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In the past few years, hope has been distant for AC Milan. When it had vaguely appeared, it quickly faded. Now, though, it is impossible to deny.
There is something different about Milan at the moment. This is not one of those pendulum-like swings, but rather a proven switch. Everything seems better and brighter with the Rossoneri, and it is getting more and more difficult to deny that positivity.
It is like some of life’s greatest things; when you care so deeply about something, there is always that fear of getting dragged in and then hurt. However, there is a sort of calm around the Diavolo, where the journey does not feel determined already.
A path is there, but its destination is not.
To stop with the overly loose comparisons, the Diavolo are on their way up. That may be a Champions League place again; it could be more. However, most importantly, the mood around the club is on the way up, and it has been for some time.
The summer
Things in the summer started rather questionably. The Rossoneri sold Tijjani Reijnders and Theo Hernandez left, two stars going caused panic, and things had to be done right. With Massimiliano Allegri returning, there was a bit of credit in the bank, but not much.
He alone would not be able to solve it.
So, Igli Tare and Co. spent and reinforced. Luka Modric arrived, as did Samuele Ricci, Ardon Jashari and Adrien Rabiot. Christopher Nkunku arrived to help the frontline, and Pervis Estupinan joined the backline.
Questions were present, and they still are in some regards. However, established names arriving certainly boosted the mood, and their performances since have only helped this further.
The results
The reason Allegri gave credit in the bank to the Diavolo is being proven week by week. His team have played 10 Serie A games, and they are unbeaten in their last nine, they have the best record of anyone against the ‘big teams’, and they sit a point away from the leaders.
Sometimes football is incredibly basic, and at the moment, it is.
There is often an analogy that everything on the pitch decides the mood. Whilst this is not always entirely true, it normally goes a long way. A successful club struggling on the pitch but excelling off it is not as attractive as a club flying in both regards.
In recent years – which will also be touched on – there has been an idea that RedBird focus more on profit than performance. Now, it cannot be denied that the performances are there; anything positive concerning the first part is only a boost.
The profits
Yesterday, the Rossoneri announced a third consecutive year of profit for the first time in their modern history. Whilst the figure was only €3 million, this is still a landmark achievement for the ownership and the football club.
To do this, the total revenue increased, with another new record set this year, thanks to more than €494.5m being earned through the year; a staggering 10% increase on the previous year.
Sponsorships went up, media revenues went up, and player rights management revenues went up.
At the risk of lessening the importance of this, we’ll keep it short and sweet. Milan are, potentially, in the best financial position they could have been in heading into the future, and whilst profit may still be at the forefront of things, performances are now matching.
If both push one another forward, the future looks very bright.
The future
What is the importance of the future when the present is so good? Well, if it is sunny now, but you know it’ll rain for the next three weeks, no one is happy. There is a feeling of dread that comes over you.
For Milan, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, temperatures are set to rise.
In the immediate future, the Rossoneri are set to welcome back Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot and Ardon Jashari to the squad. A massive boost to an already flying team. Having a full team available to Allegri should only see the positive results continue.
Then, there is the elephant in the room, the fact that the Diavolo can look forward to a new home. As of yesterday, the club own San Siro, alongside Inter. It is a situation that has often left many frustrated, given that it has taken years to get here.
However, there can now be hope. The first payment has been made, the designers are ready to begin work and moving into a new San Siro should make the future even brighter with revenue potential only set to grow.
With more revenue, better players can arrive. From interviews, the club have repeatedly stated that the move will help Milan compete with Premier League clubs. It is something to look forward to, and performances should continue to grow with a more competitive budget available.
For the first time in a while, the current and future look bright for the Diavolo. We must wait and see, of course, but it is difficult not to get excited about what is going on.
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