GdS: ‘Cardinale’s speech’ – why Milan’s owner was at Milanello again and what he said

Gerry Cardinale as at Milanello on Sunday, marking the second time in less than one month that he has been present.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, yesterday morning the founder of RedBird Capital – the fund that controls Milan – showed up at Milanello to meet the team. This is his second visit in 2026, following the one on January 21st.

Yesterday’s visit, however, has a special significance: it’s the first since the American – thanks to Manulife-Comvest Credit Partners – completed the refinancing of his debt to Elliott Management, who exited at the end of January.

A message of encouragement

The entire management team was waiting for Cardinale at Milanello, from CEO Giorgio Furlani to sporting director Igli Tare, advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and RedBird Development Group’s International CEO Massimo Calvelli.

Cardinale joined the team in the gym and addressed them. His speech was one of encouragement, but also of thanks for the results achieved so far. The RedBird leader emphasised the need at such an important point in the season to continue working with unity.

He praised the group and the coaching staff, but then thanked Mike Maignan in particular for his contract renewal, demonstrating how important he considers him to the project. The ensuing exchange drew smiles, as Magic Mike then thanked Cardinale in turn.

The owner moved onto the pitch with the team and spent a long time talking with Allegri, in the presence of sporting director Tare. The coach made no secret of his satisfaction with the players’ performances.

Indeed, Max is happy both with champions like Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot, and Maignan, but also those who are less frequently used such as Zachary Athekame, who are ready when needed.

Objectives weren’t discussed because both Cardinale and Max share the awareness of finishing in the top four to qualify for next season’s Champions League. The owner and coach hope, however, that the team will continue at this pace until the end of the season.

Cardinale watched half of the training session, then moved to the clubhouse and had lunch with Furlani, Ibrahimovic and Calvelli. He left Milanello after 13:00 CET, satisfied with the atmosphere he encountered and the unity he saw among all the members of the Milan team.

Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images

Gerry remains in town

The American entrepreneur will be in town again today, holding meetings related to Milan, but especially the diverse world of the Olympics and RedBird. He will leave again this evening or tomorrow, so will not be at San Siro for the Como game.

It’s clear that the club are at the centre of RedBird’s thoughts and plans. For this reason, Cardinale will continue to communicate daily with the various corporate bodies. This is not only regarding the team’s day-to-day progress, but also things like the stadium project and NBA Europe mission.

What is certain is that under RedBird’s management, which began in the summer of 2022, three consecutive financial years closed with a profit after 17 years of losses. There were record increases in revenues, from €297.7m in 2021-22 to €495m in 2024-25 (+66%), and €250, reinvested in the squad.

It’s easy to imagine that Cardinale’s two visits in the first month and a half of 2026 are not isolated. Indeed, with his presence, the owner reaffirmed his direct and ongoing commitment to Milan.

After the Supercoppa win in January 2025, he hopes to bring back the club to the top in Italy and being among the contenders for the Champions League.