AC Milan owner and RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale has spoken about his concerns about the new tariffs imposed by American president Donald Trump, and how they can affect football.
It is nothing new for politics and football to overlap; in fact, the two are deeply intertwined. However, there is a fear that a new era of politics could have an effect on the modern game, and this is a worry for owners, but more importantly, fans.
In recent weeks, new tariffs have been introduced by Trump, which could increase the price of things imported to certain countries. So, American fans could be at a risk of having to spend more to access football games, imported from other countries, such as Italy.
Today, Cardinale spoke out against the tariffs, especially those which he feels could have a negative impact on the fans, and his words have been relayed by Calcio e Finanza.
“You need to look across the entire value chain to understand the impact of a trade war on different segments of the sports ecosystem. The pressure point will first and foremost be on the consumer.
“In the very high-end segment, I think demand is relatively inelastic relative to income; people who could afford those premium prices before tariffs will be able to afford them afterwards. However, for other consumers, discretionary income is a key part of their finances. They are likely to cut back on spending. And this will be a problem that will propagate down the value chain.”
The report also states the assessment is reflected across sport, and concerns have already been voiced. Furthermore, the American warned that there could be a drop in interest from potential new owners, due to rising prices, which has already been seen in the stands.
Ac Milan is simply business for this guy. Reading between the lines, there is zero interest from him on the Milan project to reclaim its grandeur.
This man has been silent all the while until Trump raises tariff.
Reduces my expectations for next season.
I have to oppose to all the fans still complaining about it. Every club in the world, from top leagues to 5th tier sunday leagues, is a business. Fans doesn’t see it very often, because there is the fog of trophies, achievments, joy and so on. But behind it, there is business.
Nobody is trying to be the best just to win something for the fans, they want to win it for money. There is huge agenda behind every club, like behind a big company, because that it is, just a big company. So please just stop crying and get over with it, this is how it works in life and the world.
Nobody hosts the World Cup for fans, they do it for profit from the fans. Nobody opens a shop just for giving free stuff to cheer people, they do it with profit.
He is a business man and I do not know what are the exact conditions our club is at, but it seems to me he is doing a good job with this business, and that is the job he is here for, not for you, not for anybody else, just for the business, and thats good.
“I have to oppose to all the fans still complaining about it. Every club in the world, from top leagues to 5th tier sunday leagues, is a business. Fans doesn’t see it very often, because there is the fog of trophies, achievments, joy and so on. But behind it, there is business.”
Guess what. I talked with a couple of friends during the weekend about this. One was a Spurs-fan, one ManU and can’t remember what one more supported. They all complained about their owners/management/clubs only caring about the finances. They complained how expensive the tickets are. They complained the same things that the people here are complaining about. Just change the names of the players/coaches/owners and the message is 100% the same.
If you do it just for the Business, how can you increase the Fans?
Usually the clubs that win the most, are the ones with the highest revenue. So in my opinion, you have to take care of the business, but the business plan has to be how to increase fans to increase your revenue!!!
He is not doing a good business wise with Milan that statement is completely inaccurate. Even before Redbird came in Milan’s finances were on the up, with the money wasted on players that will not come right, the sale of key players when not needed, the lack of patience for some players like kalulu and CDK, Milan futuro flopping and no European competition the club is in a worse position financially than when Gerry and Co took over
Goal of sport isn’t “To do it for the fans and satisfy them”.
The goal of sport is “To do it for the fans and satisfy them, so they pay you money”.
And it is working. So if you are against him, stop supporting the sport, stop buying tickets, stop watching streams… Crying like this wont help you, cause you are wrong guys if you think this is not a business and its about the “Milan heritage”, its not, and its good. If it was, many people would suffer, cause the business wont work anymore
Tell me you are american without telling me you are american.
Sports in Europe is more than just a buisness, unlike in the US. But I wont waste time trying to make you understand, cause you simply dont get it.
“To do it for the fans and satisfy them, so they pay you money”.
If this is the goal of the sport as you said, he is doing a terrible job. The fans are outraged because he is trying to americanize it. And it does not work here.
We care more about winning than americans, because if you play bad there is consequences. Lees money, less cups to compete in, and less exposure. Cardinale expected Milan to just be ok with him doing the minumum. But again, this isnt the US.
Of course its a business and I agree that even small clubs are ran that way to an extent so they doesn’t go bankrupt but don’t come here and say people who are against the ownership or its way of running the club or the state of the sport to just stop supporting sport/club.
Our ownership is nothing but CUSTODIANS and some people around here has actually been fans of AC Milan for decades and I for one has been a Milan fan for 36 years now and neither do i or any supporter of AC MIlan own this ownership anything as you already made it pretty clear that they are only in it for the money. Well we the real fans are not in it to cougher their wallets, hell I couldnt even care if Gerry was six feet under.
I’ll give him one thing though and that is that Trumps idiotic tariffs are detrimental for everyone and even more so for those with less at hand.
So take the good stuff from the the situation and be happy with it, ignore other stuff.
You cannot force the management to change something, if their builsiness is not working. Sorry for my misstake, I wrote it confusingly, do not stop supporting the club, stop supporting the business if you want.
Do not care about the business, care about the game and get joy from it. But remember, nobody does it for sport only, everybody does it for sport so they get paid.
And if you care about that too, there are ways how to change it. But you cannot get a business man out just because he is not fulfilling the “milan heritage”, you can get him out if the business is not working and he does poorly, but thats a different question.
Well I can understand what you are saying and I was happy about the weekends big win but that doesn’t excuse the mediocrity or travesty we have been witnessing all season and I for one wont settle with mediocrity as its below of what should be expected by this club.
Yeah forcing them to make adjustment via lower sales of season tickets and shirts or other subscriptions certainly is a way forward in my view tp force their hands but on the other hand its also bad for the club so its basically a Gordian Knot in that sense.
Scaroni recently suggested that it wasn’t proper for AC Milan fans to demonstrate against the ownership because it had invested 1.2 billions and that is freaking presumptuous as we exactly support the club and isn’t in some sort of debt towards Cardinale or RedBird as they are basically just passing through. Hell I loved Berlusconi the club president but pretty much despised how he ran Italy but at least he brought results for the club I support. I doesn’t really expect the same success at present or maybe never again but I see no reason why we should settle for mediocrity either.
The european sports model is so corrupt. Salary caps are the only hope. And remove all middle east sportswashing
I would support salary caps amd max fees for transfers no question there and I would also support any moves against sports washing as we have seen in Russia or the middle east.
The salary caps are way overdue. EU needs to do something positive for a change and create mandatory salary caps to all sports.
Perhaps that would mean more greedier players would go to Saudi-Arabia but I don’t care. I don’t support players, I support Milan.
You’re defending the wrong aspect. Most people on here, 100% myself included (I sat on the fence for ages and gave RedBird every chance in the world), understand that the owners are businessmen who are running a business and want that business to be economically successful.
The business they are in is football, and they are running the business of football badly and alienating the fans – that’s what people have an issue with.
And you may respond to that by pointing to increased revenue and to some extent that would be valid…IF it bore fruit, but it hasn’t. If you still can’t see the trade off that’s required between the two, I suggest to you that you like economics more than football, and specifically Calcio (a different beast). That’s fine, but you’re on the wrong forum.
Yeah Milan should run on vibes only, just need more aura
any other words you twitter kids use?
Looking more likely the UCL final will be in the US. You know its coming.
Trumps tariffs change NOTHING in regards to football don’t believe me? do a little research on the matter.
When it comes to new owners it’s excuses after excuses for it not happening oh but Trumps tariffs at a time when admittedly only a small number but a number nether the less want these con men/women GONE.
I watched the Rome derby on Sunday evening and what a spectacle of what Italian football has to offer great atmosphere full crowd and some genuinely good football and yet supporters of Italian teams are being constantly told by multi billion owners of Italian teams there is no money no interest we must bow down to epl Paris ect to many OBSTACLES? to move forward.
Anybody else ever considered Sabotage when it comes to Italian football? and not just from abroad nither.
As for Milan our president 😂😂😂😂😂😂
on the one hand tells us to be greatfull and that we make money dispite being garbage.
On the other hand tells us that we have to be REALISTIC in regards to finance top players ect but drops the ball with comments on Spanish football saying Messi and Ronaldo amoung others kept Spanish football afloat .
keeping your best players continue to invest in the best no matter what the cost Barcelona 😉 for example works REALLY well who would of known and that’s before we get to for Italian football anyway fantasy new stadiums which can’t be built 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.
We are told we make money and yet continue to totally neglecting the sporting side of the club makes no sense and people still have a pop at Barca who are on for a European and damestic treble and have word class players coaching and sporting project and oh yes brand new Spotify stadium as well.
#GET ELLIOT / REDBIRD OUT.
Milan deserves to be a labor of love, not just a set of books in a business portfolio.
Televised football is a service, Trumps tariffs don’t apply.
If what we learn here is that fewer kit sales in the US means we pull the purse strings tighter, then our board are even more risk averse than I thought.
Well. Mr Cardinali. If you can’t afford to compete then get a hell out. simple
The fundamental issue here isn’t whether ACM is a business – of course it is – but whether its American owner will combine money-making off the football pitch with sporting success on it, like Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal, and other well-funded and competently managed top clubs in Europe do.
If Cardinale were a wise owner, which hitherto he hasn’t been, he would understand that at the heart of the relationship between him and ACM’s fans, there’s a tacit quid pro quo, namely, that in return for their loyal support for the club, which produces an economic benefit for him, he must do his utmost to achieve success on the pitch. Failure to do this breeds discontent, as we’re now seeing.
ACM is a storied football institution whose primary business has historically been to win trophies at the highest level. It isn’t a multi-pronged entertainment organization in which football is just one of several, different, equally important commercial activities performed under that umbrella.
Cardinale’s business model doesn’t seem to attach a high priority to sporting success. No wonder that for a growing number of ACM fans around the world he has become persona non grata.