Igli Tare Blows the Whistle on Milan’s Missteps: Allegri, Cardinale, and Pulisic Fallout

In a candid interview with Sky Sport Italia Calcio Unplugged, Igli Tare, the former sporting director of AC Milan, opened up about the turmoil that surrounded his brief tenure at the club. He pinpointed three key failures: the decision to appoint Max Allegri, the lack of communication with owner Gerry Cardinale, and the signing of Christian Pulisic, which he calls the biggest disappointment of his time in Milan.

Allegri: A Familiar Name in a Troubled Era

When Tare was hired in May 2026, he was tasked with re‑building a squad that had missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in decades. The club’s board, eager to restore its European status, insisted on hiring an Italian coach. Tare’s shortlist included foreign options, but he ultimately chose Max Allegri, citing his past success at Milan and his understanding of the club’s culture. Allegri’s appointment was short‑lived; he and Tare were dismissed together on May 25, 2026, in a single, sweeping press release that also saw the CEO and director of football leave the club.

Cardinale’s Hands‑On Approach and the Communication Gap

Tare described owner Gerry Cardinale as initially aloof but later becoming more involved after a period of “cleaning house.” He said that, as sporting director, he never had a direct line to Cardinale, which limited his ability to influence transfer decisions. Tare recalled a conversation with Cardinale during a transfer negotiation for Ardon Jashari, where the owner offered to approve additional spending but never followed up, leaving Tare in a position where he could not act decisively.

Pulisic: The Signing That Cost the Club

Christian Pulisic’s arrival at Milan in the summer of 2025 was meant to inject pace and creativity into a squad that had struggled to find cohesion. Tare admits that the midfielder’s performance did not meet expectations, labeling the signing as the biggest disappointment of his time. The lack of integration and the psychological impact on the squad were cited as factors that contributed to Milan’s decline in the final ten matches of the season.

Transfer Turbulence and Squad Instability

During Tare’s tenure, Milan sold several key players for significant fees and brought in ten new signings. He said that the squad needed multiple transfer windows to gel, but the club’s ambition to qualify for Europe forced a rushed integration process. The team hovered near the top of the table until March, but morale collapsed in the last stretch, a downturn that Tare attributes partly to the club’s internal issues.

Lessons for Milan’s Future

Tare’s revelations highlight the need for clearer lines of authority and a longer‑term vision. The club’s failure to give coaching staff and sporting directors sufficient time to build a cohesive unit has left it vulnerable to mid‑season turmoil. A more patient, structured approach to transfers and a stable leadership hierarchy could prevent a repeat of the 2026 debacle.