Milan owner Gerry Cardinale reveals he will ‘review’ the club’s organisation during the summer and that he has already sat down with coach Massimiliano Allegri, but warns: ‘If we don’t qualify for the Champions League, it’s a failure.’
Milan have only won one of their last five Serie A matches, losing three times and putting a Champions League placement at risk for the first time this season.
Tension is running high at San Siro as the Rossoneri are level on 67 points with Roma, with just two games remaining.
Fans are furious with the club management and the players, prompting club owner Cardinale to release a rare interview with Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta.
“As you know, I usually don’t give interviews, as I think words don’t count much, facts must do the talking, but I understand that in a moment like this, it’s fair to send a clear signal,” Cardinale said.
“Max and the team have done a great job for almost the whole season. We were at the top of the table and in the title race until the game against Lazio. Then, with the last five games, we risk throwing the season away.
“I’ve been in the sports world for three decades, but this doesn’t make me feel better. Now we are focused on winning the last two games. I have to say, we move in a tricky context. A lot of controversies and falseness. Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed.”
Some Italian media outlets have highlighted that Cardinale’s main goal is to make the club profitable rather than winning trophies.
“To say that I care more about money than winning is absurd,” he replied.
“If you look at my life and career, I’ve always won. Therefore, the idea that I’m doing this without the goal of being the No.1 is ridiculous. But the results must do the talking, and when performances do not reach the potential, like now, I’m surely nervous. I don’t coach, I don’t score goals or defend, but I can do my part. My part is to provide the financial resources to field a competitive team, not just in Serie A but, hopefully, in Europe too. This is my job, and I’m pretty good at doing it.
“Obviously, I’m not happy. Max [Allegri] is not happy, and the players are not happy. Winning remains the priority, and I can ensure that everyone wants to win. Not winning the title has been a disappointment; if we don’t qualify for the Champions League, it’s a failure. We have many injured players, like Luka [Modric]. It’s sports. You can’t always win, even if Milan should. When it doesn’t happen, it’s a failure.
“I come from a culture where, when someone stumbles, we help them get back up. We don’t try to cancel them,” Cardinale continued.
“Right now, the team is stumbling, so I’d like to tell everyone who cares about the team to support it rather than discourage it. There are two games left to win; let’s stay focused.
“I can’t blame the fans for being angry; I’m angry, too. They are as passionate as I am. But let’s try to support our lads rather than bring them down. I feel an enormous sense of responsibility. When we are not up to the task, and I see the fans’ reaction, I take it personally; I’m upset. It enters under my skin, and I feel the obligation to fix things with an urgency that nobody should question. I wake up every morning with the desire to win and with a deep sense of disappointment and frustration when we don’t make it.”
Cardinale insisted that he has made investments for Milan, although money has not been spent in the right way.
“Since I took over at Milan, we’ve achieved financial results beyond expectations and generated positive cash flow for the first time in the club’s history,” he argued.
“I’m not taking that money and putting it in my pocket. I’m reinvesting it. The narrative that financial discipline means not wanting to win makes no sense at all. Over the last three seasons, we’ve spent more than any other Serie A club in the transfer market. Now, maybe we didn’t spend it in the best way, but I’d give myself a higher grade for the money I invested than for how we spent it. We need to do a better job, so there’s a direct correlation between spending and winning. We haven’t achieved that yet. We haven’t done a good enough job, and we’ll fix it. We need to examine the organisation’s structure and football side, and work with the coaching staff and the sporting director to understand how we can function better together.”
Milan are pushing for a top-four finish, but Cardinale will review the club’s structure once the season ends.
“We always try to evolve our organisation. So yes, everyone should expect that every season where performances fall below expectations, everything will be reassessed, and I will reassess everyone and everything this summer,” he said.
“I’ll dedicate my entire summer to this; you should assume I’m already thinking about it, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing my job. We’ll see how we finish, then we’ll sit down. I’ve already sat down with Max, and we’ve talked about many things. We’ll get to work once the season is over; now is not the time to discuss it.
“The goal is to improve the organisation and bring it to a world-class level. The objective here is to win as much as possible every year while also ensuring that, in doing so, we’re consistently laying the foundations. We could spend a fortune, sign established players, then what? You have to do both. This summer, we’ll review the organisation and see what we can do to fill the gaps, because we haven’t been good enough.
“It’s not about replacing people, but about reviewing the organisational structure and making sure we have everything in place, from the coaching staff to the player recruitment, from the sporting director to academies.
“Of course, I’ve made mistakes. Many,” he admitted.
“This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’m a fighter, and I won’t stop until I win. One of the biggest lessons has been understanding how different the context is. If you don’t live it, as an American, you can’t fully understand the role that football and Milan play in the community.
“I wish there were more focus on the crucial issues, the importance of sports infrastructure, how to modernise Italian football, and why Italy missed yet another World Cup, the third in a row. Instead, there’s controversy. You see, this isn’t just about Serie A. It’s about not showing up to Champions League Finals and losing 5-0; it’s about competing seriously in Europe. It’s about the 4-to-1 gap in TV rights revenues between the Premier League and everyone else.
“The gap in Italian football has widened. The reality is that, the way the world works today, you won’t solve it without money. And I know a thing or two about money. I don’t want to transplant the way we do things in America directly. I’m fully aware that things are different in Italy and that I need to adapt. I need to surround myself with great Italians who can help me do it, that’s part of the learning process.”
The Rossoneri have also bought the San Siro area alongside city rivals Inter, aiming to build a new stadium near the Stadio Meazza.
“It’s not a real estate operation. It’s not an ego project,” concluded Cardinale.
“It’s about improving Milan’s financial profile so we can compete for the world’s best players. It’s also, by the way, something we should do for the people of Milan, who deserve a world-class stadium£ to be globally recognised as a home of sport and a celebration of this culture. Right now, it isn’t.”
