Mirabelli reminisces on Calhanoglu signing and Milan disappointment: “A bitter taste”

By: Ben Dixon

Today, Massimiliano Mirabelli has looked back on his time at AC Milan and his favourite signing from his short time with the club.

After arriving before the 2017 summer transfer window, there was hope that Mirabelli would oversee a new era with Milan. However, he never got given the extended period to oversee that change that he’d hoped for.

Indeed, just a year later, the Elliott fund arrived and he was removed from his role as the Rossoneri truly entered a new era.

Responsible for the signings of Andre Silva, Andrea Conti and most notably Leonardo Bonucci, you wonder what would’ve happened if he’d stayed with the Rossoneri for longer. Nevertheless, with what and who eventually arrived, there’s no point considering the alternative, especially given he took a four-year break after his time with the club.

Speaking to Tuttosport, via MilanNews, Mirabelli spoke about the disappointment of his time with the Rossoneri and his pride in bringing Hakan Calhanoglu to Italy.

“Unfortunately, the experience in Milan was short-lived due to the change of ownership. It left a bitter taste in our mouths because we weren’t given the opportunity to complete a long-term project.

“Roma wasn’t built in a day… The deal that still makes me proud today? The Calhanoglu deal . Without a doubt, the best and most successful gamble of my career. We’re talking about the man who, for me, remains the most complete midfielder in Europe to this day. He has incredible, uncommon qualities.

“I started following him when I worked at Inter. We couldn’t sign him from Leverkusen due to an ongoing lawsuit over his double registration as a minor, which resulted in his suspension.

“That’s why I call it a “gamble”: I wanted him at Milan at all costs, even though he hadn’t played for a year and had essentially disappeared from the radar. I was heavily criticized. But, I repeat, I was convinced I had a boy with enormous potential on my hands.

“The biggest discussion, then, was about his position. We spent hours with Montella and—later—with Gattuso to understand where he could best express himself. At Leverkusen, he’d played everywhere: as a midfielder, as an attacking midfielder, and even as a winger.

“Initially, we played him on the left flank, with an inverted foot, to allow him to cut inside and shoot. But it was clear to me that he had all the makings of a great playmaker. When I suggested it to the right people, they called me crazy…

“Leaving for zero? Don’t make me think about it… It’s unspeakable, unbelievable.”