Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani is proud of the club’s growth in recent years and looked ahead to the next steps in the project.
The Rossoneri looked to be in a difficult spot at the start of this summer, with directors Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara being dismissed and midfielder Sandro Tonali being sold to Newcastle United.
With only a few weeks to go until the start of the Serie A season, things are different for Milan and hopes are high ahead of the coming campaign as the club have picked up seven new players, including Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Speaking to ESPN via TMW, Furlani first discussed the current situation at Milan heading into the new season.
“I would say that the situation is very good. Milan came from years of crisis, we spent seven years without being in the Champions League and now it’s three years since we’ve been there, last year with the semi-final and two years ago with the Scudetto.
“We invested a lot in players, in signings to try to have a better season this year. So, I’d say we’re doing very well, I’m very happy and the coach is happy with the players he has at his disposal…
“I think we’ll have a very good season. As a fan I am very happy, and I hope the fans will be as happy as I am.”
He touched on his role as CEO whilst also being a fan of the club.
“It is easy to do this job with this passion. It is also easy to make rational decisions because, over the years, I have seen as a fan what happens if things go wrong. So, I have a great responsibility in this position and… we try to do it well.”
The Rossoneri CEO looked ahead to the club’s future, both in the short and long term.
“When I joined Milan, the club were in crisis. We have a plan, a path and a direction that I believe are very good. We want to be competitive in Italy and Europe like last year and we want to continue like that.
“We have various projects for improvement and the main one is the new stadium. There has been talk for many years about the new Milan stadium, but I hope one day it will be ready and I hope to come back here soon to tell you that we have the new Milan stadium.”
He was asked if the new stadium would be shared with Inter.
“Milan and Inter have the stadium together and it’s an exception in the world for such big city rivals. Our plan is to have our own stadium that will put our club on a par with the rest of Europe and the world.”
Furlani discussed the growth of the MLS and the Saudi Pro League.
“These kinds of leagues are new content for fans. There are funds investing in sport and this cannot be a bad thing for us, because investing in the industry helps the sports industry to grow.
“There are new ideas that help us understand how to do things differently. I don’t see anything negative in that.”
Finally, Furlani underlined the importance of the US market to Milan.
“Very important. For us the United States of America is very important, we have 16 fan clubs in North America, 13 of which are in the USA and two in California. We want to grow here, the sports market in the USA is the strongest in the world and football in particular is growing exponentially.
“We are an Italian club with American ownership, Gerry Cardinale’s Red Bird Capital Partners, and they have been in this world for a long time where sport, media, entertainment and culture meet. T
“hey help us a lot in development in general and, in particular, with our fan base in the United States of America. Their expertise and experience are decisive in the growth of the club globally.
“It is important, from this point of view, what is being done in the United States of America for the 2026 World Cup.
“Will we ever have a Mexican player? We now have an American player, Christian Pulisic, Luka Romero has Mexican origins, Fikayo Tomori has Canadian origins.”