Milan Patron Cardinale Discloses His Mission Statement

Milan owner Gerry Cardinale lifted the lid on his big-picture intentions in a studio about his tenure at the helm of the Rossoneri by the Harvard Business School (via Gazzetta dello Sport).

“When we took over, many owners of American franchises called me crazy because they didn’t think it was possible to do some business in Italy. Most of them do it because they are emotionally invested. They put winning above everything else, which leads to the mistake of thinking that spending too much to field a stellar team is directly correlated to success. That’s the worst thing you can do as an investor.”

Cardinale revealed his ultimate goal for Milan.

“I think it has the potential to become a €5B company. I chose Giorgio Furlani because we’re on the same page. Financial responsibility and the ability to integrate the performances on and off the pitch are the most important jobs for a CEO in European football. Some might see hiring Zlatan Ibrahimovic as window dressing or believe I’m enamored with celebrities, but it’s the exact opposite. I’m looking for world-class people who can make us better. The fans do their job, but the problem is that all the other components make it harder for us to provide our best to them.”

Cardinale addressed the biggest swing by his Milan so far.

“We have to spend every dollar more wisely than our rivals. We didn’t sell Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United because we had to but due to the fact that we received an excellent offer and evaluated risks and rewards. I understand the criticism by supporters, but Inter won the league and then went bankrupt, is that what we really want?”

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