AC Milan Sacks Allegri As Overhaul Follows Champions League Miss

AC Milan have dismissed head coach Massimiliano Allegri after missing out on the 2026-27 Champions League, completing a dramatic collapse in Serie A. Milan slipped from third to fifth on the final day, losing 2-1 at home to Cagliari, and that result confirmed their absence from Europe’s leading club competition despite a strong position entering matchday 38.

The failure had wider consequences for Italian football, as Juventus ended sixth, meaning next season’s Champions League will be the first since the competition’s 1992-93 rebrand without both AC Milan and Juventus involved. Milan’s ownership responded by deciding on a full reset in key positions, moving swiftly after the end of the league campaign.

Redbird Capital Partners, which owns AC Milan, announced on Monday that changes extend beyond Massimiliano Allegri. Chief executive Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare and technical director Geoffrey Moncada also leave their roles. The ownership described the campaign as a clear failure after the late slump, and confirmed plans for a major restructuring of football operations before the 2026-27 season starts.

The ownership statement read: "After the disappointment of last year, the mandate ownership set for the club was to return to the Champions League and to establish a foundation for winning consistently at the top of Serie A. For the majority of this season, we were in the top two positions in Serie A, with a credible shot at competing for the Scudetto. The final stretch was completely inconsistent with the performance up to that point, with last night's disappointing loss in the final game turning the season into an unequivocal failure. It is now time for change and a comprehensive reorganisation of football operations. Effective immediately, we are parting ways with CEO Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare, head coach Massimiliano Allegri and technical director Geoffrey Moncada. We thank each one for their hard work and dedication to AC Milan during their respective tenures. Further announcements regarding the next appointments will be made in due coursewith the goal to be ready and well-prepared for the next season."

Milan’s exit from the Champions League race followed a season of sharp contrasts. The team lost the opening league match but then went unbeaten until matchday 26, when Parma beat them 1-0 on 22 February. From that defeat, Milan collected only five victories across the final 13 Serie A fixtures, losing seven and drawing once.

That loss of form left previous progress wasted, with Milan already out of the Coppa Italia before Christmas. The team still ended on 70 league points, their highest tally in any Serie A season where they failed to reach the top four, using the three-points-per-win system. Despite that figure, the club hierarchy decided the overall outcome did not meet expectations.

AC Milan Champions League Massimiliano Allegri data model and overperformance

According to Opta’s expected points model, AC Milan should have finished fourth rather than fifth. The model estimated Milan’s total at 62.7 expected points, meaning the team overperformed by +7.3 to reach 70 actual points. Across Serie A, only Inter, Roma and Napoli showed a larger positive gap between expected and real points.

This statistical picture underlined that performance levels across the season were often efficient, yet the crucial final phase undermined Milan’s Champions League bid. The club spent much of the campaign in the top two places, with a realistic chance of the Scudetto, before the last stretch of matches shifted the narrative and prompted the leadership changes.

AC Milan Champions League Massimiliano Allegri future and coaching options

Attention now turns to who will coach AC Milan in place of Massimiliano Allegri, with no successor named yet. Allegri is linked with the Italy national team job, while former Napoli coach Antonio Conte is also reported as a contender. Redbird Capital Partners indicated further announcements will follow, aiming to have structures settled before preparations begin.

Allegri had only returned to Milan for a second spell last May, stepping back into a role held between June 2010 and January 2014. During that earlier tenure, Allegri delivered the 2010-11 Scudetto. The latest dismissal ends a brief comeback that started with promise but closed with a heavy late-season slide and Champions League elimination.