If I had
a nickel for every time Milan fans told me that this deal was different than
the Mr. Bee deal, I could afford to buy the club myself. And the money would be
there on time, too. “It’s different because there’s a €100m deposit,” they told
me before the last big delay. “It’s different because there’s a €200m deposit,”
they have been telling me since December. Yes, it’s different alright. Since
Sino Europe Sports entered into an actual contract with Milan, they have cost
us two transfer markets of improving the squad. Every single change we made in
the squad had to be approved by all of those extra people, in a different time
zone, with no cash to pay for anything. And that cost us dearly on transfers
that even Galliani might not have screwed up on his own.
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| €200m different, but worse results |
This post
was supposed to be an angry rant about Galliani’s mismanagement of Milan’s
transfer market. The latest rage stemming from the news that Juventus
reported a gain of €12.6m in their transfers alone in the first half of their
2016-17 financial year. Galliani dumped €14m solely on Luiz Adriano in
January. Because, you know, we’re fine as we
are. So Juve made a profit, while Milan poured even more money down the
drain. People want to find excuses as to why Juventus have so much success on
the pitch, well it starts with management. Juventus’
management have been doing everything right, and Milan can’t get
anything right.
And Milan
not getting anything right brings me back to this supposed sale of the club. In
Silvio’s claim to give Milan new owners who can invest properly into the club,
he has managed to find investors who not only cannot come up with the funds on
time, but now reportedly may not even exist in the plural sense. If that is
true, then this deal
is not unlike the Mr. Bee deal after all. And if they can’t come up
with the money to buy, who says they’ll have the money they promised to invest?
How is it okay to break contract after contract in the sale and then trust
blindly they’ll keep their contract when it comes to future investments?
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| An exclusive photo of the mystery investors |
But the
€200m… that makes it legit, right? Does it? It certainly shows intent. And it
shows that Silvio is not as interested in what’s best for Milan as he is in
getting out financially. As of this writing, there is talk of another €100m
deposit and another extension. First of all, for a group that was supposed to
close on March 3rd and have the money to Fininvest by the 1st for said closing,
giving them until March 10th to get €100m there instead seems very, very
questionable. To extend one more time shows more stupidity than faith, and is
more damaging to the morale of the club and fans worldwide. What is that saying,
“Fool me once?” If Silvio lets them fool him the third time (or however many,
I’ve lost count,) then it’s on him.
If Silvio
loved this club the way he says he does, he’d say enough. Pocket the €200m, use
that to invest in the next two transfer markets, and move on to other buyers.
Am I the only one who doesn’t find it ironic that Sino Europe Sports did actually
manage to get €100m per transfer market to Milano in time for each of the last
two transfer markets, but in a way that it could not be utilized to benefit the
team? And don’t get me started on player contract extensions. Donnarumma’s
future in particular hangs in the balance of this would-be sale of the club.
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| Milan desperately need to keep a few key players to return to European and Serie A glory |
This deal
has become all about money, not the love of Milan. Berlusconi wants to cash in
before Galliani finishes running it into the ground. Sino Europe Sports just
wants a big piece of the pie in China’s initiative to become a footballing
world power. But amidst the excuses that this is the biggest takeover deal
Chinese investors have attempted in Europe, people are missing the larger
point: they can’t close the deal. There is literally no excuse at this
point that makes their claim to want to make Milan a great club again valid.
They have done more to prevent Milan’s return to greatness in their inability
to find and keep investors and more importantly to actually come up with the
cash.
Until
there is an official statement from Sino Europe Sports and/or Fininvest, of
course, much of this new information on the collapse or delay of the deal is
considered speculation. But consider this: each time the deal was looking to go
through, the media got more right than Fininvest or Sino Europe Sports. The
media. The same monster that creates and spreads ridiculous transfer news, and
will heartlessly print anything without a shred of journalistic integrity. And
yet they get more right than our current or prospective management. What does
that say about management?
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| Or "The fortune you seek is in another investor" |
I say
it’s time for Berlusconi to pocket the €200m, which he rightfully can, as Sino
Europe have violated their contract many, many times. Invest that money in the
next two transfer markets, and look for someone who really does love Milan to
buy the club. Like the fans. Anyone up for starting a Go Fund Me for AC Milan?
I’m betting we could come up with the €700m faster than Yonghong Li. And
probably run the club much better, too. They say the third time’s a charm, and
maybe the closing will go through after all this weekend. But does the third
time charm also apply to the sale of the club contract extensions? I’m guessing that not
even a third €100m is going to change the takeover
blunders of these mystery investors. You know, because this time it’s
different.
This post inspired
by the music of The Hives “Hate To Say I Told You So”
Our next match is
Milan vs. Chievo
Saturday, March 4
• 20:45 CET (2:45pm EST)