Interviewed by The National, AC Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani spoke about the opening of Casa Milan Dubai. Here are his words
“Opening this office is a very important step for us in our forward-looking journey. If you go back 10 years ago, we've had a period of some difficulty as a club, as a company, and on the field we went through a process of turnaround and streamlining and changing of strategy that started about five years ago."
Furlani added:
"We have had a relationship with the region and Dubai for a long time. There is tremendous potential because it is a region hungry for football. You see it everywhere, really. There is this love for football and an unshakable passion that is so evident. Sometimes it feels like being in Italy. And then, last year, under the guidance of our new controlling shareholder, RedBird Capital, we've embarked on this new process of continuous growth and, we hope, success on and off the field. So the Middle East as a region, and Dubai in particular, are very important to us. They are a key pillar of growth and of our strategy going forward. We’ve had a relationship with the region and with Dubai for a long time."
Furlani continued:
"We've been partners with Emirates, the airline, since 2007 and we're incredibly happy with, and incredibly grateful for, our partnership with them. And it's ever growing and improving. So much so that, over the years, we've also expanded our partnerships with other companies and institutions in Dubai.”
Furlani said Milan hope that, through the Dubai office, they can tap into football's rapidly growing popularity in the region:
"There's huge potential because it is a region that is football hungry. You see it all over, really. There's this love for football and this staunch passion that’s so obvious. It feels like being in Italy sometimes. And that's the basis for everything we do. If we're in a region where people don't care about football, then it's hard for us to really drive a linkage or allegiance to our colours and to our brand. So, because of that underlying passion, this is a great opportunity. It's also rooted in history. There are what I'll call cultural, historical commercial linkages between Italy and the Middle East and certain brands, and I think we play well, or can play well, in that kind of trend. We want to engage with the fan base and with the local community. But we also want to grow it and be more and more ‘local’ shall we say."
Furlani on the AC Milan club having a more physical presence in Dubai:
"Opening an office comes with expectations of being active. We have had many visits, either as an entire team – the training camp we did last winter – or a subset of management, coaching staff and the players in ad-hoc situations. In terms of doing more in friendlies or training camps every year, there's the global football schedule that is set by the regulators. So depending on the year, depending on what international events there are, depending on where we land in terms of European competitions, every year will be a bit of a different story. But there's definitely an intention to be here more often; be ‘eventful’ in the sense with various events and with a lot of travel back and forth between Milan and Dubai."
What will make Casa Milan Dubai successful?
"Let's say I wake up in three, five years, and what would I have to see to be able to say, ‘Wow, this has really worked out, even beyond our intention’, is, number one – having grown our fan base. And number two – having expanded the number of our partnerships in Dubai and the region. And I would say a softer and less quantifiable [indicator], if you want, which is being seen and known as the football club in Dubai."
Furlani on Saudi football:
"If you look at it in purely economic terms, if there's a new player in the market and they have new ideas and want to invest capital in the market, that has to be a good thing. There have been some, let's call them complaints, in the European football industry that I would define as protectionist. I see what has been done in Saudi as a big and ambitious project, and one that's going in the right direction. There will be teething issues, but that's normal. So, in terms of Vision 2030 and strategies to be a big league that is relevant and becomes top five, I think that is achievable and that will be achieved."
Do you see the Saudi Pro League as a threat?
"Again, I think it's seen as a threat on what I'll call protectionist grounds. I think it's innovative and it's something that is admirable, what they're trying to do. And, look, it’s a new competitor that some people will say is better funded and hence it's a ‘threat’ in terms of the race for talent. But that's how open markets operate. Trying to defend against them is the wrong attitude."
He concluded:
"The rise of a new market participant means you need to account for that, and you might need to do things differently because it's in reality. But I wouldn't call it more difficult. I would say something to be incorporated, if you want, in how we think about things and how we do things."
