New AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale is facing several big tasks having taken the helm, with two of them to be addressed quickly.
MilanNews writes that Cardinale was at Milanello for the first time yesterday. He met the team, Stefano Pioli and spent some time with Paolo Maldini, Ricky Massara, Ivan Gazidis, Gordon Singer and Giorgio Furlani.
He was also at the derby, and there was dialogue caught on the pre-match cameras with Scaroni about the revenues linked to the stadium. In Cardinale’s strategic plan, he wants a modern stadium and it is likely that in the autumn – at the end of the public debate over the new San Siro project – news will arrive.
Then there was Rafael Leao’s dazzling display against Inter as he scored a brace in the 3-2 win, under the eyes of Cardinale. The mission must be to renew his contract and an offer that congruent with the value of the winger must be launched.
Maldini and his colleagues have put together the skeleton of what could evolve into a great AC Milan team. Maignan is Dida, but more agile; Theo, Kalulu, and Tomori are the linchpins of a potentially very strong line of defence – like the impregnable wall that was Baresi, Costacurta, Tassotti, and Maldini; Tonali is Gattuso, but with flair and attacking intent; De Ketelaere is Kevin De Bruyne in the making; and Leao – a beast who cuts through enemy defences with effortless power and acceleration to score or set up match-winning goals – is the reincarnation of his legendary compatriot Eusebio. But to keep these stars over the long haul and guide AC Milan to the summit of the world game, Gerry Cardinale must pay them wages that reflect their market value. And it will be difficult for him to do that if the revenues from Serie A’s TV broadcasting deals continue to be significantly less than those of the Premier League. I doubt if Serie A can ever supplant the PL at the top of the commercial pole. But a European League that results from the amalgamation of Serie A and other leagues such as LaLiga, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga, will more than rival the PL. The EL can have, say, 4 divisions, with clubs promoted and demoted at the end of each season according to merit – just as is presently the case in each national league. English clubs can leave the PL and join the EL if they wish, but the latter will still be a success without them. Aided by American media companies, the EL will be able to project the European game more effectively into the North American and Asian markets, and generate greater revenues. European football is at a watershed. It’s time for its clubs to grab the bull by the horns and establish a continental league. And as a life-long AC Milan fan, I expect the Rossoneri – an international brand whose exploits over the course of its long and distinguished history have earned it huge global cachet – to rule that roost. Maldini is right: AC Milan must live within its means. But the club has to look at how it can grow those means, and one way is to spearhead a revolution in how European football is structured. Europe must unite or else it will forever play second fiddle to the PL.