😡 Allegri vs Leao: not the first row, spats with Ibra, Dinho, Chiesa ⚠ | OneFootball

The heated confrontation between Max Allegri and Leao in the locker room after Juventus-Milan (details here) has led to discussions about the Portuguese player in recent days.

However, the Milan coach is no stranger to thorny situations in his career, let's look at some examples and how they were managed.

Ronaldinho: transfer after 6 months

The episode that ended in the most drastic way (and very different from Leao's case) is the example of Ronaldinho: because Max arrived at Milan in 2010 and it became clear within a few months that the paths between coach and player would separate.

The Brazilian played as a starter until mid-October and from that moment on, he only had bench appearances or brief moments in matches. Ronaldinho's late-night outings did not sit well with Allegri: "These are not hours compatible with those of an athlete," he said in November 2010. Indeed, in January 2011, Dinho was transferred to Flamengo.

Only in 2024 did Galliani reveal a behind-the-scenes story: "Almost every day Allegri would call me to complain that Ronaldinho arrived late to training, that he went out to clubs in the evening, that he rested little. One day he called me even more furious than usual: 'Enough, I've lost my patience! We absolutely have to sell him! This morning he arrived on time!'.

The personal relationship between the player and coach, however, always remained friendly, as confessed by Dinho himself.

Ibrahimovic: near brawl and lost Scudetto

In the 2011/12 season, Milan advanced past the Champions League round of 16 but lost the return leg 3-0 against Arsenal. Allegri returned laughing from the interviews and almost came to blows with Ibrahimovic.

"Zlatan didn't take it well and made it known in a rough manner. For me, something broke that day: we had a 10-point lead over Juventus and we threw away the championship," these were Amelia's words in a recent interview with the Gazzetta.

In the past - also in the Gazzetta - Zambrotta also revisited the incident and the management of that team: "In a decisive match, Allegri clearly said that if he only had 14 players, it would be the same. Then I looked at Ibrahimovic to say: 'what is he saying?' On that occasion, we lost the Scudetto."

Bonucci: the transfer to Milan

One of Allegri's most famous disputes is with Bonucci, divided into several episodes: first, the insults at the end of a Juve-Palermo match in the 2016/17 season for a "too much" suggestion given by the defender to Allegri: "Change Marchisio, he's dead," the response was "Focus on being a player, you're an idiot." The two almost came to blows in the locker room.

Allegri wanted to sideline Bonucci, but the management mediated a truce. The defender still went to the stands in the Champions League match against Porto, where the stool incident occurred: "It's nonsense, it's my fault because I didn't want to sit and so I could move." A not wise choice, to sit away from the management.

The final break came after the Cardiff final when reconstructions (later denied by Juve players in the following years) were published about Bonucci causing chaos in the locker room. The club did not defend him, renewed Allegri's contract, and transferred the defender to Milan.

Chiesa: managing discontent

In the 2023/24 season, the relationship between Chiesa and Allegri became increasingly tense as the season progressed: the use of the 3-5-2 formation, some physical issues for the winger between December and January, and the growing use of Yildiz created discontent in Chiesa.

A moment of clear frustration was seen in the derby with Torino: "I'm always the first change" pronounced by Chiesa after being substituted in the 65th minute. Allegri publicly praised him and kept the situation under control: a management certainly different from the examples of Ronaldinho and Ibrahimovic.

Even in this case, the relationship between the two remains excellent, as reiterated by Chiesa: "He's a winner, for Milan, it's a great choice. He made me realize that I could be a second striker, broadening my horizons. Allegri gave me a lot in terms of personal growth and playing style."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 Claudio Villa - 2011 Getty Images