AC Milan were not at their best in the Champions League play-off game against Feyenoord last week, but on Tuesday evening they get another shot at it.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write this morning, it is not just a question of money, but it is certainly an important factor. By qualifying for the Champions League round of 16, Milan would make up for the mistake made against Dinamo Zagreb and collect €11m in prize money.
That sum would be added to the €61.3m that had already arrived after the first eight matches split between participation fee, market pool, ten-year ranking and a share relating to the results collected. Then, there are the box office revenues that the club gets, too.
Money isn’t everything, or if you prefer, it’s a consequence of what a comeback would mean for the club. Returning to the round of 16 after the mission was failed last season would be significant and the Rossoneri’s DNA is very much European.
It’s no coincidence that on Friday, in the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Geoffrey Moncada, Sergio Conceiçao asked for a jolt in the form of a double win against Hellas Verona and Feyenoord, to stay in the running for the Champions League spots and perhaps play another Euroderby.
The minimum objective, to be achieved at all costs, is to enter the top four in the league to also participate in the most prestigious European competition in 2025-26, but a run in the current edition is also desired.
Winter investment
The owner Gerry Cardinale will watch tomorrow’s match from the United States with his usual enthusiasm. In recent days he has been in contact with Ibrahimovic and the other directors, keeping updated with day-to-day events.
The Supercoppa Italiana win early last month has not satiated the desire to win for Cardinale. Otherwise, together with his management, he would not have revolutionised the squad with five additions in the January window.
Kyle Walker, Santiago Gimenez, Joao Felix, Warren Bondo and Riccardo Sottil certify the desire of those in charge to please Conceiçao and to make investments that can be useful not only for the present, but also for the future.
Above all they have had a minimal impact on the budget considering the higher costs between depreciation, loans and salaries, but also the savings on depreciation, salaries and capital gains. The path of self-sustainability – started by Elliott Management – therefore continues.
The pursuit of a second star will have to wait until next season, but, with a trophy already in the cabinet, it would be a success to finish in the Champions League places and make as much progress as possible both in Europe and in the Coppa Italia, with the semi-finals to come.
The desire for silverware
Fans rightly think in terms of trophies won and the dream (the most beautiful of all possible) is to update the number of Champions League trophies hoisted, which currently stands at seven.
For the hierarchy, however, other factors are also important: reaching the round of 16 would in fact confirm the club’s growth trend, which went from 81st place in the UEFA ranking in 2019-20 to 29th position in 2023-24, to the current 20th.
It would make the Diavolo even more fashionable on TVs around the world, because the Champions League is watched everywhere. Much more so than Serie A. In an increasingly global market, Milan-Feyenoord has a value that goes beyond ‘simply’ qualification for the next round.
Players should have special bonuses for wins against Juventus and Inter. Plus bonuses for reaching knockout stages in ucl.
That way they would be more motivated and club could loose that kind of the money to players.
Yes, money is and should be the first and last thing the players think about when they wake up. 😛
Be serious. We are from the same country but what is wrong with you? Players that have 2-3-4-5-10M euro per season need extra incentive to play big games? I would sell any player like that yesterday.
100 % AGREE IGOR
some players deserved bonus, it’s true they’ve got big salary but what board get it’s much bigger, only by sitting & calculate loan money (basicly do nothing). we, fans, players & coachs who looking inject money by tickets, merch & good play (goals, assists, clean-sheet, game won)
We need the san Siro to be filled with enthusiasm and pride! We may not like where Milan is at the moment but we need to back the club at this very moment. This is the biggest game of the season. Bigger than the derby. Bigger than the suppercoppa. If you are at the San Siro we need u to scream your lungs out! This Is Milan!
No. This is a circus led by greedy imbeciles selling 180€ ugly jerseys so US consumers can raise their credit score. And it’s not “the” San Siro.
What are you taking about? A Milan home Jersey have never cost over 140€ (thats the “authentic” scam type). You can by a normal one for 76€ now (95€ before).
I guess you preferr Italian or Chinese owners who run the clubs finances to the bottom? With the Berlusconi family or Li Yonghong Milan would still be stuck att 200 millio euro in yearly revenues and not able to afford even half of todays player salaries and transfers.
19/20 Milan was down to 192 million euros in revenues cause Li got us banned from European football by breaking the FFP rules. Elliot and redbird have since then more then doubled our revenues to 457 million.
Imbeciles right?
Yeah right, what are you smoking? If literally my family took over it wouldn’t stay at 200M yearly revenues. A cow or a dog could have increased revenue after winning the Serie A and being in CL semi finals. And realistically Elliot did 95% of everything until now.
And then you are talking about Li that defaulted to Elliot because he couldn’t take his money out of China. You think that guys plan was to buy the club, do nothing and then lose the club and the money he invested?
Or Berlusconi that was the owner in other times, and they didn’t have to have revenue as he could put in his own money. And that is what he did. If he didn’t exist you’d never be a Milan fan, ever. They sold the club as they saw they can’t manage it under new rules, quite fair.
I think you are the imbecile.
Well said
Seems the many American fans just like the fact that the club is owned by an American and could care less about the sporting results – but only about Gerry making profit for his investors …..SAD
But since Scudetto, what happened? Revenue increased results going down. That is what you want, right? To have a nice profit every season, every fans dream. Winning the financial scudetto.
tell again, how many tropies, Bd’Or players, Super Players came, beautiful games in Berlusconi era?
jeri doing nothing suddenly he’s your savior angel? NO he’s still same in yonghong li level.. a pedestrian who done nothing
when board be greedy it’s normal but if some players (important players not all) doing the same it’s mercenaries..
but but but they spend the money! NO they spend bank (loan) money which players & fans pay the loan by tikets, merch & on field actions