AC Milan CEO, Giorgio Furlani, has granted a lengthy interview to those at La Gazzetta dello Sport as he spoke about several different topics. Here are his words about his memories as a fan of the club:
"Two above all, Weah's coast to coast goal against Verona and Van Basten's four goals against Gothenburg. Among the all-time champions, I put Savicevic and Papin, in addition to the usual Van Basten and Baresi." The CEO, above all, has a rational soul: "And it's the one that prevents taking a step longer than the leg."
As a Milan fan and Rossoneri CEO, how do you cope with the suffering of Inter's likely second star?
"It's obvious that we would have liked to win it before them, we aim to do it next year. We're not that far off: we pulled a club out of the water that was risking bankruptcy after the Chinese management, now we have to continue on the path of growth to be consistently among the best in Europe."
Can you achieve that in just one season?
"The goal was and always remains to win. Nevertheless, we are second. In the league, we have one point less than the championship season and ten more than a year ago after the same number of matches. It means we've improved the team, we have a stronger starting lineup with valid rotations. The new signings have brought 40 goals and rotation is no longer a hardship. Last year we had to revolutionise the squad, not this year, we'll have to perfect it. We'll have the advantage of continuity to aim to win the league and progress in Europe."
On winning the Champions League...
"I don't know how long it will take. We inherited an insolvent club and brought it back to the top. So, looking at the calendar: how long will it take for Milan to lift the next Champions League trophy? If you ask Cardinale, he'll tell you as soon as possible. He loves the club and focuses on substance, in this he's the most determined. If you ask me what I want to improve, it's simple: winning. A year ago we reached the Champions League semi-finals, which hadn't happened since 2007. This year we stopped at the group stage and it's also a matter of luck or unluckiness in the draw. And then there's the Europa League, which we have never won: it's an important goal. How long it will take, I don't know because it's not determined at the table, but I repeat: we inherited an insolvent club and brought it back to the top of Serie A, thanks also to President Scaroni's leadership. Today, all the resources generated are reinvested to build an even stronger team capable of fighting to win."
Where do you think new revenues can be generated from? Furlani replied:
"Certainly from the stadium. To be truly and consistently competitive in Europe, you have to keep up with other clubs and without a stadium that is adequate for 2024, and not for 1960, you're effectively handicapped. The San Donato project is the most attractive one we've found, and we're moving forward on this path. Mayor Sala and WeBuild have proposed the idea of a renovation project for San Siro, of which we don't know the details. We listen to the various options, but the main road remains San Donato. Timing? Hypothesis is 2028-2029, but I won't commit myself."
The goal isn't just around the corner, in the meantime, how do you plan to rise up?
"Sporting results have helped us fuel economic ones and vice versa, after seventeen years we have a positive balance sheet. Revenues have grown by 60% also thanks to the contribution of RedBird and Cardinale's thirty years of experience in sports: Gerry cares a lot about the results. RedBird has invested 1.2 billion in the club to downsize it? I don't think so. Cardinale is the first to emphasize that there is no financial performance without sporting performance. He's an owner who participates daily in the life of the club, we talk every day and several times a day. Before going to sleep, I ask myself, 'Did I tell him everything that happened today?' Gerry is always on top of things, in contact with our entire team, he wants his to be a successful project in every way."
You underline the discontinuity from Elliott due to the investigation involving them?
According to the Milanese prosecutor's office, there is a suspicion that the club has never changed hands...
"The owner of Milan is RedBird since August 2022. Elliott granted a vendor loan which is one of the many possible ways to conclude an operation of this magnitude. There's nothing hidden, it's all very transparent, the facts are easily verifiable. It's right that the authorities do their duty, we remain fully cooperative. The only wish is that it's done quickly, there's inevitably a bit of annoyance in the air."
The cards say that the search for a partner is a reality: is Milan opening its doors to a new shareholder?
"Given that the vendor loan, which is much talked about, expires in the second half of 2025, there's nothing imminent. There are no negotiations underway regarding the shareholder issue. In any case, Milan's control is and will remain with RedBird."
There's a new man in the club and it's Zlatan Ibrahimovic: has he really taken command?
"Formally, Zlatan doesn't have delegated powers to make decisions, but our approach to work isn't 'formalistic'. There's a group that operates and decides in full collegiality. My relationship with Ibra is fantastic, and I'm lucky to have him close, he's curious, knows many realities, and knows what today's football is. We complement each other, he's a man of the field, I'm a manager. I can't talk to Maignan in the same language as him."
Furlani added:
"I care about Milan, I care a lot. I reiterate, the conditions in which the club found itself have accentuated in me a strong attention, responsibility, and aversion to risks that prevent me from being irrational. When I was offered the opportunity to be part of the company, I asked myself a question: 'Will I regret it on my deathbed?' I answered no. For me, it's not a matter of career, there's only Milan: the club I'm bound to today and forever. I'm not looking for the spotlight in football, I'll never go to any other club."
In summary: in the market, will Ibra choose the players and you will define the contractual aspect?
"Don't forget Moncada: Geoffrey is number one. Ibra himself is the first to turn to Geoff to exchange opinions on player profiles. I don't decide on technical choices, but on aspects connected and related to investment: if you have 100, you don't put 80 on one player. Who will we focus on? It's not up to me to discuss names or roles."
Are you ready to spend 50 million on a striker?
"In football, there's a big mistake in thinking that price corresponds to value, but it's almost never the case. The market for players is the most inefficient there is. We want to aim for value, which doesn't necessarily coincide with the cost of the player. We have to find the Pulisics, the Loftuses... The budget itself depends on many factors: how we end the season or the outgoing market. We don't anchor ourselves to numbers but to improving the team with players worthy of Milan."
Will the new number 9 still pair with Leao or will you listen to any big offers?
"Rafa has a release clause of 175 million, but even before that, he wants to stay at Milan. He's very comfortable here, he should be the one asking us to leave but he doesn't want to. Long live Leao at Milan."
Does the same go for Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan? Furlani answered:
"They have a contract until June 2026. There's talk of selling or buying, but often it's the players who decide their future. Theo and Mike are two champions, we hope they stay with us for as long as possible and continue to make a difference."
On Stefano Pioli's job and his future:
"Our season so far has been good, but like last year, there has been another team that has exceeded expectations. Yesterday Napoli, today Inter. Pioli at Milan has a decidedly positive history, he brought the team back to the Champions League and won the league. He's often criticised but he has achieved important results. No one from the club has ever talked about his job being at risk. Now it would be unfair to evaluate him based on the future path in the Europa League or the outcome of the derby, as important as it may be."
Do you see the Under 23 team in the future, maybe with Francesco Camarda as the protagonist?
"Reflections on the second team have been going on for five to six years now, but the regulatory context remains complicated. Camarda is a young man who grew up in our youth sector, he just turned 16, and we would like him to always stay with us scoring many goals in the future with this shirt. He's a Rossoneri fan like me, I'm convinced he wants to remain in an important sports project. I want to clarify that certain figures that have come out regarding hypothetical demands made are absolutely incorrect, they're even offensive to the agents, to the boy, and his family."
Furlani continued:
"We focus on ourselves, perhaps we look less at political issues and more at substantive aspects. Conspiracy theories are not part of our culture...We're more interested in spreading important messages, like on inclusivity, which inspired our third jersey, and the fight against racism as seen in the defence of Maignan. Milan is a social institution, with millions of fans and global media interest: we have the opportunity and the obligation to be an example. It's possible here: in the office, at Milanello, at Vismara, we all share the same values. You can feel the atmosphere of those rowing in the same direction, which is why I look at Milan's future with great optimism."
