6 days ago
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Owner Gerry Cardinale has explained why he believes that AC Milan’s competition is not domestic but rather comes from England.
It is well known that the revenues that the Premier League and its clubs draws in dwarfs that of Serie A and other European leagues. Cardinale has always been vocal about what he perceives to be an obligation to try and restore the balance of power a bit.
Through increasing TV rights deals, securing sponsorships plus building and owning a stadium – among other ventures – RedBird Capital’s ownership model is geared around financial sustainability through growth in revenues.
Cardinale spoke at length on The Varsity podcast about being Milan’s owner, which he called the hardest thing that he has ever done. He also shed light on the stadium project and was asked what he considered the competition to be within football.
“The real competition isn’t the other 19 Serie A teams, it’s the Premier League. That’s an economic black hole that drains wealth from the continent. They have almost four times the TV revenue of other European leagues – and that’s a problem.
“Yet, in Serie A, the last team can beat the first on any given day. It’s the most competitive league, but we don’t get paid for it. We can’t get significant deals for international rights. Why? Because distributors only want ‘the best’, hence the Super League phenomenon.
“In the United States, no one wants to see Cagliari versus Lecce, and that’s a problem. Competition is the essence of sport, but it’s not rewarded financially.”
English (US) ·