The Rossoneri’s day was characterized yesterday by the document translated by MilanNews.it produced by Harvard Business School, a well-known American economics university. This is a case study dedicated to AC Milan, in which several statements are included (dating back to last spring, but only officially published on 11 December) by the protagonists of via Aldo Rossi. Below are the most important passages from the most well-known characters:
GERRY CARDINAL
“I’m not trying to Americanize AC Milan. I’m trying to introduce some American elements that can take Milan to the next level in a constructive way. I’m also focusing more attention on Serie A. Winning championships is obviously an important goal. But you have to balance that with ‘winning smart.’ Inter won the scudetto last year and then went bankrupt (the reference is to the insolvent former owner, not to the club itself, ed.): is this really what we want? For the fans, my job is to win the Italian championship every year – I understand that. For my investors who focus on final value appreciation, my job is to position AC Milan to fight for the scudetto every year, qualify for the Champions League every year, and go as far as possible in the Champions League every year – that’s what maximizes cash flow and brand value.”
GIORGIO FURLANI
“Maldini’s farewell was a historic decision to let him go, for what it meant for the club and for his authority. But if we wanted to realize the vision that Gerry had for the club we had to change and move forward. Selling a player for 70 million euros is a great deal, especially in the context of an overall business that generates 400 million euros in revenue. But if we take that money and reinvest it, for example, in four players who each cost 20 million and all yes reveal terrible, those assets tend to quickly lose value and we will therefore not be able to resell them: the financial management of our team is extremely important. Sometimes it is simply a question of how we structure the contract. The wrong player bought for 50 million on the wrong contract he may be worth zero after a year, but the wrong player with the right contract could still be worth 30 million.”
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
“I am Zlatan and my role is to be Zlatan. I have a lot to learn, but I think I also have a lot to give and I wanted to be in a position where I can make a difference. One of my responsibilities here at Milan is to grow the mentality winning team, to make sure the team delivers results. I tell the players: ‘When you are here at Milan, if you get results, you can make history’. I am close to the team but not too much, I am in a different position than when I was a player along with many others who are still in squad”
GEOFFREY MONCADA
“The technical director is the link between the coach, the players and the rest of the sporting side on the one hand, and the commercial side on the other. I respond to Giorgio and talk to him every day, several times a day. I try to share as much information as possible. How are the players? What do we need for the future? What contracts do we need to change in the medical department or in the youth sector? five abroad, and we have data scientists at Casa Milan who there they help find players with data. We are taking calculated risks with young players rather than buying big names with big salaries. Maybe you won’t have immediate success this way, but you build for the long term.”