Inside AC Milan’s Leadership Purge: Why RedBird Fired Four Executives and What Comes Next

The mandate and the collapse

RedBird Capital had set a clear mandate after the previous season’s disappointment: return to the Champions League and build a foundation for consistent Scudetto contention . For much of the campaign, it looked like Milan would deliver. The club sat in the top two positions in Serie A for the majority of the season and appeared to have a "credible shot" at competing for the Scudetto .

Then the final stretch arrived. The team’s form deteriorated sharply, and the "final stretch was completely inconsistent" with the performance that had come before it . The last-day loss at home to Cagliari was the breaking point, transforming a season of promise into what ownership bluntly labeled an unequivocal failure .

The four departures

The club’s statement thanked each executive for their work and indicated that further announcements on replacements would be made “in due course” . Allegri had only returned to the club one year prior, making the swift dismissal particularly notable .

RedBird’s new power structure: Calvelli and Ibrahimović

The official statement did not explicitly name successors, but concurrent reports paint a clear picture of who will wield power going forward.

Massimo Calvelli, the former CEO of the ATP Tour, joined RedBird Capital as an Operating Partner in July 2025 and has quickly become central to Milan’s decision-making apparatus . He recently joined the club’s Board of Directors and was present at key ownership meetings, including a London gathering with RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale and club executives . Reports describe Calvelli as the figure who will effectively run the club going forward, transitioning from an influential ownership-side advisor to the operational leader overseeing the comprehensive reorganization of football operations .

Zlatan Ibrahimović, the legendary former striker who joined RedBird as an Operating Partner and Senior Advisor to AC Milan ownership back in December 2023, was notably spared in the purge . His job is secure, and in fact, RedBird is reported to want to give him expanded power within the club’s football operations . He is expected to play a larger role in sporting decisions and the search for the new head coach and sporting director .

In essence, RedBird’s restructuring creates two poles of influence: Calvelli ascends as the board-level operator and ownership representative, while Ibrahimović becomes the front-facing football authority with increased sway over the sporting rebuild. Both operate under the framing of a “comprehensive reorganization of football operations” that RedBird has promised in the wake of the dismissals .

What this means for Milan’s future

The purge signals that RedBird Capital is willing to act ruthlessly and decisively when performance falls short of explicit mandates. However, the transition also carries significant unknowns. Calvelli’s background is in tennis administration, not club football management, and his rapid ascent raises questions about how his experience translates to the unique pressures of Serie A and the European transfer market. Ibrahimović’s larger role, meanwhile, puts a beloved club icon in a position of genuine executive authority — a dynamic that has produced mixed results at other European clubs. Success or failure will hinge on whether this new leadership tandem can deliver the Champions League return and consistent Scudetto contention that the fired executives could not.