Former AC Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis gave an interview a few months ago to the 'Excellent Leadership Podcast'. In it, he shared some heartfelt reflections on Milan, the Rossoneri fans, and the moment he was diagnosed with cancer.
Here are his words, as relayed via Milannews.it:
"AC Milan fans are incredibly affectionate. Walking through the streets of Milan, I would receive hugs, kisses, and requests for selfies. I had two standing ovations at San Siro, completely unexpected. Our fans followed us through every step of the journey. They were extremely skeptical at first, they didn’t believe in us because no one had ever done something like this in Italian football before. But then they began to see how much we cared as well."
Gazidis added:
"I underwent cancer treatment. When I returned, one of our players spoke into the microphone and said, 'I just want to say that Gazidis is back from cancer treatment.' At that moment, San Siro erupted. It’s hard to talk about because it makes me emotional."
A painting of the Scudetto...
"What don’t people know about me? That I’m a painter, and quite an experienced one. I even have a painting of the Scudetto celebrations at Milan. I’m thinking about auctioning it for charity. But I like it; I might keep it."
