AC Milan general manager Adriano Galliani is refusing to step down in the wake of harsh criticism from Paolo Maldini and the club's fans.
• Paul: Deflating loss to Parma
Supporters at San Siro made Galliani one of the scapegoats for the club's decline this season during their 4-2 defeat at home to Parma at the weekend. That result proved to be the final straw also for Maldini, who pointed the finger at Galliani in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday.
Galliani, who tendered his resignation in November only to be convinced to change his mind by club president Silvio Berlusconi, insists he will not cave in to the latest pressure, vowing to stick with the Rossoneri in this difficult time.
"I'm not quitting," he told RAI. "I've been with Berlusconi for 35 years and I'll be by his side for as long as he wants. I've decided to remain silent, although I'm talking to the president every day."
It remains to be seen how long Berlusconi will want Galliani making decisions at his club, however. On Sunday, La Repubblica quoted sources close to the president claiming he was angry with the situation and had said the team had been "constructed badly."
Galliani is ultimately the man responsible for this team construction, which has been the root of the fans' unrest.
Milan are languishing in 10th position in Serie A with 10 games of the season remaining. They are 12 points adrift of the top five and looking likely to miss out on a place in Europe for the first time since 1998.