AC Milan appointed Massimo Calvelli as CEO on Friday in a bid to return the club to a ‘winning culture’.
Calvelli, 51, replaces Giorgio Furlani, who was fired by US owner RedBird Capital Partners last month as he cleaned house after what he deemed “an undeniable failure” of a season.
“The mandate is clear – we will play to win, rather than play not to lose – in everything AC Milan touches, but especially on the pitch,” RedBird management partner Gerry Cardinale said in a statement.
“The entire organization at AC Milan will now benefit enormously from his full-time appointment and sense of urgency to bring a winning culture and results back to the club.”
Calvelli will continue to serve as CEO International at RedBird Development Group and operating partner at RedBird Capital Partners. A former professional tennis player, he was CEO of ATP from 2020 to 2025.
“Since joining RedBird last year, Massimo has distinguished himself as a leader and driver of organizational design that brings people together and establishes a culture of collaboration and professionalism,” Cardinale added.
READ ALSO: Manchester City signs British record deal for Elliot Anderson: Reports
“Our model at RedBird often requires our senior leadership to be ‘in-house’ on our key investments to ensure best-in-class execution, especially in situations that require change and innovation.”
Milan spent much of last season in the top two fighting for the Serie A title. But a run of just two wins in their last eight games saw them drop to fifth place on the final day of the season, meaning they missed out on qualification for the Champions League.
That led to a number of dismissals, including coach Massimiliano Allegri. He was replaced by Ruben Amorim earlier this month.
“The opportunity to lead AC Milan as it navigates this critical moment in its football journey, but also within the overall state of Italian football, is something that I take very seriously and with a deep sense of urgency,” Calvelli said.
“Gerry’s mandate is to bring back to AC Milan a culture of winning and results both on and off the pitch… I have spent a full year working with the club’s senior leadership in all functions and have a practical sense of what needs to be solved and innovated.”
Published on June 26, 2026
