Milan (AFP)
Milan suffered a double slap with the departure of its young midfielder, Sandro Tonali, to Newcastle United, while the Lombard club was still reeling from the dismissal of its icon, Paolo Maldini, from the position of technical director.
Tonali was more than just a player for Milan, but rather a lover of red and black since his childhood, and a potential future leader, who had a good relationship with his fans.
He also said repeatedly that he wanted to become a “Bandiera” for the Milan fans, i.e. a role model for them, similar to former defender Maldini or defense rock Franco Baresi.
“I want to stay here as long as possible,” he said last winter. If you ask me today, I will say for the rest of my career.
The twenty-three-year-old added, “But it is too early to make such promises. Desires are not the only factors that determine our future as footballers, as there are many other factors. Long-term forecasts cannot be issued.
The owner of 14 international matches with “Squadra Azura” accepted a salary reduction two years ago to stay with Milan, after a disappointing first season at the San Siro stadium, after he came on loan from Brescia.
It was a right decision for the player and the club, as he played a pivotal role in their successful campaign in 2022, by winning the Italian Football League title for the first time in a decade. The Rossoneri returned to form a striking force even at the continental level, with their reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they fell to their arch-rivals Inter.
The loss to Inter did not spoil the atmosphere, so Milan remained optimistic and extended the contract of its wanted Portuguese striker, Rafael Leao, until 2028.
But technical director Maldini and sports director Frederic Massara, who contributed to building the team that won the league title, lost their positions after a struggle with the club’s owners, which caused bitterness for the Tifosi team of the northern city of Milan, close to the Swiss border.
Tonali’s departure was a new dose for the fans, after international goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Ivorian Frank Kessier moved as free players in recent years, even if Milan will get a large amount that he can invest in emerging players. “Brescia will, according to reports, receive 15% of the deal, which may amount to 80 million euros.
But realism also indicates Milan’s inability to compete with the huge purchasing power of Premier League clubs, especially Newcastle, which is owned by Saudi Arabia.
Ironically, Milan lost its rising star days after the death of the club’s former owner, the iron man Silvio Berlusconi, who built Milan’s glories in the eighties and nineties of the last century.
He saved the club from bankruptcy and made it a local and European beacon, using his sporting success in the political arena, as the rich man and media giant later assumed the position of prime minister.
But that era is over and Milan players have become prey to rich clubs.
Milan, which included Englishman Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea, hopes to narrow the gap with English clubs that benefit from huge revenues from television rights.
Serie A clubs earned ten billion euros from domestic and foreign rights last season, a tenth of Premier League revenues.
Champions Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis said last month that local carriers were offering less than half the amount clubs are currently paid ahead of Monday’s TV rights summit.
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