AC Milan general spiel 2.0

[RomaShield27]

Paolo Maldini: AC Milan do not want me at the club

The legendary Italian defender has been linked with a move into coaching with Paris Saint-Germain and has claimed that the Rossoneri have never offered him a role at San Siro

www.goal.com / Jan 19, 2012 9:35:00 AM By Mark Doyle

Paolo Maldini has claimed that he has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts to embark on a coaching career with AC Milan, and has now arrived at the conclusion that the club do not want him back.

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo revealed earlier this week that he is keen for his former Rossoneri team-mate to take up a coaching role with the French club, and that the legendary Italian defender is currently thinking things over.

The news has raised the question as to why Maldini has never been taken on by Milan and the 43-year-old claims that it was not for the want of trying on his part.

"[Club president Silvio] Berlusconi had spoken clearly [about it] and even [board member] Barbara [Berlusconi] had mentioned my name but the reality is that I have not been offered anything,” Maldini told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“In these years I have asked to return before Leonardo [was coach] and then Allegri, but I always found a locked door at the club.

“Leonardo would have wanted me close to the team; I would have been useful for him in any role. For Allegri, I would be the meeting point between team and society. One explanation is simple - AC Milan do not want to take me back.”

When asked if he has been offered a position within coach Carlo Ancelotti's backroom team at PSG, Maldini replied: "For now, no, but this does not mean that it won’t happen.

“I met the president: there is great mutual respect with him as well as Leo and Carlo. PSG is a club that is restructuring. They have not won [anything] for some time in France but they want to start doing so at the highest level in Europe.

“There, everything is changing, everything. I know what I can give: experience, love for this sport, the desire to engage in a serious project. But I never asked anything of anybody.”

Maldini attended PSG’s victory over Toulouse last weekend but he insisted that it would be a mistake to read too much into his presence at the Parc des Princes.

"In Paris I went only to find two friends,” he explained. “Leo has been inviting me for a long time. We decided to surprise Ancelotti on the occasion of his first game [in charge] - even if Carlo knew everything [in the end].”

Returning to Milan’s reluctance to welcome him back into the fold, Maldini mused that it could have something to do with his propensity for straight talking.

"I'm not afraid of telling it like it is and maybe that might be the problem,” he confessed. "Down the years I've acquired an intellectual independence which I don't intend to give up."

Meanwhile, Maldini admitted that he has been really enjoying himself of late playing seven-a-side football. "After a lifetime as a defender, I have a taste for dribbling and scoring goals!” Maldini made league 647 appearances for Milan during his 24 years with the club as a player

[Lupa]

So Pato's injured again. What is his goals to injury ratio?

[San Paolo]

The article above that Ed posted is rubbish. Maldini was offered a job when he left the club and he turned the offer down as he said he wanted to enjoy his free time a little first and that he didn't agree with the way Silvio runs the club and wouldn't want to be a part of the club while he was still there, he wanted to be a face in a new Milan under new owners.

[p_maldini_3]

it's from Maldini's mouth... it's from gazzetta. i'd believe him over galliani.

[marco]

[taz]

Milan have officially completed the transfer of Lecce full-back Djamel Mesbah with a contract until 2016.

The club released a statement this evening confirming Mesbah has made the move from the Stadio Via del Mare.

He has signed a contract that expires on June 30, 2016 and will wear the shirt number 15.

Algerian international Mesbah is 27 years old and has been in Italy since 2009 for Avellino, then joined Lecce in 2009.

[RomaShield27]

[RomaShield27]

Another high-profile signing to ease your left-back troubles http://www.acmilan.com/it/news/show_photo/453/25349

[The MAN]

Tevez turned down 3 1/2-year, 11 million per year from PSG (PSG offer was 37 million to Man City), this is crazy money.... his agent said they will only speak to Milan and Milan only...now even if he doesnt get his wish I'm extremely impressed with Tevez, the guy is a fucking Champion. Galliani has to make his move soon. As for that that POS Pato is useless (well, except to the club physios, he always gives them a job). Its a shame, I dont think we'll get anywhere near that previous offer for him in the summer, now people all know he's both overrated and injury-prone

[Lupa]

[San Paolo]

Barbara is always eating duck sauce these days.

[The MAN]

Great half-time switch from Allegri for this game. Emmanuelson does well in LB, well in the attacking phase at least, with a bit more continuity and effort, he can excel there the same way Serginho did, who also started off as an attacking winger/midfielder/trequartista in his earlier times. El Shaarawy did really well with his movement and pace.

Other than that, this game illustrates for the millionth time that we look so much more solid and simply better in all phases of the pitch with Robinho on instead of that idiot Pato in the lineup. If Robinho's finishing was only a bit more decent, we'd be looking at the total package. Great pass from Ambrosini on that first goal. I didnt think him and MvB would work well but things worked out better than expected in midfield

[The MAN]

LMAO what a cheeky goal by Ibra

[RomaShield27]

Catania chief Lo Monaco: "Maxi Lopez is virtually a Milan player. Milan just have to sort out a few things before making it official."

...

[The MAN]

Tevez is so determinecd on joining Milan and Milan only it's incredible and would be extremely disappointing if he doesnt become a Milanista come next week...I'm loving this situation, Man Shitty now have almost no leverage in this...Maxi Lopez is average, Tevez is the real deal...Galliani is doing all the right stuff here

[San Paolo]

PSG have pulled out of the race for Tevez too so it's just Milan left in for him it seems. Galliani is showing City how to do negotiations.

[RomaShield27]

Sky Sport Italia reveal details of Maxi Lopez to Milan agreement. €500,000 for loan, buy out set at €8.5m.

[RomaShield27]

Carlos Tevez dispute with Manchester City costs Argentinian £9.3m
• Club reveal secret fine of striker's wages
• City says Milan must pay fair price if they want Tevez

www.guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 24 January 2012 21.57 GMT

The full extent of Manchester City's legal dispute with Carlos Tevez can be revealed after it emerged the club had found him guilty of gross misconduct for going on strike and taken away £9.3m from the Argentinian in fines, lost wages and bonuses since the start of the season.

The league leaders stopped paying Tevez's salary at the end of November and fined him six weeks' wages, amounting to £1.2m, during a disciplinary hearing held on 21 December. Tevez immediately launched an appeal, despite having flown to Buenos Aires on 7 November and making it clear he would not return, but a subsequent hearing on 11 January upheld the decision.

The club expect Tevez to request a second appeal, this time in front of the Premiershit, after setting Monday as his deadline to respond. They have denied him £6m in loyalty bonuses as well as fining him two weeks' wages for his refusal to take Roberto Mancini's orders when he was required as a substitute in the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich in September that accelerated the breakdown of his relationship with the club.

His salary freeze has cost him £1.7m so far and City's refusal to let him dictate what happens next was made clear when the club's owners in Abu Dhabi broke their silence on the matter to express their anger about what they regard as Milan trying to engineer a way to sign Tevez on the cheap.

Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the City chairman, said Milan had "developed a misplaced sense of confidence" and, speaking to the National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, added that they "would do better to stop congratulating one another and begin to look at how they would meet our terms".

Tevez, he said, "remains a player with contractual obligations to Manchester City for the next two and a half seasons and, unless we receive an offer that we deem appropriate, the terms of his contract will be enforced".

That threatens to leave Tevez unpaid and unable to resume his career unless Milan increase their offer from £20.9m to the asking price of £25m. It also brings back memories of the way the two clubs fell out over the aborted move for Kaká in January 2009, when City's then chief executive, Garry Cook, infamously accused the Serie A club of "bottling it".

On this occasion, however, the criticism comes directly from Abu Dhabi and, given the way City's owners are usually at pains to avoid becoming embroiled in public rows, it is telling that Mubarak is willing to speak so aggressively and openly. This is the first time he or anyone else from the Abu Dhabi United Group has criticised anybody in such a manner since buying the club in September 2008 and is a measure of their frustration and anger with Tevez, Milan and the player's adviser, Kia Joorabchian.

City's firm belief is that a deal is being brokered behind the scenes. Tevez and Joorabchian were photographed dining with Galliani in Brazil this month and Mubarak's annoyance was barely concealed as he talked of the way Internazionale and Paris St-Germain had "approached discussions [for Tevez's transfer] with us in good faith and it is always a positive experience to deal with people with a professional approach".

Uppermost in City's thoughts is that they should not allow a player who has behaved as badly as Tevez to dictate his transfer and Mubarak added: "As things stand, Milan isn't an option for Tevez. Mr [Adriano] Galliani [the Milan vice-president] and his advisers have developed a misplaced sense of confidence. If they want to be a consideration in this transfer window they would do better to stop congratulating one another and begin to look at how they would meet our terms."

City then released a statement confirming the latest stages of a dispute that leaves Tevez with the stigma of having been docked more money in fines than any other footballer in history.

"The club can confirm that Carlos Tevez was found guilty by a disciplinary hearing on 21 December of gross misconduct for serious breaches of contract and was fined six weeks' wages. Carlos elected to appeal the finding, which was dismissed by an appeal panel made up of club directors. He has until 30 January to make a final appeal to the Premiershit."

[The MAN]

Big words from a small club run by amatures, they have no leverage whatsoever in this as much as they try to huff and puff, and will stand to lose plenty of money if they don't sell soon and cut their losses. They're desperate to sell, not necessarily cos they need the money itself but also to make their finances work for the UEFA FFP given their crazy spending, I don't think Milan is desperate to buy Tevez, and are definitely not acting like it, we have already lined up an alternative.

[taz]

As expected, Milan have officially sent Taye Taiwo out on loan to Queens Park Rangers. “I’m very grateful to Mark Hughes.”

The full-back, who can also play in midfield, arrived on a free transfer from Olympique Marseille in the summer, but struggled to make an impact.

The deal was secured some time ago, but Taiwo has only now been given a work permit.

“It's a new and exciting challenge for me and one I am very much looking forward to,” the Nigeria international told the official QPR website.

“I'm very grateful to Mark Hughes for bringing me here. It is always nice for a player when you know the manager wants you and I will repay his faith in me.

“I can't wait to play for the club. I know only hard work, good performance, dedication, and passion will connect me with the fans but I'm prepared.

“I'm looking forward to what lies ahead and I'm prepared to give my all to the QPR cause.”