Has the sale of
AC Milan just been confirmed?
During World War Two,
a common saying between Americans during wartime was that “loose lips sink
ships”. Basically, don’t run your mouth because your chatter could help the
enemy out.
Berlusconi isn’t one
for rules though. AC Milan’s owner pretty much announced the sale of the club
the second he was discharged from hospital.
"I leave Milan to
people from whom I have demanded an investment of 400 million in two
years," - Sky Sports
If that’s true,
Berlusconi has made an absolute steal. He’s run the club poorly, leaves a poor infrastructure and a
patch-work playing squad behind. 400 million Euros for a job badly done is just
a perfect statement of our world right now. But enough of that. Milan have a
solid new manager and are targeting sensible players to rebuild the team.
In a sense, there is
hope.
Sky reports that the
agreement for the sale will be signed on the 12th of July meaning Milan might
make some waves in the mercato sometime around the 20th of July.
I've
sold AC Milan – Berlusconi
The Rossoneri
president says that he has struck a deal with a group for the Serie A club and
has demanded that they invest €400 million over two years in the squad
AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has revealed that he has
sold the club and is confident that they will soon return to the top of Italian
football.
The Serie A side have finished outside of the top six in each of
the last three seasons, losing out on a place in European competition each time
as a result.
Berlusconi has been looking for a buyer for the club for some
time but has revealed that he has struck a deal with a conglomerate and
demanded that they invest €400 million in the team over the next two years.
"I have sold AC Milan to a group that can relaunch them and
bring them back to the top in Italy, Europe and the world,” he told reporters
after his release from hospital for heart surgery.
"I demanded that they invest at least €400m for the market over
the next two years. They are an important group, with an involvement of the
Chinese state."
Berlusconi
says close to AC Milan deal with Chinese buyers
Italian tycoon and
former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Tuesday he was close to sealing
a deal to sell Italian soccer club AC Milan to a Chinese consortium.
The Berlusconi family's Fininvest holding company,
which owns AC Milan, entered exclusive talks with the consortium in early May.
The club needs new capital and has failed to win a major competition in the
past five years.
"I have accepted the valuation for the club proposed (by
the Chinese consortium) and demanded that they commit to invest 400 million
euros ($446 million) over two years," Berlusconi told reporters when
leaving a Milan hospital after a heart surgery.
A source close to
the matter added that a preliminary deal with the Chinese should be sealed at
the start of next week or by July 15 at the latest.
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina,
Writing by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Mark Bendeich)
Milan can fly again with
Montella - now Silvio must sell to Chinese to reach the skies
The arrival of
l'Aeroplanino at San Siro offers the Rossoneri's long-suffering fans serious
grounds for optimism - particularly as owner Silvio Berlusconi is finally set
to hand...
Shortly after Vincenzo Montella's appointment as AC Milan coach
was confirmed late on Tuesday evening, joint-CEO Adriano Galliani
was asked when it had been decided that the former Italy international was the
right man for the job. "I don't remember," he replied. "I
haven't eaten all day!"
It may
appear like a throwaway line but it was actually an indication of how quickly
Milan had moved to wrap up a deal for Montella. This, after all, is a club in
which key decisions are usually made during dinners with owner Silvio
Berlusconi at his home at Arcore. However, there was no time for such luxuries
this time around - not with the former Italian Prime Minister currently in the
process of trying to sell the club to Chinese investors.
As
recently as Saturday, Berlusconi was still entertaining the idea of retaining
the services of Cristian Brocchi, who had been installed on a contract until
the end of the season following the sacking of Sinisa Mihajlovic in April. The
former youth team coach was keen to accept a new role at Brescia but was asked
by Berlusconi to wait another 48 hours to see how things panned out.
It
initially appeared as if Marco Giampaolo would take the reins, after impressing
at Empoli last season, while surprisingly serious consideration was also given
to persuading Fabio Capello to return to San Siro. On Monday, there were even
reports of a 'Mister X' having entered the fray, a mystery man not previously
touted for a role that had already been linked with Unai Emery, Manuel
Pellegrini and Andre Villas Boas.
Of
course, it was no secret that former Sevilla boss Emery had been the No.1
target - a respected, high-profile coach was exactly what the incoming Chinese
owners wanted - but it has been a long time since Milan have been able to
compete with Paris Saint-Germain... on or off the field. That was precisely why
Berlusconi considered sticking with Brocchi but that was vetoed by his Chinese
business partners. In the end, though, a compromise was reached: Montella.
While
the circumstances surrounding the 41-year-old's arrival were undeniably
chaotic, it is a shrewd appointment on Milan's part. It may have been a rushed
decision - but it is the right one.
Firstly,
it is worth pointing out that Milan have flirted with Montella before - as
recently as last summer - and it has long been felt that it was only a matter
of time before he ended up at the Giuseppe Meazza as he ticks all of
Berlusconi's boxes: he is young and he is Italian.
Furthermore,
and perhaps most significantly of all given the weakness of the current crop of
Rossoneri players, this is coach that has already proven at both Catania and
Fiorentina that he can not only get the most of seemingly average squads - but
also get them playing attractive football. Indeed, it was telling that
"his brilliant style of play" was referenced in the press release
confirming his arrival at San Siro.
Certainly,
Montella's Fiorentina side were a joy to behold at times, with Borja Valero and
David Pizarro pulling the strings in midfield, Juan Cuadrado and Joaquin
providing incision from out wide and Giuseppe Rossi shining in attack.
Montella
led Fiorentina to three successive fourth-placed finishes in Serie A - as well
as the 2013-14 Coppa Italia final - and there is no doubt that the best passing
side on the peninsula could have achieved even more had Rossi and former
forward Mario Gomez not been so handicapped by injury problems.
Of course,
the one regret is that Montella's time at the Artmio Franchi ended on a sour
note. The former Roma coach felt that certain promises had been broken by owner
Diego Della Valle, while the club accused Montella of stalling over signing a
new contract in order to invite offers from elsewhere.
“We
would have expected clearer, more respectful and less ambiguous behaviour from
the coach, in respect of the shirt, the fans and the club which has given him
so much," Fiorentina fumed in June of last year.
“So,
with great regret we must take note of the fact that there is no longer the
relationship of trust necessary for the continuation of any relationship, and
we are therefore forced - for the good of the club - to sack Vincenzo
Montella."