Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani admitted that Sandro Tonali’s sale to Newcastle led him to experience one of his toughest days at the club when he received ‘death threats’ from the fans.
In a 24-page document published by the Harvard Business School, also including some comments from him, the Rossoneri director reflected on how the way media and fans talk about the club can affect the day-to-day reality.
Milan sold Tonali in the summer of 2023 in a deal reportedly worth around €60m – however, the club had to deal with their fans’ angered reactions to losing one of their idols, as well as a self-declared Diavolo supporter since he was a kid.
Furlani: Milan CEO received death threats after selling Tonali to Newcastle
“I was aware of the volatility that comes from the fact that the media and fans talk about our club, but I understood that there’s no way to escape what they say on TV or write in the newspapers,” Furlani said, as quoted in the Harvard document reported by Milannews.
“It really affects you on the bad days. And then there are even worse days, like when I receive death threats, for example, when we sold Tonali, one of our best players.
“It’s in those moments that I thought: ‘Okay, these are things they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School.”
The Italian midfielder was just a few months into his opening season at St James’ Park when he was suspended for almost a year due to illegal gambling practices.
However, he was back to action this season and recently scored his first goals since returning from his ban, bagging a brace in an EFL Cup tie against Brentford.
While recent reports from Italy claimed he was ‘unhappy’ at Newcastle and willing to consider a return to Serie A, with Milan and Juventus potentially interested, his agent dismissed such speculation, saying he’s happy to play in the best league in the world.
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