Half of a thousand. Days. Gerry Cardinale entered the Milan universe on May 31, 2022: 'RedBird and Elliott announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for RedBird's acquisition of Associazione Calcio Milan.' It feels like going back a year and a half. Looks, questions, issues: who is the man who founded RedBird? Initial information in articles at the time: 'he is passionate about rowing', 'he has been investing in sports for decades', 'he is among the 500 most influential figures in America' (there it is again, the number).
Five hundred days later, we know more because Cardinale has lived two Milanese lives in one. The first lasted for the first year, during which GC was reserved, deliberately withdrawn, even at the cost of fueling doubts about the connection with Elliott. Since the summer, he has changed gears and approach. The dismissal of Maldini - clear, in line with a certain stereotype of the American manager who is not afraid of abrupt decisions - opened a phase B, in which Cardinale is more of a protagonist in the life of the club, he goes to the matches, positioning himself as a reference even for the owners of other Serie A clubs. A trendy club Milan, for sure, has changed with him, as pointed out by La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
'Revolution,' many have said, all. 'Innovation,' RedBird and Milan corrected. It makes sense. Milan certainly goes its own way and has brought a new way of playing football to Italy. The great distinctive feature is the link between sports, media, and entertainment. RedBird immediately formed a partnership with YES, the regional TV network of the New York Yankees, and from day one, Main Street Advisors, a fund in which LeBron James owns shares, has been among the club's investors. Since January, Randy Levine, president of the Yankees, linked to Cardinale for decades, has been on the Rossoneri board, and in the following months, collaborations have been officially announced with Off White, a symbol brand of Generation Z, Warner Bros Discovery, New Era (caps), and Rocket League (video game).
Young, innovative brands. 'We're shaking up Milan a bit -' Cardinale said at the beginning of his adventure. 'For me, it's a sleeping giant.' Outside the field, it has chosen clear values to identify with - the third jersey symbolizes inclusivity - and on the field, it is at the top of the table with its own rules. Cardinale has eliminated the figure of the sporting director and made it clear that Milan's goal is to constantly be at a high level - let's say always in the Champions League - without jeopardizing the budget to chase market dreams. Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada, key figures in the new course, sold Sandro Tonali in the face of the great offer from Newcastle and rebuilt the team, with the (highly debated) data revolution. Zelus, an analytics company, and 'Mr. Moneyball' Billy Beane give their opinion on the players to acquire, and within the club, there are analysts working on market-driven data. Even this is not common in Serie A.
The symbolic purchase is Tijjani Reijnders: promoted by the data, he cost 20 million euros, a player with a modest salary and growing performance. Ideal to become a pillar and/or be resold at a (much) higher price in two or three years. However, the cover man is Christian Pulisic, a symbol of the connection with the United States. Milan has 43 million fans in the United States (Nielsen data) and according to YouGov, it is the most recognised Italian football brand in the country. At Yankee Stadium, simply one of the two most famous facilities in the States, there was a Milan Night in September, and the team played three matches between Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the summer.
The direction is very clear: to make Milan a fashion brand in Italy and in the world, particularly in the United States, which will host the World Cup in 2026 with Canada and Mexico. Cardinale may still be able to walk through Milan without being recognized, but he has the potential to influence the future of Serie A like few others. He will try in the next 500 days.
