Mike Maignan delayed his return to Milan after the World Cup and posted a cryptic social media message, prompting an angry response from many fans who want Luka Modric to become the captain.
The captain was part of the France squad that finished fourth at the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer, so was bound to miss a lot of pre-season training.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 14: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image was captured using a remote camera from behind the goal.) Mikel Oyarzabal #21 of Spain converts a penalty to score his team’s first goal past Mike Maignan #16 of France during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Nonetheless, both the goalkeeper and teammate Adrien Rabiot were given an extra few days of vacation, amid reports they were unhappy at the way Max Allegri and director Igli Tare were sacked last season.
The shot-stopper further raised eyebrows when he deleted everything from his Instagram page, including any reference to Milan.
Mysterious Maignan social media move
COMO, ITALY – JANUARY 15: Mike Maignan of AC Milan interacts with Rafael Leao during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AC Milan at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on January 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Maignan broke his silence today with a cryptic post showing some of his holiday snaps, including when he was swimming with sharks.
“Reset! We take mountains of risks, but at the summit, it hurts so much. ALIVE!”
View this post on Instagram
What really irritated many fans was his inclusion during these vacation images of a cartoon written in Italian, showing the story of Nasreddin Hodja and his donkey.
The moral of the story was that whatever you do, someone will criticise you, so if you cannot control the words of others, then you can control your choices.
“Live your life, not for other people, but for your values.”
The response from the Milan fans on this post was primarily one of sarcasm, pointing out he was in absolutely no hurry to help the team or new coach Ruben Amorim.
Others were more openly angry and urged the club to strip Maignan of the captain’s armband, instead handing it to Luka Modric.
The first official match for the Rossoneri is next weekend in Serie A against Torino.