AC Milan face €5m-€7m compensation bill for Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche

AC Milan will have to pay Eintracht Frankfurt between €5m and €7m to appoint Markus Krosche as their new sporting director, according to reports.

Krosche remains contractually tied to the German club until 2028, despite Eintracht Frankfurt having announced his departure from the role.

TuttoMercatoWeb reports that Milan must provide financial compensation because of the remaining period on Krosche’s contract. The Italian club attempted to recruit him last summer but was unable to secure his release from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The German club said Krosche’s departure followed “good, open and trust-based discussions” with Matthias Beck, the chairman of its supervisory board, over recent weeks.

Axel Hellmann will take charge on an interim basis while Eintracht Frankfurt search for a new sporting director. The club confirmed that Krosche’s contract had been due to run until the end of June 2028, with some amendments, although it did not specify what those changes were.

Krosche joined Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021 and helped the club win the Europa League in 2022.

During his time at the club, he played a significant role in a number of lucrative player sales. Omar Marmoush was sold to Manchester City for €75m, while Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool for almost €100m. Randal Kolo Muani moved to Paris Saint-Germain for more than €90m.

In a statement released after his departure was announced, Krosche said: “The years I spent in Frankfurt were an exceptional, intense and unforgettable period for me. Over the past few months, I have thought carefully about my personal situation and professional future.

“After more than five highly successful – and also challenging – years at this great club, I have felt for some time that I needed a change and that a new injection of energy could also benefit the club.”

Eintracht Frankfurt are 11th in the Bundesliga with eight points after six matches this season.

Milan, meanwhile, are looking for a new sporting director following the departure of Igli Tare, who was dismissed after the club failed to qualify for the Champions League amid a major sequence of administrative changes.