Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani shed some light on the investigations into Milan and confirmed that the club will be investing in the summer, while Rafa Leao will not be sold. An investigation into the sale of Milan, from Elliot to Redbird, is ongoing, but Furlani is adamant that there are no issues about the clubs ownership. Speaking in a lengthy interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Rossoneri CEO touched on a range of topics, including the role of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rafa Leao’s future at the club, and their investment plans:
From a Milan fan and Rossoneri CEO, how do you cure the suffering for Inter’s likely second star?
“It’s obvious that we would have wanted to win it first, we aim to do it next year. We’re not that far off: we pulled a struggling club out of the water, which after the Chinese management was at risk of bankruptcy, now we must continue on the path of growth to be consistently among the best in Europe.”
Can you achieve this 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 season of the Scudetto and ten more than a year ago after the same number of matches. It means we have improved the team, we have a stronger starting lineup with valid rotations. The new acquisitions have brought in 40 goals, and rotation is no longer a suffering. Last year we had to revolutionize the squad, not this year, we need to perfect it. We will have the advantage of continuity to aim to win the league and progress in Europe.”
So, looking at the calendar: how long will it take Milan to lift the next Champions League?
“If you ask Cardinale, he’ll tell you as soon as possible. He loves the club and looks at the substance, he’s the most determined in this regard. If you ask me what I want to improve, it’s easy: to win. A year ago, we reached the Champions League semi-final, 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’ve never won: it’s an important goal. How long it will take, I don’t know because it’s not decided at the table, but I repeat: we inherited an insolvent club and brought it back to the top of Serie A, also thanks to the leadership of President Scaroni. Today, all the resources generated are reinvested to build a stronger team capable of competing to win.”
Where do you think you can generate new revenues?
“Certainly from the stadium. To truly and consistently compete in Europe, you have to keep pace with other clubs, and without a stadium that is suitable for 2024, not 1960, you are effectively handicapped. The San Donato project is the most attractive one we have found, and we are moving forward on this path. Mayor Sala and WeBuild have proposed the idea of a redevelopment project for San Siro, of which we do not know the details. We listen to various options, but the main road remains San Donato. Timelines? Hypothetically 2028-2029, but I won’t commit.”
The goal isn’t just around the corner, in the meantime, how do you think you can climb back up?
“Sporting results have helped us fuel economic ones and vice versa; after seventeen years, we have a positive balance sheet. Revenues have increased by 60%, thanks also to the contribution of RedBird and Cardinale’s thirty years of experience in sports: Gerry cares a lot about results. RedBird 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 is an owner who participates daily in the life of the club; we communicate every day and several times a day. Before going to bed, I ask myself, ‘Have I told 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.”
Do you highlight the discontinuity from Elliott in light of the investigation in which you are involved? For the Milanese prosecutor, there is suspicion that the club has never changed hands.
“We fear it zero; RedBird has owned Milan 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; everything is very transparent, the facts are easily verifiable. It’s right that the authorities do their duty, and we remain fully collaborative. The only desire is for it to be 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 on the shareholder issue. In any case, Milan’s control is and will remain with RedBird.”
A new man in the club is there, and it’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic: has he really taken charge?
“Formally, Zlatan does not have delegations to decide, but our approach to work is not ‘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, he knows many realities, and he knows what today’s football is. We are complementary; he’s a man of the field, I’m a manager. I can’t speak to Maignan in his same language.”
Do you take on the role of the cold numbers man?
“I care about Milan, I really do. 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 doing it on my deathbed or not?’ I answered no. For me, it’s not a career issue; there’s only Milan: the club I am bound to today and forever. I’m not seeking the limelight in football; I will never go to any other club.”
In summary: in the market, will Ibra choose the players, and will you define the contractual aspect?
“Let’s not 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 the technical choice, but on the aspects connected and related to the investment: if you have 100, you don’t put 80 on just 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 the new striker?
“In football, there’s the big mistake of thinking that the price corresponds to the value, but it’s almost never the case. The player market is the most inefficient that exists. We want to aim for value, which doesn’t necessarily coincide with the player’s cost. We need to find the Pulisics, the Loftus… The budget itself depends on many factors: how we end the season or the outgoing market. We don’t anchor ourselves to figures but to improving the team with Milan players.”
Will the new number 9 still pair with Leao, or will you listen to any “indecent” offers?
“Rafa has a release clause of 175 million, but even before that, he wants to stay at Milan. He’s very happy here; he should be the one asking us to leave, but he doesn’t want to at all. Long live Leao at Milan.”
Is the same true for Theo and Maignan?
“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 as long as possible and continue to make a difference.”
And Pioli?
“Our season so far has been good, but like last year, there’s 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 Scudetto. He’s often criticized, but he has achieved important results. No one in the club has ever talked about a risk to his bench. 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 is.”
Do you see the Under 23 team in the future, perhaps with Camarda as the protagonist?
“Reflections on the second team have been around for five-six years now, but the regulatory context remains complicated. Camarda is a boy who grew up in our youth sector; he just turned 16, and we’d 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 stay in an important sporting project. I want to clarify that certain figures that have come out regarding hypothetical requests are absolutely incorrect, they are even offensive to the agents, to the boy, and his family.”
Resources, objectives, relationships with agents. Fans reproach you for having little political weight. Do you want to “grow” in this too?
“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 are more interested in spreading important messages, such as inclusivity, which inspired our third kit, and the fight against racism, as seen in Maignan’s defense. 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 headquarters, at Milanello, at Vismara, we all share the same values. You can feel the atmosphere of those rowing in the same direction; for this reason, I look to Milan’s future with great optimism.”
