Giorgio Furlani has opened up about his journey at Milan in a recent interview, sharing his thoughts on the Rossoneri’s situation and the plans for the future. He also shared an update on the stadium project.
Furlani was appointed CEO of Milan following the departure of Ivan Gazidis towards the end of 2022. The 44-year-old is a boyhood Rossoneri fan and he has previously shared his thoughts on the journey the club has made in recent years.
Speaking to ESPN Deportes (see video below), as cited by Radio Rossonera, Furlani was asked about the situation of Milan and his own personal journey at the club. The Italian answered in perfect Spanish, which was very appreciated among the fans.
Giorgio Furlani on the club’s situation…
“I would say that the situation is very good. Milan came from years of crisis, we spent seven years without being in the Champions League and now we have been there for three years, last season we reached the semi-final and two seasons ago we won the Scudetto.
“We have invested a lot in players in an attempt to have a better season this year. So I’d say we’re doing very well, I’m very happy and the coach is happy with the players he has at his disposal. I think we’ll have a very good season. As a fan, I’m very happy and I hope the fans will be as happy as I am.”
Giorgio Furlani, CEO and AC Milan fan at the same time…
“It’s easy to do this job with this passion. It’s also easy to make rational decisions because, over the years, I’ve seen as a fan what happens if things go wrong. So, I have a great responsibility in this position and… we try to do it well”.
On the future of Milan, in the short and long term…
“When I joined Milan, the club was in crisis. We have a plan, a path and a direction that I think is very good. We want to be competitive in Italy and in Europe as last year and we want to continue like this. We have various improvement projects and the main one is the new stadium. There has been talk of a new Milan stadium for many years, but I hope that one day it will be ready and I hope to come back here soon to tell you that we have a new Milan stadium.”
On the stadium: your own or shared with Inter?
“Milan and Inter have the stadium together and it’s an exception in the football world for such large city rivals. Our plan is to have our own stadium that equates our club to the rest of Europe and the world.”
Giorgio Furlani on the importance of Milan in the United States…
“Very important. The United States is very important to us. We have 16 fan clubs in North America (Canada, USA, Mexico), 13 of which are in the USA and two in California. We want to grow here, the sports market in the United States is the strongest in the world and soccer in particular is growing exponentially.
“We are an Italian club with American ownership, Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners, and they have long been in this world where sport, media, entertainment and culture meet. They help us a lot with development in general. Their expertise and experience are decisive in the growth of the Club on a global level. Will we ever have a Mexican player? Now we have an American player, Christian Pulisic, Luka Romero has Mexican roots, Fikayo Tomori has Canadian roots.”
Milan have just one game left of their pre-season tour in the United States, scheduled to face Barcelona early on Wednesday morning. After one draw and one loss, the Rossoneri will be looking for a win.
Perfect Spanish?
Perfect Spanish?