Paolo Scaroni, AC Milan club president, spoke during the 'Milano Football Week', an event organized by 'La Gazzetta dello Sport'. Below are his words on the matter, as reported by 'TMW'.
"Yesterday afternoon I wasn't in a great mood, but it improved ahead of the derby on Tuesday. I experienced the very troubled period of the Chinese Milan, both in terms of sports and finance... there was always a lack of money to enroll in the league, a difficult time. And then this wonderful ride that brought us to the Scudetto and the Champions League semi-finals: it was to be expected from Milan, but I didn't imagine it myself."
He added:
"Gerry Cardinale? He has a small group of people who bring skills and experiences that we don't have. Elliott was a financial investor who then put trust in Gazidis, today we have an investor with sports skills. For the stadium, we have a gentleman brought in by Cardinale who has built 40 stadiums around the world. I feel very reassured. Cardinale is an international manager and brings with him this group of competent people who are very useful to Milan."
Will ticket prices increase with the new stadium?
"I have been besieged by people who wanted to come to the stadium by inviting clients and consultants, and I asked myself: if we had a way to receive them as a company... For them, it would be very logical to pay for tickets to invite people. These are things that have been happening for decades in England and the USA. Having a stadium that allows us to meet the needs of companies and increase revenues precisely to be able to keep low-priced popular seats. We must have the curve that can come and those who are ready to pay can pay."
On Stefano Pioli:
"The results with the Scudetto speak for themselves. I am a great admirer of Pioli, Maldini, and Massara because they embody the Milan style, which means: we don't complain, we don't protest, we behave like gentlemen by following the rules. We behave like this and our fans behave like this. It's a world of people like this. Pioli, Maldini, Massara, Gazidis, Furlani are gentlemen. Good people, well-educated, there is not that atmosphere that I sometimes see in other stadiums and that does not belong to our style. Pioli does not make excuses. We have been hit unexpectedly by injuries, like Florenzi, Kjaer, poor Bennacer... we have had many of them. Not complaining seems to me to be a proof of our style."
Will Pioli stay?
"He has a contract until 2025. These are technical decisions that I do not make, but I do not see any problem."
Scaroni on the CEO Giorgio Furlani:
"He has a first-class background. We are talking about people who have already demonstrated their professional abilities extensively. The renewal of Leao has financial and negotiation aspects that are not simple, we need to close some old gaps... He is a Milanista from head to toe, but he is capable of distancing himself and making decisions not based on gut feeling but on reason."
What do you expect from the derby?
"Milan must do it by all means. We absolutely have to overturn the result. Milan is more than capable of doing it. Of course, we suffer from heavy absences and Inter is very strong, even with players who have just re-emerged. But a compact Milan can win."
