The real news, from a geo-economic point of view, is that the China Corporation with its sovereign wealth funds, and no longer with a few wealthy entrepreneurs, is betting strongly on football, getting its hands on the blue blood of international football, Milan, one of the most successful clubs in the world and with an extraordinary following of fans at all latitudes, despite the recent lean years. It is difficult to predict developments, but since joining the WTO, wherever the Chinese have arrived, nothing has been the same.
From the point of view of Milan supporters, what can change? Will it really be the good turn? The operation opens up great opportunities, but brings with it some pitfalls. We see. The change of ownership puts an end to a pantomime that has been dragging on for too long. Berlusconi has now lost his lucidity, not only in football, and traces of his legendary flair have been lost: once he invented the Sacchi and the Capellos, now the Inzaghi and the Brocchi come out of the top hat. Then there is the fact that in order to sit at the G8 on football, much more figures are needed than those that the president can or wants to put in place.
But that's not entirely true either. Last year the Cav. or the former Cav. he put his wallet in hand, entrusting 80 million to Galliani who squandered them buying second or third row players, thanks to which the team ended up behind Sassuolo. A sign that society is in a bad way: from a museum of horrors the story of the Moroccan warehouse keeper, brother of one of Galliani's wives, caught stealing T-shirts. In these cases, if you don't feel like cleaning, it's better to pass the lick. Not to mention the children from the first bed, Marina and Piersilvio, never seen at the stadium but always there with a raised finger saying: enough with this Milan, it costs too much, we can't afford it.
Now, net of the amount collected by the Chinese, Berlusconi is leaving the scene after 30 years with a red line of 500 million unaccounted for. Does that seem too much for a promotional campaign that has made Berlusconi the most famous Italian in the world since Mussolini? Ask Coke or some other advertising big spender. In the meantime we will see what the little Marchionnes of the Berlusconi house will be able to do, finally freed from the Milan ballast. If good morning starts in the morning, fasten your seat belts. So, how to say, gratitude is zero. The regret remains, that's for sure, but hopefully not too much.
Beware of the Chinese. Those who have seen them in action, like the writer, know that they are very attentive to the return on invested capital and to compliance with the rules of good management. In short, nothing to do with Arab or Russian plutocrats looking for personal visibility to play on other tables. The risk that they have a short arm exists: after all, committing to an investment of 350 million in three years, considering the current melancholy squad, means placing Milan in the rank of medium European power. Better than the present, far from the past. A significant test will be the commitment to the new stadium, now essential for a top-level club (provided they don't build it in Beijing).
Or they could slip away quickly, given the impossibility in Italian football to combine balance sheets and sporting results. But it seems like a remote possibility: here we are talking about President Xi Jinping's sovereign wealth funds, not Mr. Thohir's. And in any case, attention to the income statement is not a bad thing at all, any fan should know that without economic sustainability, sooner or later, even sporting sustainability will disappear. Americans have an effective way of saying: "How deep are your pockets?". When the deep pockets of Berlusconi and Moratti were emptied, it was their turn to fold.
It is probable, not to say certain, that the Chinese will rely on the enormous absorptive capacity of the Chinese market, in terms of merchandising and sponsorship, to make ends meet. From this point of view, the starting point is good: Milan, seventh in the sports rankings, remains in second place for turnover from commercial activities behind Juventus. A recent overtaking, effect of the different performance of the two teams, after a supremacy that lasted for almost the entire Berlusconi era. In short, there are the foundations on which to build.
Among the conditions for things to go well, there is that the fans make their voices heard. It is said that a football club belongs to its fans. In strictly legal terms, this makes no sense. Actually it is. For a deeper reason than brand equity or other marketer nonsense. To clarify: I buy Lacoste shirts because I attach certain qualities to the brand, but the first one that tears or fades I change without problems. Have you ever seen someone change teams due to disappointing results in a season? When ever, at most someone doesn't renew their stadium season ticket.
What I mean, again to use the language of marketing gurus, is that in no product sector, assuming football is a product, is there such a high degree of loyalty as in football. Without this loyalty, the value of a company is that of the trophy and stop room. Now, years of success all over the world have somehow lowered the guard of the Rossoneri fans, who only recently and in the face of Galliani's acclaimed incapacity have begun to raise their voices. The demonstration in front of the Arcore villa also resulted in a reunion. Long-time Milan supporters may recall that in the early XNUMXs the then president of Milan, Albino Buticchi, hypothesized the sale of Gianni Rivera.
The next morning, as he left the house, he was quick to throw himself behind two bins to escape the gunshots of two Rossoneri hoolingans who then escaped on a moped. No nostalgia for those years, of course. But, in short, we could take an example from the Interisti "cousins" whose troubled history has made them much more combative. For example, on the occasion of the scam-exchange with Juve between Vucinic and Guarin, they not only managed to blow up the operation, but also to have the manager responsible for the nerazzurri kicked out.
The episode has its own topicality: it is that Fassone, with a Juventus background and then a discard from Inter, who is preparing to become managing director of the Chinese Milan. Let's face it: it's not an exciting start. To remedy this, he needs to be immediately supported by a competent sports director and true AC Milan. The alternatives – Maldini in primis, but also Boban or Costacurta – are not lacking. But the great Rossoneri people, author of the largest migration for sporting reasons in the history of football (120 fans at the Nou Camp, May 1989), will have to keep their eyes open.
