GdS: Five ways Cardinale has changed how he is running Milan

Gerry Cardinale’s year zero began on January 21st, and it is already very clear how he has changed the way he does things at AC Milan.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, that date seven months ago is when Cardinale – after a long absence – returned to Milan for a series of meetings at Casa Milan (the refinancing with Comvest was imminent) and a quick visit to Milanello.

Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!

In the hours that followed, a strong signal filtered out from the Rossoneri: this is just the first of a long series of visits to the city. From now on, Cardinale intends to be increasingly involved in the club’s operations. Six months later, one thing is certain: he has lived up to his promise.

The end-of-season collapse provided an opportunity to reset and revitalise the club’s management model. A new project has emerged, one that Cardinale has fully embraced and intends to personally spearhead. There are plenty of new developments, with five singled out.

Decisions

Until a few months ago, the model was purely American: the boss surrounds himself with a trusted management team and delegates operational management to them, personally handling only the larger issues.

Then, at the end of the season, the directors’ performance is evaluated and action is taken accordingly. For various reasons, this hasn’t worked, not least because internally – instead of collaboration – there has often been internal friction that obviously hasn’t helped.

Now, absolutely everything passes through Gerry’s desk. The directors are there, the empty seats have been filled, but without figures that have excessive power. A first positive aspect is that the chain of command has obviously been streamlined and decisions are made more quickly.

Delays

Cardinale confided to his collaborators that he was surprised by himself. Throughout his professional career, he had always personally taken care of his own affairs, while in the case of Milan he evidently realised he had been there less than necessary.

It was something unusual, in short, for his habits. Essentially, there’s the realisation that AC Milan had never truly been ‘his’ Milan. There was too much absence in practical terms, too much distance from the Rossoneri world, which requires a close ownership.

A solid foundation is needed, with majority shareholder very present in the life of the club. For Cardinale, the management dismissal at the end of May was essentially his first real day in charge of the Rossoneri.

Winning

A desire to win games and trophies seems obvious, but Cardinale spoke of a desire to ‘play to win, not to avoid losing’. These words actually conceal a profound reaction to last season’s sporting performance.

It’s also a reaction to the fans’ accusations, who in recent years have accused him of caring more about the bottom line than the results on the pitch. Cardinale has always considered himself a winning businessman who hates losing.

Milan’s last season offered cautious football, which didn’t even pay off in the end. This is why Gerry forcefully emphasises the difference between winning and not losing. Two very different concepts.

Efficiency

Another thing Cardinale criticises himself for is having, at certain times, overemphasised the financial aspect, neglecting the sporting aspect. This management style has been rewarded by the balance sheets, perfectly restored after the collapse of the Chinese Milan but it has been limiting on the pitch.

So, while until last year negotiating a signing meant long weeks of gruelling negotiations, haggling down to the last cent (and often seeing the target snatched away), with a series of management stamps unheard of in the ministry, now the process is swift.

There is maximum synergy with the coach, identification of the profiles to focus on, feasibility study of the deal, assessment of the competition risks, and a mandate to close the deal. It will not always be able to go this way, but that’s how it will work when it’s possible.

Targets

The time for playing hide and seek seems over: starting this year, there’s no hiding anymore, also because Milan are playing to “win, not to avoid losing.”

If that weren’t the case, Amorim wouldn’t have gone so far as to mention a second star with such a big smile on his face on the day of the presentation.

Differences from a year ago? Clear: back then, the emphasis was on “finishing in the top four because the Champions League is financially essential.” The objectives are changing, but above all, the communication is changing.