AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini 'has been SACKED'

AC Milan icon Paolo Maldini has reportedly been sacked from his position as the club's technical director after a meeting with owner Gerry Cardinale on Monday.

Maldini and Milan's director of football Ricky Massara met RedBird chief Cardinale to discuss plans for next term following the conclusion of the Serie A season on Sunday.

The meeting did not go well, with the two parties unable to agree on how to take the club forward during tense discussions, and Maldini and Massara have now been fired, according to Calciomercato.

Maldini's departure will be a particularly bitter blow for Milan fans given his legendary status at the club.

The 54-year-old spent 25 years at Milan as a player between 1984 and 2009, winning Serie A seven times as well as five European Cups.

After his retirement, he returned to the club in 2018 initially as a development director before being promoted to technical director the following year.

During his time in the role, Maldini has brought in a number of players that have flourished at Milan including Rafael Leao and Fikayo Tomori.

The pair helped the Rossoneri end their 11-year wait for the Scudetto last year when Milan held off bitter rivals Inter Milan to clinch the title on the final day.

Maldini was widely praised after his recruitment led to Milan's triumph, but the club's business over the past 12 months has been disappointing.

High-profile signings such as Divock Origi and Charles De Ketelaere have failed to shine as Stefano Pioli's men could only finish fourth in Serie A this season, 20 points behind champions Napoli.

They did make the semi-finals of the Champions League, but were comprehensively beaten by Inter across two legs.

The Italian giants were able to convince Leao to sign a new long-term contract last week, but the Portuguese star may already be having a re-think about his future.

He posted a puzzled face emoji on Twitter on Monday night, suggesting that he is not happy with the club's decision to let Maldini go.

La Repubblica has reported that some of Milan's other star names are also angry with Maldini's exit.

The report claims full back Theo Hernandez could consider his future, while goalkeeper Mike Maignan may now be reluctant to sign a contract extension.

The French shot-stopper has been linked with a move to Chelsea this summer as the Blues look for a new No 1 to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic also announced his retirement from football on Sunday, and Maldini's sacking rounds off a dramatic 24 hours for Milan.