The vacancy was created when Massimiliano Allegri was dismissed after just one season back at the club — his second spell in charge — following a fifth-place finish in Serie A that left Milan without Champions League football for the second time in recent memory.
The scale of the clear-out extended beyond the technical staff: sporting director Geoffrey Moncada, CEO Giorgio Furlani and Igli Tare were all removed, with Ibrahimović and Cardinale left holding the responsibility for rebuilding the club's entire football structure from scratch.
A meeting between Cardinale, Ibrahimović and Oliver Glasner has been scheduled for early this week — the first formal sit-down with the Austrian since his departure from Crystal Palace after winning the FA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Conference League in an extraordinary two-year spell in south London.
Glasner, 51, is available on a free transfer and carries the endorsement of Ralf Rangnick, the Austria national team coach whose own appointment as AC Milan's technical director is under active discussion. The two worked together previously at Red Bull Salzburg, where Glasner served as an assistant, and are regarded within the Milan hierarchy as a potentially strong long-term partnership.
Ibrahimović's preference, however, points elsewhere. The Swede has made clear his admiration for Arne Slot, the former Liverpool manager who was sacked last Saturday after losing 20 matches across all competitions in his second Anfield campaign — just a year after winning the Premier League title. Slot is available immediately and has an established track record of coaching expansive football at club level.
The connection to Slot has an intriguing dimension. Rafaela Pimenta, the agent who inherited Mino Raiola's former client list, acts as a liaison between both parties and maintains a close relationship with Ibrahimović. Separately, Cardinale has existing business ties with Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool's owners, which could theoretically smooth any conversations.
However, La Gazzetta dello Sport cautions that it is too early to include Slot in the formal candidate list, noting that Glasner — who will meet the club on Tuesday — remains in pole position. Mauricio Pochettino and Matthias Jaissle of Al-Ahli have also been discussed, though Jaissle's €6m release clause complicates that pursuit.
The internal disagreement between Ibrahimović and Cardinale over both coaching and sporting director candidates has slowed everything down. With the World Cup beginning on June 11 and the Italian transfer window opening on July 1, Milan are running out of runway to get their house in order.