Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani opened up about the Champions League semi-finals, the team’s goals in the United States and his personal passion for the club.
The 44-year-old took over as Milan CEO back in November of last year, replacing previous incumbent Ivan Gazidis following the RedBird takeover.
This season has not been particularly easy for the Rossoneri, who won their first Scudetto in over a decade last campaign, but they have qualified for the Champions League semi-finals, where they’ll face intercity rivals Inter. The winner of this tie will face the victor of Real Madrid-Manchester City in the final.
Speaking to CBS Sports Golazo via MilanReports, Furlani first discussed how it felt for Milan to be in the Champions League semi-finals.
“It’s fantastic to be back in the Champions League semi-finals after 16 years. It’s exciting for the club, the team, and the city, which is on fire.
“It took a lot of work to get here, so we’re all very excited. We hope to return to our old glories and not make it a one-time occurrence, but to repeat it in the coming seasons.”
The Rossoneri CEO touched on the team’s goals and ambitions in the United States.
“The United States is a great market for us, it’s our third-largest fan base. We have many fan clubs between Canada and the United States, we have an American partner, and we have a partnership with the NY Yankees.
“We have played friendlies in North America in the past and we want to do it again in the future. We would like to bring more Milan and more Rossoneri to America. If it were up to me, we would even play an official match in the United States. We hope you can watch more Milan in the future.”
The 44-year-old Italian opened up about his personal passion for the club.
“I’m very lucky, I’ve been a Milan fan my whole life, there are about three billion of us around the world, and not everyone has the opportunity to manage their own club.
“It’s a great responsibility to keep the club healthy. Obviously, I tell you that our fans are the best in the world, and I’m trying to please them.”
He spoke about his goals as Milan CEO.
“I care about Milan because they’re very special to me. Then, thanks to my background, I feel a sense of responsibility, so I hope to be able to reconcile the two things and do well on the pitch but also do it financially in a continuous and sustainable way.”
Finally, Furlani discussed Milan’s work off the football pitch.
“Milan are first and foremost a football club, but we are also a cultural and social institution, with millions of fans around the world. We are an intersection of sport and entertainment and culture, and of course, given the city where we are, we have a natural connection to the fashion world.
“The partnership with Off-White has been great for us and for them, and we will do many more initiatives like this. We also have a great partnership with Puma, with whom we make a special fourth jersey every year. We take advantage of where we are and take opportunities from our ecosystem.”