AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni has pleaded that the authorities allow more fans back in the stadiums, and revealed the club’s target for the season.
Scaroni spoke during an interview on Quarta Repubblica, a program broadcast tonight in prime time on Rete4, and he was asked about a number of different topics related to the Rossoneri and to football in general.
“I want the stadiums to be filled 100% or at least 75% because for us it is a major economic damage. I am confident that the Government accepts our cry of pain and accepts the idea of having more full stadiums than they are today,” he said (via MilanNews).
“In England they are 100% full, in Austria they are 100% full, in France they are 100%, in Spain they are 100%, so we have examples that we need to follow.”
The Rossoneri’s perfect start to the Serie A season came to an end as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Juventus, with Ante Rebic’s header 14 minutes from time cancelling out Alvaro Morata’s fourth-minute opener.
However, Milan are sat joint-top of the league with rivals Inter at least until Napoli play later tonight. Despite this, Scaroni believes the target should only be a top four finish rather than to win the league.
“I’m a business man so I don’t have any hopes or illusions, I budget. In our budget we expect Milan to finish at least fourth, in the Champions League. This is our target. Then of course, anything more and we are happy.”
On the reasons why he decided to become President of a football team: “I was President of Vicenza Calcio. I have a football background not as a player, because I was very mediocre, but as an administrator and I must say that I enjoy it and I it also gives you a lot of anxiety.
“Every time I go to see a Milan match I am really anxious. But it’s a price you pay for having fun, there is nothing that comes to you for free in life. Anxiety every now and then, like last night , is rewarded by some positive result.”
It is not a secret that Paolo Scaroni is one of the main advocates of a new stadium for both Milan and Inter because of the revenues and opportunities it creates.
“We Milan certainly need a new stadium at San Siro, but all Italian football needs modern stadiums. Look, I can only tell you one thing: when the stadium is modern, employment grows by 50%, that is, the spectators grow by 50% because in a modern, well-equipped stadium, whole families go, half a day and not just the time of the match. Liverpool, with whom we played a game last week – they collect 100 million a year from the stadium. We collect 35. How can we hope to have results with such a deficit?”
On Ibrahimovic: “I expect to him to be back at the next Champions League match.”
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