I read it on Monday, at the chip shop. Milan’s owner is called Gerry Cardinale. He also owns Toulouse. And he is looking at Al Nassr, in Saudi Arabia.
He said it himself to La Gazzetta dello Sport: “There have been conversations to assess the opportunity of Al Nassr and they approached me to examine it, but we are at a preliminary stage.”
Then he added that he will continue to assess multi-club possibilities, “bearing in mind that I already have Toulouse and Milan”.
Already. The word stopped me.
In 1980, a club had a president. The president had a club. He came to the ground in his overcoat, he shook hands, and when we lost, we knew whose door to knock on. I’m not criticising. I’m comparing.
Mr Cardinale also wants to meet Cristiano Ronaldo, to understand what he will want to do when he stops playing. It’s a good question. I was asked it too, in my day. I said I would keep going to the ground. I still go, when the calendar respects Sunday at three o’clock.
One thing must be granted him. He turns up. Milan against Udinese, Milan against Bologna, the unveiling of a new stadium for Milan and Inter. And he will be in the stand for the derby. A president who goes to watch his team, that still exists. I note it.
A new stadium, though, for both clubs. The old one still has its name, the one we know. The next one, we’ll see what it gets called. I’ll wait to find out before I get sad.
Marcel, in basketball too there are owners with several teams. Does that console you?
No.
Note that I’m not against investment. I’m against the man who no longer knows who he is applauding on Sunday. At the derby, he will know. He has only one club in Milan.
Well. It’s the times.
It’s true, we checked: Football Italia.
