After receiving the Da Vinci Award for Finance from NIAF, Gerry Cardinale made the following statements to ClassCNBC:
On the investment in Italy:
"So far, everything is going well, but we've only been here for a year. I spent the first year not doing much, just observing. I wanted to make sure I didn't come to Italy and act like an American. We took some time. Those who came before us did an excellent job bringing Milan to where it is. This allowed me to do what we're doing now. So far, the Milan fans have been fantastic, everyone welcomed me warmly. We've made a lot of changes, and sometimes changes can be scary, but we're here for the long term to do well on and off the field."
On the American business model, Gerry Cardinale said:
"It's possible to use our model in Italy, but it will have to be Italianized. You can't do things the American way in Italy. The team is a partnership with the fans, it's a bit different from America. Fundamental things like on-field and off-field performance are a global phenomenon, so we'll bring our best practices to Italy. When we made this investment, I invited the Steinbrenner family and the New York Yankees as our partners: this is to ensure that the best practices from New York and America come to Italy."
On the issue of TV rights in Serie A, here's what Gerry Cardinale said:
"I've worked a lot in sports media. There are two options: you can continue to work with traditional media companies or create your own media company. With someone like us from RedBird in Serie A, this second option is definitely worth considering. I don't know if it will happen this way. The world of sports media is complicated. We'll have to find the right ways to maximize the value of our content. There's a great international interest in Serie A."
Gerry Cardinale continued:
"There's a big disparity between the Premier League and the rest of Europe. If we look at Europe, there are only two institutional investor owners, namely RedBird and Qatar in Paris. In England, it's very different. That's why there are greater opportunities for Americans to invest in other countries like Italy compared to England. There are many American owners in Italy, and it deserves to return to the top of European football. Milan has the highest number of Champions League titles won after Real Madrid. We need to return to the times when Berlusconi was the owner, and we want to do it now. The world has changed, and it's up to me to find a new way to bring Milan back to the top."
On Milan's growth:
"I can't take credit. It's a team effort. Elliott has done an extraordinary job in the years they've led Milan, which has brought us to where we are now. Our focus is on winning the Serie A title and going as far as possible in the Champions League. Our revenues have never been this high. This allows us to put the best possible team on the field to win."
On the new stadium:
"The stadium is important for Milan and for the fans. I want to give the fans the next level of European football. If we do it successfully, it will have a big impact on Italy as well. San Donato will be the place where we do it. Timeline? It will be a five-year project."
On Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
"Zlatan is a legend. I'm getting to know him, I really like him, he's a born leader. We need more leaders around us. I love people who excel and know how to give back what they've received. We have a young team, and I believe someone like Ibra could be very effective both as an advisor to me and as a leader for the entire team. It depends on him, but we're discussing it. I believe there are many advantages for us."
