AC Milan looked to be cruising towards a top four finish, but these past few weeks have taken it all down to the last three games.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport report, the importance of Champions League football cannot be overstated, though one number puts it all into perspective: €100m. During his pre-Sassuolo press conference, Massimiliano Allegri stated that amount as the magnitude by which things shift.
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The first thing the owners demanded when they brought Allegri back to Milanello was to finish the season in one of the top four spots. First would have been nice but the Scudetto dream faded away. So, second, third or fourth is essential.
Nine figures at stake
With regards to the €100m, it’s not automatic: reaching the target doesn’t mean that amount will be transferred from UEFA’s accounts to Milan’s. But the revenue guaranteed by the European football government allows for mercato investments to be managed with relative ease.
In terms of pure participation, we’re talking about €60m, to which we then add box office receipts and bonuses tied to individual results. It’s certainly not enough to reach one hundred million, but it’s the vital driving force and could be boosted by a run in the knockouts, as well as any sales.
Within these reflections, there are two major issues. The first is the unpleasant legacy of this season without European football, which has obviously had (and will have) an impact on the club’s financial virtuosity, although the club has taken every possible measure to mitigate it.
The second is that this season’s squad requires profound improvements. Structural. In terms of both numbers and quality. It needs to be increased by at least four or five players and, above all, it requires the arrival of ready-now players.
As Allegri emphasised, it’s correct to consider a mix of experience and high-calibre prospects to develop. Yet, looking at the current squad, there are areas of the pitch that are objectively not up to the challenge of an increasingly competitive Champions League.
All of this comes at a price, and it’s not a small price. In short, even if UEFA revenue arrives, a certain amount of balancing will still be required to avoid overtaking oneself financially. Last summer, the Rossoneri spent €165m and received €160m from sales.
Sustainability remains the basic guiding principle, but it would perhaps come in slightly less stringent terms (a higher net spend permitted) if the UEFA millions arrive. If they do not, there could be some obvious damage to the project.
It’s a bit crazy to think that beating 2 of Atalanta, Genoa and Cagliari seems now like a tall task.
How low we’ve fallen…
Indeed. We can’t rely on Juve and Como to keep screwing up and Roma are the form team right now.
Why are you surprised? Look at who’s in charge… Look at their track record…
Their track record is correcting their mistakes. No one was complaining about the owners a month ago. Stop overreacting.
The number 7 is the one that comes to mind. Last time missing CL meant it was a total of 7 years until returning to CL football..its not just 100M. Its selling off all your assets and investing in young players. Selling to buyers who know you have to sell to balance the budget and lowball you. It is starting from scratch.