AC Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis has said he will discuss his future with the club once the transfer market has come to a close.
Speaking during an interview with La Repubblica (via Milan Eye), Gazidis discussed a range of topics with his future being at the forefront.
His future at the club is currently unclear but he stressed that it will not be discussed with the new ownership until the transfer window has been successfully navigated.
“My future? The right time to discuss it with the new ownership will be after closing. What matters is not my person but the future of the club,” he said.
Gazidis also discussed what he thinks football clubs should be focusing the most on which is not creating profits. Despite that, he is clear about the need to be financially stable too.
“Football clubs are not companies that must produce profits, but social and cultural institutions. Which is why we need to put values at the heart of the way we do business,” Gazidis said.
“We have to keep attention to the economic and financial aspects: the football of the rich owners who every year pour money into the club, spend millions in transfer market campaigns and accumulate debt no longer exists.
“The need for financial means has grown enormously and that model has caused bankruptcies, relegation, dramatic losses of competitiveness of the championships. The issue, for us and for everyone, is to rebuild sporting competitiveness starting from these values.”
Under the guidance of Gazidis and Elliott Management, Milan have managed to drag themselves away from being a severely mismanaged club that was a long way from any sort of success on the pitch. Gazidis focused on the radical decisions that they had to take.
“We [at Milan] inherited a club with disappointing sporting performance and serious financial difficulties. We made radical decisions, rebuilt the club from scratch and brought it back to being competitive, in Italy and soon also in Europe.
“How things are done is even more important than the strategy itself. In Italy I found a very hierarchical and formal approach: the president-owner decides and dictates and the others execute.”
His leadership style…
“I brought a different leadership style: a diverse team, people with different backgrounds that is able to confront with ideas and make common decisions.
“First, the challenge was to reduce the salary pool and improve performance at the same time. We chose to bring young players and grow them within the club. Not expenses, but investments for the future.”
Style of football and transfer strategy…
“We decided to focus on a more physical, aggressive, fast ‘style of football’, inclined to one-on-one.
“That’s why we needed an innovative and goal-focused technical staff, brave and able to withstand pressure: there is no other business whose results are tested and discussed twice a week.
“To identify young players with great growth potential we needed a “top class” scouting and analytics structure: Geoffry Moncada and his team do a fundamental job.”
On Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara…
“I don’t think words are needed to describe the cultural and managerial value that Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara – in particular the combination of the two – have brought to Milan.”
On Stefano Pioli…
“And finally Stefano Pioli: great ability to understand modern football, great human qualities, total focus on work, without lament or controversy.
“Rangnick, Boban and Maldini? I told Pioli: there will be a thousand rumours and speculations, but what happens at the end of the season will depend only on your performances.
“Certainly it was the club’s responsibility to consider possible alternatives, but Pioli listened to me. The results came and his confirmation naturally came as well.
“I have no personal problems with Boban. the principle that the club comes first and foremost is simply true. I hired Maldini not once, but two or three times, including the last renewal on which I gave a favourable opinion about him to the new ownership.”
The new San Siro…
“I am optimistic about the possibility of arriving at the approval of the final project of a modern stadium, capable of welcoming families, women, children and generating new revenues.
“We have to invest to have a new stadium, the money is there. On where and when it will happen we can’t make certain predictions. An all-Milan stadium? I know, it’s the dream of many fans, but you have to deal with the reality of a prohibitive investment for the financial balance of a single club.
“As I said, I remain optimistic about San Siro but of course we also need to have a plan B.”
Ownership change…
“I am the CEO of Milan, we are the subject of this negotiation that belongs only to shareholders. Seller and buyer have said closing is scheduled by September and I don’t see any elements that change that timeline.
“RedBird has great skills in the sports business and a high international reputation. The message they have conveyed to us is the will to continue on the path that our virtuous management has started in recent years.”