Fan Fury Erupts as AC Milan Supporters Protest Ownership in Final Game of the Season

AC Milan supporters made a powerful statement on Saturday, staging large-scale protests against the club’s ownership and leadership ahead of their final Serie A match against Monza. Despite securing a 2-0 win to close out a dismal season, the match was overshadowed by coordinated demonstrations from thousands of disillusioned fans.

Approximately 5,000 ultras gathered outside Casa Milan, the club’s headquarters, before marching to the San Siro. The protest featured chants in honor of legendary club captain Paolo Maldini, who was dismissed from his technical director role in 2023 following RedBird Capital’s takeover, as well as tributes to late former owner Silvio Berlusconi.

The animosity was palpable as supporters filled the Curva Sud section with the message "Go Home," aimed directly at RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale. The protest intensified with a symbolic walkout 15 minutes into the match, underlining the depth of frustration felt by the fans.

“There is anger and frustration among the fans, feelings we share,” club CEO Giorgio Furlani told DAZN before kickoff. “Today a season ends. The next one will start right away tomorrow.”

Asked to explain the underwhelming campaign, Furlani admitted: “There can’t be just one reason if we’re so far below expectation. Tomorrow we start over. There are several things we need to sort out because next season can’t be like this one.”

Outside the stadium, fans held a banner that read: “Singer, Cardinale, Furlani, Ibra, Moncada: everyone leave, free Milan from this agony,” naming top club figures, including honorary advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic and technical director Geoffrey Moncada.

Inside the San Siro, the message was reinforced as fans again arranged themselves to display the phrase “Go home,” echoing demands that Cardinale divest his stake in the club. The protests came after Milan failed to qualify for European competition and suffered a defeat to Bologna in the Italian Cup final.

The team had started the campaign with ambitions of contending for the Serie A title but ended up a distant seventh, trailing champions Napoli by 19 points. European hopes were dashed early when Feyenoord knocked Milan out of the Champions League playoffs in February.

Supporters had expressed dissatisfaction from the outset, particularly over the appointment of Paulo Fonseca, who was replaced by Sérgio Conceição midseason. While Conceição secured a Super Cup triumph in his early games, Milan’s league performance remained lackluster and they exited the Champions League during the group stage.

The protest wasn't limited to the current campaign’s failures. Calls for the reinstatement of Paolo Maldini underscored a deep rift between the fanbase and ownership following his controversial dismissal, a move many saw as emblematic of the club’s disconnect from its traditions and identity.

As Milan looks ahead to a crucial summer of decision-making, including whether to retain Conceição, the message from supporters is clear: significant change is needed if the club is to reclaim its former stature.

Adding further pain for Milanisti, arch-rivals Inter Milan will face Paris Saint-Germain in next Saturday’s Champions League final—a stark reminder of just how far Milan have fallen from Europe’s elite.

_{Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @acmilan, Pixabay / jorono}