Milan confirms appointments for Maldini and Boban

AC Milan confirmed the appointment of Zvonimir Boban and the promotion of Paolo Maldini today. Maldini has been named as the Technical Director of the club, while Boban has been named as “Chief Football Officer” and will report to Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis.

On the appointments of Gazidis said:

I am very excited to welcome Zvone back home, in our Club. I am confident that, thanks to his background, experience and his skill set, Zvone will contribute significantly to the growth and development of our Sporting Area and will lend invaluable support to the Club’s institutional relations with Football bodies. Together with Paolo Maldini, I have at my side two individuals of undisputed quality and competence who are able to convey our vision and build an increasingly competitive and successful AC Milan.

Per the club’s official website:

AC Milan is pleased to announce the appointment of Zvonimir Boban as the Club’s Chief Football Officer (CFO), a newly created role. Boban will be responsible for the coordination and oversight of the Club’s Sporting Area activities and will work closely with the Club’s CEO Ivan Gazidis and the newly appointed Technical Director Paolo Maldini.

Zvonimir Boban is in the Hall of Fame of the ‘Glorie Rossonere’, with nine trophies (including the UEFA Champions League 1994, UEFA Super Cup 1994 and four Scudetti), 251 matches with the Rossoneri and 30 goals in his playing career. A leader both on and off the field, Boban was Captain of both Dinamo Zagreb (at only 19 years of age) and of the Croatian National Team. He has always stood out for his technical skills as an elegant midfielder, combined with his tactical understanding and strong personality. Boban was able to bring these attributes to the fore in his executive career, culminating most recently with his appointment as FIFA Deputy Secretary-General in May 2016, organization where he took care of various projects for the development of football & competitions among which the recent introduction of the VAR.

Today Zvonimir Boban is returning to Milan, to the Milanello Sports Center, in a pivotal role central to the growth project started by Elliott last summer, with a singular goal - returning AC Milan to the élite of world football.

The club also confirmed the appointment of Paolo Maldini, saying:

AC Milan is delighted to announce the appointment of Paolo Maldini as the Club’s new Technical Director. He will work closely with Zvonimir Boban, the Club’s new Chief Football Officer.

The former Rossoneri Captain’s appointment culminates an iconic career spanning twenty-five years as a player and more recently his time as Sporting Strategy & Development Director. Maldini’s first and most pressing task will be to manage the development plan of the whole Sporting Area, including the current priorities representing the transfer market, Club’s teams plannings ahead of the summer camps and pre-season fixtures.

What do you think? Good decisions? Want to see an actual “Director of Football” brought in to handle the transfer market? Let us know in the comments!