It would be fair to say that Gerry Cardinale will not be happy with how the last few days have gone for AC Milan, following the defeats to Roma and Inter that render the rest of the season practically meaningless.
According to this morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), Milan were clearly inferior to Inter in the derby on Monday night and the owner was forced to watch the Nerazzurri celebrate the title.
We are still in the infancy of RedBird Capital’s project – one based around entertainment and sporting successes – but the fact that Cardinale chose to be there to personally meet the management and to encourage the team to a proud end to the season speaks volumes.
However, in April Milan find themselves in a season finale without anything of interest: the fourth qualification in a row for the Champions League is a success already celebrated, the last target is to maintain second place ahead of Juventus.
Cardinale directly witnessed the involuted and soulless Milan on Monday. He was inevitably ‘disappointed and dissatisfied’. Weeks ago he announced changes from London and kept his word: the team of the future will have a new coach.
The casting is limited and time was dedicated to each of the profiles in the various meetings that Cardinale had with Giorgio Furlani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The list of names is long, but there is the desire to move quickly and whittle down the options.
It’s good to show dissatisfaction, but what’s more important is what course of action he’s gonna take from here on out.
Out: Kjaer, Giroud, Theo, Mike, Bennacer
In: Adarabioyo, Guirassy, Dorgu, NOT interista Di Gregorio, Guido Rodriguez.
The team of the future that will win as Gerry expects! Moneyball baby!
A soulless Milan is exactly right, you know why ? Because we are a team full of imports, we have no spine and no soul. We need a solid base of Italians to build around who understand what it is to be Milan.
All very well a few fancy imports as we always have had, but we need an Italian base, and not just Calabria.
Buy Scalvini and Ricci and build around that solid base, what we really don’t need is more cheap foreign imports with no passion for the Club.
Also have faith in the youth, give Terraciano a chance, 1 mistake does not define a player.
I’ve been following AC Milan from abroad for over 60 years – since the days of Cesare Maldini and Gianni Rivera. Then the Rossoneri were serious protagonists at the highest levels in Europe, and of course later, in the Berlusconi era of the late 80s, early 90s, and the mid-noughties, they ruled the world. AC Milan epitomized Italian footballing genius, power, and class. Supplemented by brilliant players from other countries, they were aristocrats of the beautiful game, garnering the admiration of fans all over the world. I’m afraid the Rossoneri have now become a pale shadow of their former selves. I respect Gerry Cardinale – a man of great intelligence and financial acumen – but until he addresses the fundamental cause of AC Milan’s decline – the huge and growing disparity in TV rights revenues between the EPL and other European leagues – the Rossoneri are unlikely ever again to dine at Europe’s top table. Instead, Serie A – once hailed as the “world league” – will cement its status as a retirement village for fading stars, and a nursery for emerging talent to be funneled to the EPL; and AC Milan (and other Italian clubs) will forever play second or third fiddle in the Champions League. I’ve said many times before on this platform that the solution to this existential problem isn’t just to build a new stadium quickly and diversify income streams by turning AC Milan into a global entertainment company, as envisaged by Cardinale; but, crucially, to replace existing national leagues in Europe with a multi-divisional continental league modelled on current national leagues. Only then will the severe TV rights revenue imbalance afflicting football in Europe be eliminated. Despite Brexit, Europe is now, for all practical purposes, a single, supranational entity, and its football industry’s arrangements need to reflect that to the maximum degree. All European clubs – continental as well as EPL – will benefit financially from a multi-divisional European competition, one which projects an integrated, as opposed to a fragmented, football brand around the world. A final thought: Cardinale will be well advised that in his attempts to generate more revenue for AC Milan, he doesn’t destroy the club’s soul and identity. The Rossoneri must remain, at core, a distinctly Italian outfit, albeit with a world-wide reach and appeal; they’re not a fungible commodity with no local roots. Unceremoniously ditching Paolo Maldini – a hugely respected figure who through his and his father’s legendary exploits on the pitch evoked memories of AC Milan’s glory days – was an unwise move. Football is about being flexible and embracing change, but it’s also about rewarding loyalty and maintaining continuity.
was ‘Milan’ and ‘moving quickly’ used in the same sentence there..?
Over the past 24 years at least 4 new stadiums have been built in England – 3 in London alone (Arsenal; Tottenham; Wembley) and one in the northwest (Manchester City). Everton are currently building a new stadium in Liverpool, which is due to open for the 2025/26 EPL season. How many new stadiums have been built in Italy during this period – only one (Juventus)? The long delay in building a new stadium for AC Milan – on the site of the current San Siro or elsewhere – is scandalous. How can leading Italian football clubs compete successfully at the highest levels in Europe when they face such formidable logistical obstacles domestically? Serie A was once the envy of the world; now it has become a basket case. Where is the political will to change this? I’m encouraged to hear that Gerry Cardinale wants to tackle this problem as a matter of priority in his quest to revive the Rossoneri and restore them to their previous place at the top of European football.
Some people laughed at me a while back when I said we lost our soup and history to corporatism.
Maldini leaving in my estimations entered us into a very dark time with very few people who actually care about our club.
These ppl are nowhere to be seen. It’s like watching a train wreck you know was going to happen and yet still ppl didn’t believe.. dismissing a figure like Maldini also says something about your values
Lol inadvertently gave the man a new nickname…Delusionale 😂😂😂
‘Disappointed and dissatisfied’ Cardinale eager to make quick changes at Milan. By selling Milan to a worthy new owner.
now that is a great news!