AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale has revealed his ambitious long-term vision to restore the prestige of Italian football and elevate Serie A into one of Italy’s most powerful global exports.
The RedBird Capital chief is reportedly planning to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as part of a broader initiative aimed at reshaping the future of Italy’s top-flight football league.
In an interview with the Financial Times, conducted in Milanello just days before AC Milan’s derby victory over Inter, Cardinale spoke candidly about the challenges he has faced since taking ownership of the Rossoneri through RedBird Capital.
One of his biggest concerns remains the difficulty of developing modern stadium infrastructure in Italy—a process he believes is significantly more complex than in the United States.
Stadium Development Challenges in Italy
Cardinale highlighted the stark contrast between working in the US and Italy when it comes to large-scale sports infrastructure projects.
“In America, I could do it with my eyes closed,” he said, as quoted by MilanNews.
“Here, there are language barriers, political complications, and cultural challenges. I am trying to build a stadium that becomes an Italian product—financed by Italian banks, with Italian companies competing for naming rights, and supported by Italy’s hospitality and business sectors. In the US, it would be straightforward. Here, it’s not my ecosystem,” he explained.
His comments underline the structural difficulties foreign investors often face when attempting to modernize football infrastructure in Italy, particularly when compared to more commercially streamlined markets like the United States.
A Bigger Mission: Reviving Serie A’s Global Power
Despite these obstacles, Cardinale remains highly ambitious about the future of both AC Milan and Italian football as a whole. His vision goes far beyond club success, extending to the revival of Serie A’s international standing.
He expressed a strong desire to collaborate directly with Italian government leaders once he has built enough credibility within the country’s football landscape.
“I want to reach a point where, once I’ve established enough credibility, I can go to Rome, sit down with Prime Minister Meloni or whoever is in office, and say: let’s build a plan to relaunch Serie A,” Cardinale stated.
“Make Serie A one of Italy’s biggest exports,” he added.
A Vision for Italian Football’s Future
Cardinale’s statement reflects a broader strategic vision that could significantly reshape the commercial and sporting future of Italian football.
By positioning Serie A as a global product—on par with Italy’s most successful exports—he believes the league could regain its historical influence on the world stage.
If successfully implemented, such a plan could not only strengthen AC Milan’s position but also elevate the entire Italian football ecosystem, from club infrastructure to global marketability.
For now, Cardinale’s ideas remain part of a long-term blueprint, but they signal a clear intent: to bring Serie A back to the forefront of world football.
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