Leonardo reportedly one step closer to a Milan return and that’s a bad thing

Former AC Milan player and coach Leonardo is reported to be in talks to rejoin the club after leaving in 2010.

It’s been reported that new owners Elliott Management are in talks with the Brazilian to take over as General Manager of Milan as they look to have their own people in charge.

Leonardo, you may remember, spent two different spells as a player with Milan and also coached Milan in the 2009-10 season. However, he did what many Milan fans consider to be an unforgivable sin: Coaching at Inter Milan. And while his reign at Inter was short and not sweet, the fact he was able to don the blue and black of Milan’s hated rivals is enough to make many Milan fans question his loyalty to the club.

Since leaving Inter, Leonardo has been manager of Turkish team Antalyaspor and has also been on the board of Paris-Saint Germain.

Would Leonardo be a good appointment by Elliott Management? Probably not.

Even if Leonardo is extremely competent and good at whatever it is they are looking for in a General Manager, the fact that the Milan Ultras have already spoken out against him is not a good sign. And while there is no way that the Ultras speak for even close to a majority of fans on most issues, the fact that they were able to send a message about Leonardo’s return without a huge outcry from the club or other fans speaks volumes.

If you’re going to keep bringing back club legends to have them take up roles at the club, you can’t recycle them. Leonard already had his day at Milan, and he, like so many others, was tossed aside once things went sideways. In doing so, the legend of Leonardo was tarnished, and while it was his decision to go to Inter, it’s not as if he walked away from Milan because Inter dangled more money at him, he was more or less forced out by Silvio Berlusconi and only took up a post at Inter after being gone from Milan for months.

Elliott should stick with Massmiliano Mirabelli and Gennaro Gattuso, at least for this season. There has been too much upheaval already, and adding to the chaos right now would be a terrible decision. Changing the board of directors, and getting rid of the CEO Marco Fassone wouldn’t have nearly the impact that a change in the football people would have, and more Milan to have a successful season, those people need at least a season without any changes to determine if they really are going to be the ones that carry the club forward.