AC Milan has sunk into sleeping giant status ever since the departure of Kaka nearly a decade ago and over the past two seasons, there have been few signs of encouragement about the club’s future.
The Italian side is struggling to stay in contention in an era which has seen rival clubs go from strength to strength, courtesy of the power of money.
It puts a lot into perspective when you notice that a club like Manchester City for example, was nothing more than a mid-table side when Milan last won Europe’s elite club competition in 2007.
In the 10 years which have followed, we have also witnessed the rise of Paris Saint-Germain, once again through the help of financial power while Juventus have restored their status as a dominant member of Serie A.
Even so, not all of the progress made by various neighbouring clubs can be pinned down to money because spending counts for little when there is mismanagement behind the scenes and lack of special talent on the pitch.
After all, one can argue that even though Milan’s resources has not matched that of PSG and Manchester City, they have been able to gather enough funds to spend in the transfer market.
Carlos Bacca’s relatively expensive €30 million move to the San Siro a couple of years ago was a sign that the club could still flex its muscle during the transfer window.
Unfortunately, almost all of their transfer moves have failed to be shrewd business and that is perhaps where the problem lies.
And when you add the fact that the team has been handled by at least five different managers in a short period of time, the struggles which the Rossoneri has endured can be strongly attributed to dressing room and on-field issues more so than troubles with ownership.
On the subject of ownership, Chinese investor Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux has completed a £628m takeover of the club which promises to bring significant capital increases.
It is certainly an exciting change and with the club’s debts apparently wiped out as a result, this could begin the revitalization of one of Europe’s elite clubs.
However, you cannot simply throw money at your problems and expect a solution and if that is the aim of this takeover at the San Siro, then the situation is unlikely to improve.
Sure, Milan will now have the opportunity to spend boldly in the transfer market and perhaps begin an overhaul of the squad by recruiting a number of new players.
But what will ultimately define the club’s resurgence is whether the right appointments are made in the managerial department while players who are capable of carrying out the club’s tradition are brought in.
In the past, signings like Sulley Muntari and Kevin Prince Boateng have proven to be deep-rooted errors, not because they lack the quality but because they are missing certain values required to take the club forward.
Milan’s Chinese takeover is good news, certainly from a financial standpoint, but an improvement in team-related decisions and new acquisitions would be better news for sure.
