The Start of a New Era — Milan Sold to the Chinese

It’s finally over. The sale of Milan has officially gone through! Image: Calciomercato.com

It’s finally over! After a year and a half of failed deals and constant delays, including many premature articles on my part, the sale of Milan has finally gone through. The club was purchased for €740 million by a Chinese consortium, with a contribution by Elliot Advisors to finalize the deal. What can we expect from the new era?

Lots of Uncertainty

We’re still not quite sure of the financial stability of the investors, especially considering it took so long for the sale to go through, and despite rumors circulating of a €140 million summer transfer budget, we all know where assumptions get us. Who can and who will Milan buy? Will they be as successful as before? Will they return to European dominance? We still don’t have an answer to these questions, and just a couple of hours into the sale of the club, we’ll most likely have to wait till next year to get an idea of Milan’s future.

End of a Legacy

While Berlusconi may not have been the best owner near the end, we still have to appreciate what he did for the club. During his reign, Milan won an incredible eight Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, seven Supercoppe Italiane, five Champions League titles and five Super Cup titles, two Intercontinental cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. Calling it amazing is an understatement. It’s incredible what Milan have been able to do in the past 31 years, and Milan fans will always remember those glory years, especially in times like these.

A New Hope

Sorry about the Star Wars reference, but the exchange of Milan comes with a bright future ahead of it. The Chinese consortium are rumored to have deep pockets, something that Milan will certainly need if they wish to attract top prospects such as Marco Verratti or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. While we can’t get too carried away just yet, the Chinese may just be the thing that Milan needs to become competitive again on the European scale.

Don’t Expect Too Much

While the closing is certainly a good thing, Milan fans cannot assume that the Rossoneri will reach their former level of greatness. That is highly unlikely, and it’s probable that Milan will never reach that peak. It’s not about winning the Champions League; it’s about qualifying. We can’t afford to be too optimistic; for now, Milan needs to regroup and rebuild if they wish to be competitive on the global scale. Until then, it’s a waiting game.

This isn’t to say that Milan will fail. They just won’t become the team they used to be, not in the next ten years at least. Milan still have a good shot at achieving success; they’ve been able to get themselves into a good position for the Europa League, and with their current roster, that’s pretty impressive. With the Chinese now involved, who knows where they’ll go? Just don’t be too optimistic.

It’s finally arrived. The reins have been passed on, and Milan fans need to take this time to reflect on the past, to recognize how great Milan’s history has been. But at the same time, it’s a fresh start. So here’s to the past and here’s to the future.