‘But it went badly’ – Criscitiello suggests Atalanta director was tempted by Milan job

Before the summer, Tony D’Amico was one of the most prominently linked names to AC Milan, but he never arrived. 

There was a lot of talk about who would become the Milan sporting director as the summer window approached, and it certainly took the Rossoneri some time to get the appointment made. Igli Tare, who did eventually arrive, was interviewed early on. However, it was not straightforward.

Despite that interview – which saw him impress Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gerry Cardinale – the Albanian had to wait, as Giorgio Furlani preferred other candidates. D’Amico was part of his list, as were Giovanni Sartori and Fabio Paratici.

Don’t look back with regret

Paratici came closest, and the Diavolo made repeated attempts for the Bologna technical director and the Atalanta option. In the end, Tare arrived, though, having received several nos from the others.

It could have been different, though, with the Sportitalia director, Michele Criscitiello, stating that D’Amico may have made the wrong decision, as MilanNews relays.

“So, instead, you kept almost all the big names and entrusted them to a coach, Juric, who went on a dangerous downward spiral that’s costing you dearly in terms of standings and credibility. We couldn’t have imagined this from a genius like Luca Percassi.

Photo by AC Milan

“Perhaps he was badly advised by Director D’Amico, who, in the summer, was thinking more about Milan (but it went badly for him) than about choosing a new manager. Too many players have reached the end of their tether, and many signings aren’t Atalanta-worthy. Atalanta sends packages, not receives them.

“Instead, for example, with Krstovic, they fell head over heels into Corvino’s trap. We didn’t want Atalanta to be stuck in the Champions League for the rest of their lives, but going from a top club to a team that loses 0-3 at home to a newly promoted team is a huge leap. Something in the thinking went wrong.”