Ivan Gazidis says Krzysztof Piatek fits into Milan’s ethos of ‘young and talented’, UEFA ‘don’t need to bless everything we do’ and Elliott offers ‘strong ownership’.
Gazidis was speaking at Piatek’s official unveiling on Thursday afternoon, and Milan CEO touched on several other topics, including UEFA, Elliott Management and the fate of San Siro.
“I’m happy to introduce our new player,” explained the former Arsenal supremo.
Ivan Gazidis says Krzysztof Piatek fits into Milan’s ethos of ‘young and talented’, UEFA ‘don’t need to bless everything we do’ and Elliott offers ‘strong ownership’.
Gazidis was speaking at Piatek’s official unveiling on Thursday afternoon, and Milan CEO touched on several other topics, including UEFA, Elliott Management and the fate of San Siro.
“I’m happy to introduce our new player,” explained the former Arsenal supremo.
“This is another long-term investment by the club, always in compliance with Financial Fair Play.
“I want to thank Leonardo and Maldini for the great job they did in the summer and are doing now.
“It’s an exciting time for everyone. Piatek is the player we wanted at our club: young and talented.
“We must build a dream, but to do that we must have a plan. We have to rebuild the team for the long term.
“We need great discipline but we won’t sign only young players, also experienced ones. We must respect what UEFA has imposed on us b.
“Piatek falls within our parameters, he’s the type of player we want in the team. We already have many young players in our team. We want to qualify for the Champions League.
“For me, being here is really special. Milanello is a place of legend, where you can breathe football.
“This club have an important place in the minds of football fans. The last few years haven’t been easy, but we have to bring Milan back up.
“I’m very excited to be here, I work with great professionals. It’s all truly incredible. I’m optimistic but it won’t be easy.
“We have many obstacles to overcome and respect UEFA, but the club are strongly committed to bringing Milan back up.
“I’m happy to be part of this project, it’s a huge honour. I spend a lot of time with all football institutions.
“We respect the guidelines they set. We’ve appealed UEFA’s ruling and until there’s a ruling on our appeal, we won’t know the limitations and restrictions.
“At this stage, UEFA don’t need to bless everything we do. The club must return to having a sustainable financial model.
“I was there when Financial Fair Play was created, not to punish the teams but rather to help them get back on to a more sustainable path.
“Compared to eight years ago, the club’s losses have fallen, also thanks to FFP. We want to respect it, but there must be a path for clubs like ours who want to get back up.
“This club must build a solid foundation on which to build our future. We have strong owners so I’m optimistic for the future.
“I don’t know how long it’ll take. We’re all very much involved, but Italian football must also go back to being a point of reference.
“We need world-class stadiums, for example. We have important objectives. We’re still assessing alternatives with regards to San Siro.
“Our owners are very strong so we can do some very exciting things. We can renovate San Siro or build a new venue.
“We don’t know what we’ll do yet, but we’re collaborating with Inter. I’m optimistic that we can do good things.”