What is the main reason behind AC Milan's perplexing demise?
AC Milan are closer to the bottom of the table than the top and will miss out on European football for a second consecutive season. Midweek, Filippo Inzaghi and his men suffered yet another defeat – their tenth of the season – at home to Genoa (3-1). Milan also sit tenth in the standings. It’s simply not good enough.
The Rossoneri’s demise has been extensively covered by the media, with many neutrals still perplexed as to what on earth is going on with the eighteen time Scudetto winners and seven time Champions League winners. It is clear that the supporters have had enough. They gathered together in tightly choreographed ranks until they resembled the word ‘Basta’, which means ‘enough’.
There are a host of on the field issues at the club, but I think the big problem is the ownership.
It’s been widely reported that owner Silvio Berlusconi is considering selling the club. I ask, how can a side push forward under an owner who no longer wants to operate at the club? It can’t be easy – players, management and general staff have uncertain futures. However, Berlusconi leaving the club is a good thing; AC Milan are in need of fresh ideas from higher up the hierarchy, and more importantly, funds.
Silvio Berlusconi has now lived long enough to see himself become the villain at the club he took over in 1986. Yes, under his ownership, Milan have had the most successful period of their history. Berlusconi saved the Italian giants from near bankruptcy.
Recently, he has not invested enough, due to the struggling investments of other personal ventures. His holding company Fininvest is bleeding money. They had to sell 92 million shares of Italian broadcaster Mediaset. A host of corruption scandals certainly doesn’t help either.
The club has debts of around €250m and lost €91.3m in 2014. This is mainly due to the club missing out on European football.
So, who is in line to take over? There are two men emerging as the finalists in the race. One of them is Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol and the other Hong Kong entrepreneur Richard Lee.
It has been heavily reported within the last few days that Mr Bee of Thailand is the favourite. The businessman flew in last week to watch the side and meet with Silvio Berlusconi. Taechaubol’s group is said to be offering €500m for somewhere between 51% and 60% of the club.
The Milan faithful certainly want a deal to go through. The club’s Ultras, the Curva Sud, wrote an open letter to the management, which is rather touching;
“It seemed impossible, but we’ve reached a historic turning point for our Milan, our President, who bought the club in a courtroom, and just three years later gave us the joy of winning the third European Cup in our history, who helped us win that trophy four more times, not to mention eight Scudetti.
Our President, who many times has made us angry with his choices and distant periods, but in the end has always shown that his heart is made up of these two colours [red and black].
Our President, at the worst moment of his stewardship, now has to make another decision of love, in the face of this current situation, and the mismanagement of those at the top which is demonstrated by the disastrous team which reached its nadir yesterday.
Now you face a turning point, and you must to decide whether to give up Milan, which has been yours for 29 years, and for which you wrote indelible pages of history.
Unfortunately, all stories have a beginning and an end.
Revolution must be just that – to start over again, while never forgetting our history and tradition.
Now is the time for you to make a choice, one which will surely be the best for Milan and all that the club represents.
If you decide to remain, we ask you to make a change at the corporate level, in order to return to being great.
If you decide to sell, you will always be the most successful President in the history of football, and no-one can ever erase that.
We are here awaiting the future, and always will be.”
As a fan of Serie A, I sincerely hope that the situation is resolved because the league needs a good AC Milan (along with Inter) to be competitive.
Written by Serie A Writer