Marcel Reif, a well-known German journalist and pundit, spoke to Bild about the near future of Markus Krösche, the executive who is reportedly on the verge of joining AC Milan:
“When it comes to Krösche, his move to Milan is not just a rumour that has surfaced now. People were already talking about it around June, when there was talk that his journey was coming to an end and that Milan were interested, having also spoken to him. Not everyone in Frankfurt was happy about it, but that is how business normally works in football!"
What will be Krösche's powers at AC Milan?
"He will go to Milan, where the bar is set a little higher. You can plan with different figures and, judging by everything we hear from Italy, he will genuinely be given a free hand and a great deal of autonomy. They put something in his hands, then give him something else, and eventually leave him with complete freedom to act. With that freedom, he will have to, and will know how to, restore Milan to their former glory.
“And in Italy, they do not have the same narrow-minded way of thinking as they do in Frankfurt or at other financially prudent clubs. There, it hurts deeply to see Inter having been lording it over Milan for several years, while there are also awkward neighbours such as Roma and Lazio, something nobody can stomach. That is why they will take things seriously and spend heavily. It is not a land of make-believe, but for Krösche, it is certainly a place close to a land of plenty," as relayed via Milan News.
The German journalist continued by focusing on what Milan, as a club and an environment, will demand of Krösche:
“Krösche will be given power and resources. He will receive all of this, and that is precisely what Eintracht Frankfurt is hoping for as well. The contract was not simply terminated; it was dissolved by mutual agreement. That is why there is considerable interest in compensation, which apparently should be around €3 million. That is what our reporters know, but within the club, it is also considered absolutely certain that he will take the step towards Milan."
“It is the next step. We are talking about a different club and, I repeat, different parameters and a different set of circumstances in which he will have to operate. Expectations at Milan are enormous, and in recent years, they have fallen well short of the mark. On the one hand, you can start again, not quite from scratch, but you can rebuild from a reasonable level, and there is plenty of work to do. On the other hand, however, success is expected to come very quickly."
“In Milan, at both clubs, people are so accustomed to the glories of the past that... well, the word ‘patience’ exists in Italian too, but in Milan, they have practically erased it from the dictionary! It is both a blessing and a curse: you can start working from a reasonable and achievable level and build something, as long as it does not take too long. After all, they have even clashed with their own legends, such as Paolo Maldini, precisely during a period when things were not going well. At Milan, they show no mercy if the results do not come.
“That said, I believe he is capable of doing it. He has demonstrated an incredible eye for talent. The question now is whether people in Milan will accept his approach. Will they say, ‘Listen, I want to invest in young players, help them grow and develop’, or will they demand, ‘Listen, bring us established stars who are ready to deliver’?
“Luka Modrić is playing there at the moment, and mind you, it is not that I do not like Luka Modrić, but that is more or less the range we are talking about. Luka Modrić is over 40, yet Krösche went looking for and signed 18- or 19-year-old players such as Nathaniel Brown and others. He has often demonstrated an excellent eye for identifying players of that profile.”
