players who don’t have the talent, the class to do it. That’s it, you have to guess which players can play and which can’t.”

You spoke of identity: many point out that the original sin was the departure of Paolo Maldini…

“Maldini is a missing figure and it’s a shame. Because he wrote history and has the Milan culture. This is the point: you need people who have the Milan culture. People like him who can inculcate it thanks to his sense of belonging, his identity, his experience, what he has contributed to writing.”

Your Milan experienced two terrible years between 1996 and 1998: an 11th and a 10th place despite the undoubted quality of the squad. In the summer of 1998 you revolutionised the team and the Scudetto arrived…

“We made a breakthrough choice with Zaccheroni playing with 3, after Milan had always played with 4 at the back. But beyond the modules, you need a coach to have the ability to break the deadlock with a leap, with a gimmick.

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“Ancelotti, for example, invented Pirlo in front of the defence. The coach must know how to develop new situations, because football is in constant movement, it is not static.”

Conceiçao seems to be in big trouble…

“I don’t allow myself to judge him. He knows he has made some mistakes, as is normal. The point is to be able to find solutions. And that’s what I wish him, for his and Milan’s sake. Unfortunately, this year we’re suffering, the year is disappointing.”

In closing: the fans have also contested the ownership in Bologna, right from the start of the meeting. The facts say that since Berlusconi’s departure, Milan has only won one championship…

“Men like Berlusconi are of such a level that replacing them is difficult. Today one may have the ambition, but it is not enough.”