Confalonieri and the memory of a Milan that won everything
Anyone who lived through the magical nights of Barcelona, Istanbul and Athens — the Champions League finals that wrote indelible pages in world football history — knows exactly what it means to see Milan competing at the highest level. Fedele Confalonieri, President of Mediaset and a historic figure in Silvio Berlusconi’s inner circle, carries that memory with pride and, inevitably, a touch of nostalgia. «The first thing that comes to mind is Barcelona, the two matches in Istanbul and Athens. And then the older memories: Wembley, the 1969 final against Benfica, the 4-1 against Cruyff’s Ajax… so many beautiful things that I don’t know if or when they will return,» he said in a recent interview.
At 89 years old — with 90 on the horizon — Confalonieri looks at the current Milan with clear-eyed realism: «Frankly, I don’t think I’ll see them again. Those things will remain in another life.» Weighty words, spoken by someone who lived through the absolute greatness of the Rossoneri first-hand.
His verdict on Cardinale: ‘He’s like a bank’
At the centre of the debate is Gerry Cardinale, the American owner of Red Bird Capital Partners who took over Milan in 2022. Confalonieri is blunt: «It’s clear: it’s as if he were a bank that has to return money and interest to investors. These people don’t care at all about winning the Scudetto. And that is the point.»
A reading that reflects the heated debate that has opened up among Rossoneri supporters in recent years. Since Red Bird took control of the club, Milan have not won any major silverware, alternating inconsistent seasons with technical and squad overhauls that have yet to bear fruit. The question many are asking is whether the management model adopted by the American ownership is compatible with the historic ambitions of a club like Milan.
Furlani in the crosshairs: ‘I don’t even want to meet him’
Even sharper is Confalonieri’s assessment of Giorgio Furlani, Milan’s CEO since December 2022: «No, I don’t know him and as a Milan fan I have no interest in meeting him, nor as a normal person, honestly.» A stinging statement that encapsulates the frustration felt by a significant portion of the fanbase towards the club’s management.
The Rossoneri CEO has long been under scrutiny for his market choices and sporting direction. Over these years, Milan have experienced constant changes — managers, technical directors, playing philosophies — without managing to build a solid, winning long-term project.
The stadium as a wildcard: Red Bird’s bet
In this context, the one element that could reshape the club’s prospects is the construction of the new stadium. A project that would represent an epochal turning point for Milan, capable of generating independent revenue, increasing the club’s value and attracting quality investment. From a purely financial perspective, logic suggests that whoever holds the club might wait for this strategic asset to be completed before considering any ownership change: a privately-owned stadium multiplies the value of a football club exponentially.
It is in this direction that the hopes of those who want to see Milan great again are focused: not only on the pitch, but also as a solid and ambitious organisation. The new stadium — if and when it is built — could be the starting point of a new Rossoneri era, capable of attracting resources, talent and, above all, victories.
The Milan that fans want to see again
Beyond the controversies and the statements that spark debate, there remains one sentiment shared by millions of fans around the world: Milan must win again. Not as something owed to history, but as the natural expression of a club that has a winning culture in its DNA. Berlusconi understood this better than anyone, and Confalonieri — who belongs to that history — puts it in simple but powerful words.
The hope is that, sooner or later, those who lead the club will find the right path to give Rossoneri fans the emotions they deserve. Milan is and remains one of the most important and widely supported clubs in the world: its future can only be worthy of its past.
