La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition explained that Gerry Cardinale will sit in the stands of the old but fascinating San Siro tonight.
He hasn't come to assess Stefano Pioli's situation; he has judged the first part of the season as unsatisfactory, but the final judgment will depend on the team's position in the top four. The team is currently securely in third place, and tonight, it can strengthen its position.
To secure a spot in the Champions League, Gerry Cardinale will authorize additional investments in the winter transfer market: the expenditure for Filippo Terracciano from Verona (4.5 million euros plus bonuses) will be repaid when Fenerbahce redeems Rade Krunic for the same amount.
As for the extent of the summer budget, it will depend on qualification for the Champions League, to be reinvested in new players. In September, Milan closed with a spending of 113.5 million euros (plus 19 million euros in bonuses) for eight acquisitions, receiving 76.5 million euros mainly from Tonali's sale.
These operations followed the corporate reshuffle: Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara had to leave, CEO Giorgio Furlani, and Geoffrey Moncada became at the helm of the financial and sports area. In December, Cardinale formalised the collaboration with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Together, in June, they will decide the next Rossoneri coach. Gerry will obviously have the final say.
The goal is to make the team increasingly competitive while keeping an eye on finances: the 6 million euros profit in the consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2023, takes on an almost historical significance.
The last time Milan closed with a profit was in 2006: +2.5 million euros, thanks to the 42 million euros capital gain from Shevchenko's transfer to Chelsea.
Gerry Cardinale thinks about the stadium too...
The Rossoneri club has chosen the area for construction: San Donato, on the outskirts of the city, in the Southeast area. These are the months of politics and bureaucracy. The City Council will soon give its approval to the urban planning proposal, then it will go through a City Council vote.
At that point, with longer timelines, the phase of the program agreement with the Region and relevant entities will begin. A long road with obstacles but outlined. Gerry Cardinale's goal is to see Milan play its first match in the new stadium in 2028 or 2029. It will be a 70,000 seater on two levels.
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