Gerry Cardinale knows the importance of the Champions League for AC Milan’s plans moving forward and he will be back in Italy shortly after the international break is done.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes how getting into the last 16 of Europe’s top club competition brings in a lot of extra revenue as well as increasing the visibility of Milan as a brand.
Cardinale, not surprisingly, is ready to return to Italy having been at the match against Paris Saint-Germain last week. He had a face-to-face meeting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic then, and the founder of RedBird will be back at San Siro for Milan vs. Borussia Dortmund.
Getting into the round of 16, after reaching the semi-final last season, is the minimum target. For Cardinale’s business – which is a synthesis between sport and entertainment – the Champions League is fundamental.
It is not only an issue of being compared to the other top clubs in Europe, but also the fact that the stadium is full, TVs from all over the world are showing San Siro and the Rossoneri brand renewing its appeal.
For all this to happen, it is not enough to compete every now and then, but to find yourself permanently at the top of Europe. Cardinale’s presence, which very often coincides with a win, reaffirms the importance of the moment.
