While his former club AC Milan is in disarray, Paolo Maldini has confirmed a meeting with Hakan Safi, a candidate for the Fenerbahce presidency. Maldini described Safi as having a “strong football mind.”
AC Milan has made drastic changes following their failure to qualify for the Champions League. The club announced the dismissal of coach Max Allegri, sporting director Igli Tare, technical director Geoffrey Moncada, and CEO Giorgio Furlani through a concise statement.
Amidst this internal chaos at Milan, Maldini appears unlikely to return to the San Siro. Instead, he is reportedly being considered for the position of technical director at Fenerbahce.
This potential move is contingent on Hakan Safi winning the upcoming presidential election. Maldini himself shared on social media about their meeting held last week.
“It was a wonderful time in Istanbul with Hakan Safi. He possesses a strong football mind, is a passionate leader, and most importantly, a true friend. We had excellent discussions about football, and I am confident we will share many more moments together in the future.”
It remains to be seen what role Maldini would assume at Fenerbahce if Safi is elected. This meeting was not their first, as they had previously encountered each other in Italy earlier this month.
There have also been reports suggesting that Maldini is considering former AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli for a role with the Turkish team.
Maldini previously served as the director of development at AC Milan from 2018 to 2019, before being promoted to technical director from 2019 until his dismissal in June 2023.